At 79 minutes, this one had a short playing time, even by 1951 standards. Which works to it's advantage since it keeps the story moving along at a fast clip, but has production values that keep it from descending into a B western. It could also have something to do with the cuts MGM made before the film's release, but what you see today is what audiences saw when the movie premiered over 50 years ago.
Clark Gable plays a 1830s trapper who 'buys' a Blackfoot maiden named Kamiah (Mexican actress, Maria Elena Marques), who was earlier captured by the Nez Perces indians, and uses her to gain entrance into Blackfoot territory in order to hunt beaver. Only problem is, he starts to fall in love with her and they eventually have a child.
There's also the complication of Chief Ironshirt (Ricardo Montalban) who despises the white man and kills any of them who set foot on Blackfeet land. He makes for a pretty muscular, ruthless chief. It's pretty much a non-speaking part for Montalban except for a couple of lines spoken in Native Indian.
There's little gunplay except at the end when Ironshirt's men ambush Gable and his trappers near the river, and Kamiah takes an arrow into her chest, killing her instantly. The horse carrying Gable's son races off into the woods with Ironshirt and Gable right behind and there is an excellent gunbattle in the woods as Gable is forced to shoot Ironshirt with his powder rod still stuck in his rifle barrel. It goes through Ironshirt like an arrow. Great scene.
Howard Keel narrates as Gable's (now) grown up son. With excellent on location scenery somewhere in the Northwest ( I wish I knew where, I'd like to go up there) captured first-rate by cinematographer William Mellor and fast direction by William Wellman, I liked it. Wouldn't mind owning it on DVD, either.
One of the best westerns Gable appeared in, even though he didn't make too many of 'em.
7 out of 10
Clark Gable plays a 1830s trapper who 'buys' a Blackfoot maiden named Kamiah (Mexican actress, Maria Elena Marques), who was earlier captured by the Nez Perces indians, and uses her to gain entrance into Blackfoot territory in order to hunt beaver. Only problem is, he starts to fall in love with her and they eventually have a child.
There's also the complication of Chief Ironshirt (Ricardo Montalban) who despises the white man and kills any of them who set foot on Blackfeet land. He makes for a pretty muscular, ruthless chief. It's pretty much a non-speaking part for Montalban except for a couple of lines spoken in Native Indian.
There's little gunplay except at the end when Ironshirt's men ambush Gable and his trappers near the river, and Kamiah takes an arrow into her chest, killing her instantly. The horse carrying Gable's son races off into the woods with Ironshirt and Gable right behind and there is an excellent gunbattle in the woods as Gable is forced to shoot Ironshirt with his powder rod still stuck in his rifle barrel. It goes through Ironshirt like an arrow. Great scene.
Howard Keel narrates as Gable's (now) grown up son. With excellent on location scenery somewhere in the Northwest ( I wish I knew where, I'd like to go up there) captured first-rate by cinematographer William Mellor and fast direction by William Wellman, I liked it. Wouldn't mind owning it on DVD, either.
One of the best westerns Gable appeared in, even though he didn't make too many of 'em.
7 out of 10