The Silver Screen Oasis

The first made for big screen westerns directed by Sam Peckinpah, a director I dislike, starring Maureen O' Hara, who co - produced with her brother Charles FitzSimmons, the Irish nincompoop running for mayor against Tracey in The Last Hurrah. Its not bad, as Maureen - Brian Keith journey to bury her son, who was killed by bank robbers. In the film Ms O' Hara is a dance hall girl battling the prejudices of the town.

It is a gritty film and unlike any other western O'Hara did. I liked it but the music was a huge distraction for me. (At TCM I seem to be in the minority on that point.) As I recall she sings the opening credits theme.

In addition to the summary a huge part of the film is the journey to bury O'Hara's son that was accidentally killed by Brian Keith. He and his "friends" escort the boy's body to be buried with his father. There is trouble in the group and with the Indians. It is an unusual film and I think worth a look.

Chill Wills costars.

I don't believe I've even heard of this film. The title alone attracted me to the thread.

So, I'm trying to watch The Deadly Companions (1962) on TCM this afternoon. I'm enjoying it since it features some terrific actors (Brian Keith, Maureen O'Hara, Steve Cochran,* and more) but every time a scene is set at night I can't see much of anything even though I adjusted the contrast, brightness, etc. Is it the print or the fault of the neophyte director that the night scenes are so freakin' dark? Otherwise, it is a good, well-acted film with an elemental story that is intriguing.


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*Favorite Steve Cochran Moment in this movie: Strother Martin, playing a preacher man, exhorts any men in his congregation who "want to go to that other place" for eternity to stand up. Our boy Steve is the first fella to eagerly jump up to ask to get his ticket punched for a ride to Hades.
Atta boy, Steve!

Moira,

I totally agree with you about the night scenes! I think it may have been the way it was shot. While it has a really good cast (and I love Strother Martin as the preacher), story wise and direction wise, not as good as the cast.

The surprising thing for me is how much Peckinpah learned from directing in a short amount of time because his next film was (as Ben pointed out) the wonderful Ride the High Country.

Many of themes that will run throughout all of Peckinpah's westerns are hinted at it here.

I agree with Chris it is a very different western for O'Hara and the music score ain't in the same league as High Country or The Wild Bunch.

Thanks, Lynn. I'm glad I'm not going blind. To be truthful, I actually found the music score a tad intrusive at times, and suspected that it was unneeded whenever O'Hara and Keith were on screen together. Those two barely needed words they had so much chemistry. Peckinpah's first feature has more than these few flaws going for it with the tragic past shaping the present and, finally, as the two wounded people learn, the possibility of a future coming out of their mutual pain and strength and acceptance.

Strother Martin was--as always--a delight as the minister. It was also great to see that ol' reprobate, Will Wright, popping up as a salty-tongued doctor. One other favorite moment (albeit a bit Fordian): when the smug towns women started making cracks about Maureen and her boy having the gall to attend their church service, the kid says to his mother, "If they're going to heaven, let's not go there."

I'm with you, kiddo. Besides, "that other place" should be much more entertaining with Steve Cochran around.

Another factor that may have caused problems for Peckinpah and the cinematographer of Deadly Companions was that was an era where new faster film stocks were being tried. What had worked previously for lighting day for night scenes may not have had the same results with the faster film stock. It sounds like there wasn't enough money in the budget to go back and reshoot the night scenes after the scenes were processed.

And I don't understand why FredC, a cameraman, would offer comparisons on lighting between a black and white film and a color film from the early 1960s. It's like comparing apples to kumquats.

To change the topic slightly, I still have yet to see WICHITA. I love westerns. Love Jacques Tourneur. I just never seem to come across it!

RedRiver, WICHITA is an okay Western, but totally fits into the "B" category. What I found most intriguing about the film was the latter-day appearance of Mae Clarke. The rest is pretty much a standard oater. Entertaining but ultimately forgettable.

the latter-day appearance of Mae Clarke

No grapefruit?

Is anything?

Good point, Wendy. But I'd give GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL a nod.

No grapefruit, RedRiver, but . . . well, I won't give it away.