Everglades The Novelty For Indian Fighting


Seminole (1953) Sees Uni Cast Swallowed In Mud

Released just short of Universal's conversion to wide screens, Seminole is swamp-set and endurance trial for talent mostly underpaid to do such muddy work. In-lead Rock Hudson, clear candidate as Universal's next big thing, is backed by weekly-check support in either uniform or feathers, contract players for U getting at least variety in their parts (Hugh O'Brien a shaved-head Seminole, and it looks like he really took it off). Same-time treatment of Seminoles was WB's Distant Drums, more of which had been shot in Florida, but neither pic got made entirely there. These Indians had distinction of colorful dress and repute for no quarter given to white invaders. Background was at least a novelty and that was hoped to bestir interest not roused by mere westerns off U-I rack. Budd Boetticher directs, not so recognizably as later and better outdoor work enabled by superior writing (the Scott/Brown/Kennedy group), but likes of Seminole made possible his move up to Columbia's series now classified as classic. Uni used television heavily to pitch these actioners, and had casts go on whatever local chat shows would have them. This got product noticed more effectively than that from bigger companies and talent that snubbed the medium.


The Seminole story is proposed as true, which historians and even casual watchers know as bogus, but little of 1953 reviewing cared, as what major critics would bother seeing Seminole at all? (Universal could find no Indian women to play squaws, so used Hawaiians in their stead) Formula is doggedly applied, though U-I had by now honed their westerns to sheen of Technicolor and reliable mastery of camerawork. No one's outdoor lensing was more handsome. Two weeks were spent on swampy backlot after briefest establishing shots from Florida-dispatched second unit, to which Boetticher gave morale boost by showing up in immaculate white Panama suit with wide-brim hat, daring any of mud-soaked cast to sully him. They fell upon him, of course, resulting immersion to six feet of "quicksand" poured for the film, as duly reported in humor terms by Variety (7-21-52). Being good sport enough to sacrifice his outfit and be hazed by Seminole cast would earn good will for Boetticher and keep him on U's payroll for another busy year. Seminolehas surfaced in rich HD on Retroplex, and is available from Universal's DVD Vault Series.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Striking 50's Club Scene

Image
  This Could Be The Night (1957)  Pleases In B/W Scope A picture that J.J. Hensecker would have enjoyed if J.J. Hunsecker had been a real person, and perhaps a last to depict New York on Damon Runyan terms. MGM even arranged to have Earl Wilson host a trailer, him a columnist who would certainly have frequented spots like where action happens here. He appears on-camera with chanteuse Julie Wilson and mentions that he hasn't seen her around town lately because she's been in Hollywood mak ing this movie, such insider talk maybe a turn-off to rurals otherwise disposed to go see This Could Be The Night . It would probably have lost money anyway, this being 1957 when most of what MGM released lost money. For director Robert Wise, Night came between hit that was Somebody Up There Likes Me , and Until They Sail , a feature trio to argue Wise's reliability for polished product. Wise could take good material and reliably make it very good, like story-and-tempo minded filmmake...
Read more

Jet Aces On Short Rations

Image
Hell's Horizon (1955) Takes To Low Columbia Ceiling Slow build to a Korean air mission where bomber crew will sustain or crack-up according to character they've revealed in Acts One-Two. John Ireland is chief pilot, tip-off to modest cast otherwise aboard: Bill Williams, Hugh Beaumont, Jerry Paris, Bill Schallert. Love Is Splendor-ish girl interest is Marla English, borrowed from Paramount, striking Eurasian pose a la Jennifer Jones in the 20th Fox hit. Marla would be a cult chiller throb as The She-Creature , which she probably didn't find half so rewarding as this part, a better calling card for elevation out of B's (ME would instead quit biz altogether). Horizon saves its fuel for determining mission, which came excitingly at point where I'd almost lost hope for this Columbia release of a "Gravis Production," the independent set-up by producer Wray Davis and writer-director Tom Gries. Money man for Gravis was actually Jack Broder of Realart fame, who ...
Read more

Vitaphone Digs In

Image
The Divine Lady (1929) Is Big-Scale History with Sound A Vitaphone special that lost money ($520K). The novelty of sound as end in itself was spent by 3/22/29 and release of The Divine Lady , which suffered too from word got round of its lacking dialogue, the Vita boost limited to scoring and infrequent song. Latter was said to have been sung by Corinne Griffith , but audiences were beginning to smell rats re stars bent on vocalizing, and besides, Griffith looked barely in sync with lyrics (her being dubbed was outed by  Photoplay magazine). It was critical that tunes be emphasized, Warners having learned how much a hit theme could enhance both attendance and song sheet sales. A distinct advantage to sound movies was their ability to promote music the studios al so owned, that much made clear by success of the early Al Jolsons . The Divine Lady was hugely expensive, more so than Noah's Ark of same year release, so getting back investment may have seemed hopeless going in. P...
Read more