I was a fan of Rory Calhoun back in the late Fifties when he appeared in the Western TV series lead role of "The Texan". In this picture, filmed in 1954, Calhoun looks almost a decade younger and exceptionally athletic. There was no reason to believe that he wouldn't fall for Peggie Castle's character, especially after she broke off her engagement with cavalry Lieutenant Bascomb (Patrick Sexton). She might not have survived network TV as long as Amanda Blake in 'Gunsmoke', but she sure did rival Kitty as one of the pre-eminent saloon keepers of the Old West in 'Lawman'.
I never heard of "The Yellow Tomahawk" until it popped up on Encore Westerns last night, and it proved to be one of those rough cut gems from a half century ago. In addition to Calhoun and Castle, the other interesting casting decision made here was Lee Van Cleef in the role of Cheyenne warrior Fire Knife. You also had Peter Graves in the role of a renegade gold prospector who killed his partners for their dig, eventually proving to be a thorn in the side of Indian scout Adam Reed (Calhoun). But it doesn't end there - Noah Beery's on hand as a cavalry hand named Tonio Perez, and he finds himself fending off the advances of Nez Perce maiden Honey Bear. Rita Moreno is not quite convincing as the fawning young squaw infatuated with a grizzled old goat twice her age, and I kept wondering if Reed might cast an eye in her direction. Maybe he would have if she opened the picture swimming in the buff instead of Castle.
The story itself gets downright brutal in a number of scenes, particularly the attack on Major Ives' (Warner Anderson) new fort under construction. Iron Knife puts an honorable face on things in his dealings with Reed, but ultimately you know that things will end badly. The finale is a bit of a twist, as Reed holds to his own principles just as dearly; the chief should have accepted the gift bow back when it was offered.
If you're paying attention to the opening credits, you'll wonder as I did why 'Color by Color Corporation of America' heralds the start of a black and white picture. I guess I've seen enough films to not be surprised by such a minor detail, but it would have been cool to actually see the yellow tomahawk.
I never heard of "The Yellow Tomahawk" until it popped up on Encore Westerns last night, and it proved to be one of those rough cut gems from a half century ago. In addition to Calhoun and Castle, the other interesting casting decision made here was Lee Van Cleef in the role of Cheyenne warrior Fire Knife. You also had Peter Graves in the role of a renegade gold prospector who killed his partners for their dig, eventually proving to be a thorn in the side of Indian scout Adam Reed (Calhoun). But it doesn't end there - Noah Beery's on hand as a cavalry hand named Tonio Perez, and he finds himself fending off the advances of Nez Perce maiden Honey Bear. Rita Moreno is not quite convincing as the fawning young squaw infatuated with a grizzled old goat twice her age, and I kept wondering if Reed might cast an eye in her direction. Maybe he would have if she opened the picture swimming in the buff instead of Castle.
The story itself gets downright brutal in a number of scenes, particularly the attack on Major Ives' (Warner Anderson) new fort under construction. Iron Knife puts an honorable face on things in his dealings with Reed, but ultimately you know that things will end badly. The finale is a bit of a twist, as Reed holds to his own principles just as dearly; the chief should have accepted the gift bow back when it was offered.
If you're paying attention to the opening credits, you'll wonder as I did why 'Color by Color Corporation of America' heralds the start of a black and white picture. I guess I've seen enough films to not be surprised by such a minor detail, but it would have been cool to actually see the yellow tomahawk.