Like most racist films (or books, for that matter) that lack the saving graces of humor and/or ambiguity, this movie is a bloody bore. Charles Marquis Warren's screenplay, from W. R. Burnett's novel, is unspeakably bad (pun very much intended). Every scene in this very long film is, to a greater or lesser degree, (usually greater), given over to Indian scout Ed Bannon's discoursing on the evil, perfidy and downright odiousness of Apaches. Makes for rather repetitive, didactic viewing, in my opinion. And Warren the director is little better than Warren the adapter. Pace, as alluded to above in discussing the film's inordinate length, is quite deliberate and the battle scenes are sluggish, at best. Ironically, I admit to a prejudice where Warren is concerned since I feel that my favorite TV series, "Gunsmoke", didn't start to take off, both in quality and popularity, until Warren yielded to Norman Macdonnell as show runner. Still, I think the evidence is undeniable that this is one of your clunkier westerns and for that the director must take the biggest hit. Second biggest culprit is DP Ray Rennahan and his prosaic often out of focus camera. In short, the film looks as ugly as the stuff spewing from the main character's mouth. Which leads me to the acting which, unsurprisingly, since it boasts a cast of pros like Heston, Palance, Keith and Jurado, among others, is solid and saves this thing from a three star, D plus rating. Give it a C minus instead and hope that TCM doesn't show it too often.
PS...Sure is strange to see Milburn Stone in a Western sans shuffle, ear tugging, string tie or stethoscope.
PS...Sure is strange to see Milburn Stone in a Western sans shuffle, ear tugging, string tie or stethoscope.