Backlash

"Backlash" is a conventional 1950s western, but it is sound and nice and has several merits. The director John Sturges (almost) never disappoints you. The entertaining story is a typical one by the great western-writer Borden Chase: plenty of twists of the plot, of surprises, of double-crossing, of complicated kinship relations between the many characters. The finale is rather original. The action scenes are very good: Sturges is a master of that. The cinematography is stunning: it renders with the full force of a glorious technicolor the wonderful beauty of the Arizona landscapes.

The job by the cast is first-rate. Richard Widmark is a great actor in every role: either as the good guy (here), or as the villain (in many other movies). John McIntire is excellent in his trade-mark role of the sneaky outlaw. But I was even more impressed by the depth of Donna Reed's talent. I remembered her as the paradigmatic loving spouse and mother in "It's a wonderful life". Here she's fully convincing in the role of the tough, cynical woman with a turbulent past. Donna seems even more beautiful and appealing in "Backlash" than in the Capra's movie (in fact she's really gorgeous). Is she so good to be able to improve her looks, depending on her role?

Predictably enough, "Backlash" oozes amiable cliches and naive flaws, which, however, almost increase the pleasure of us old western-movies-fans. First: what's the point of the title? No wips are seen along the movie. Widmark wrestles with an Apache sentry for some thirty seconds, without the Apache screaming to give the alarm to his companions. Where does Donna Reed keep the many beautiful dresses she wears? She travels on horse-back... And we have the usual geographical oddities of old classic westerns: the guys just cross a mountain and they pass from Arizona to Texas!

I like "Backlash" and I recommend it: see the movie, relax and have a good time.

Anyone else but Richard Widmark, and BACKLASH might have been a forgettable, hollow mystery set in the old West. As it is, Widmark and a dark-tressed, feisty Donna Reed give this slight tale some real impact as two people searching for lost loved ones, Reed her husband and Widmark his father. The two missing men may have been among a group that amassed a small fortune in gold, then massacred by Apaches. The truths Widmark and Reed must face by the climax are tough to take, but these two prove tougher than they might at first appear. Getting to the truth ends up with the two of them caught in the middle of a range war between two ranches. John McIntire also does a nice turn as the supremely evil head of one of the warring ranches. Great outdoor photography lends the film an air of authenticity it might have missed on a studio sound stage or back lot. John Sturges directed.

Where does Donna Reed keep the many beautiful dresses she wears? She travels on horse-back...

I would like to submit the fact that Donna Reed never wore a dress in the movie Backlash. As a matter of fact in the early part of the movie she was in slightly tight trousers and for the remainder of the movie she was in culottes.

She did use her blouse to dress Richard Widmark's wound earlier and one must wonder where she got a blouse to wear for the rest of the movie. But, who's counting.

But that doesn't matter with regard to the above comment as Donna Reed was an extremely beautiful woman who always acted to the extent that was required of her. She did so very well in this movie even though she only contributed a blouse from her saddle bag to dress Richard Widmarks wound.

Was the scene where she dressed Widmark's wound believable? No, of course not. Was it sexy, yes very much so. Was its sexiness out of order for the fifties? Of course not.

You put the beautiful Donna Reed in a movie and leave out her sexiness and you have committed the most grievous of sins.

It was a good movie.

Doufus

then this movie is great one to watch. I really don't understand all the love for this movie, but accept that it is what it is.

For me, the script and screen writing is pure high school level. There is simply no rhythm to this film. The acting, given the quality of script, is not bad, though wasted. The relationship between Reed and Widmark develops implausibly. In fact, every relationship in this less than epic oater develops with with an expedition better suited to humor an audience than to lasso them into believability.

A sample: The scene where Widmark takes the dead deputy into Silver City is ridiculous. The "sheriff" (Ed Platt) doesn't even ask the circumstances surrounding the death of his deputy and makes force-less demands of Widmark to remove his gun. Next thing you know, Widmark and Reed are ordered out of town. For what?? Defending themselves?? What does not make sense here is that Platt is demanding accountability from Widmark and Reed, but none from aggrieved brothers of the dead deputy. Silly.

The whole film is loaded with these sorts of inconsistencies.

Reed is gorgeous and thus competes agreeably with the natural beauty of the western landscape where this film was shot.

A lot of stars perform in this effort, but not a lot of stars in my rating.

From Universal International Pictures shows this thrilling and exciting Western with great cast, lots of action, duels to death and suspense that cuts like a whip. It deals with Jim Slater, Richard Widmark, who seeks a survivor of an Apache massacre and while he meets a beautiful wife : Donna Reed, looking for his husband. Slater is a gunslinger out to find his father's killer. Along the way, he faces off hard-riding outlaws, Apache raiders and he becomes involved into a range warfare between two land barons, John McIntire and Roy Roberts. Was the sixth man the secret to the five empty graves?.. The answer waited in a woman's lips and watched from the shadows of a frightened town!

Nice western with a twisted and complex plot by the prestigious and Western expert Borden Chase. Well financed by the notorius producer Aaron Rosenberg who also produced the succcesful James Stewart Westerns as Winchester 73, The far country, Bend the river, Night passage. This is a tough and certain winner John Sturges Western with touches of mystery and suspense to find out a real culprit. It includes good helpings of ordinary gundown, Indian attacks, ambushes and anything else. The screenplay is unusually well worked-out for an oater, delivering interest and entertainment enough. It packs one or two first-rate twists and surprises in the closing reel. Finely starred by the two-fisted Richard Widmark playing in his usual style and co-starred by the gorgeous Donna Reed. Being very well accompanied by an awesome support cast such as : William Campbell, John McIntire, Henry Morgan, Barton McLane, Robert J Wilke, Roy Roberts, Edward Platt, among others.

Filmed in brilliant technicolor amid the grandeur and espectacle of high sierras. This busiest western was well directed by John Sturges, though it is inferior than his other Western entries. Sturges was a good director who shot some nice and classic Westerns, such as : The Walking Hills, Gunfight at OK Corral, The magnificent seven, Escape from Fort Bravo, The law and Jake Wade, The last train from Gun Hill, Three sergeants, Halelujah trail, Hour of the gun, and a semi-western : Bad day at Black Rock, among others. Rating 6.5. Decent Western that will appeal to Richard Widmark fans. Well worth watching.