Dawn at Socorro (1954) User Reviews

Nice mixed salad of a western

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 1 November 2005]

Rory Calhoun is a world weary and consumptive gunfighter who just would like to hang up his six shooter, but a whole passel of enemies he's made over the years just won't let him quit. A little bit of Gunfight at the OK Corral and The Gunfighter tossed together.

After a shootout in one town he arrives by stage to Socorro where Sheriff Edgar Buchanan wants to get him out of town before any more blood is spilled on his turf. But Calhoun lingers and lingers, impressed by the beauty of Piper Laurie who he's ridden to town with on the stage.

It's a good B western, directed by a veteran of that genre, George Sherman. Sherman keeps the action going at a good clip and the cast knows their way around a western set.

Dawn at Socorro was probably a B feature that didn't bore too many people who went to see the A picture from Universal it was playing with.

This well-edited motion picture was compellingly directed , resulting to be an attractive and serious western with dramatic moments

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 24 June 2020]

Enjoyable taut minor and nicely done Western has loner gunfighter Brett Wade (Rory Calhoun) as starring . At the beginning after a poker game , he joins forces with Marshal Harry McNair (James Millican) , both of whom fight shoulder to shoulder in a wild stand-up gunfight against Old Man Ferris (Stanley Andrews) and family (Lee Van Cleef , Skip Homeier , Richard Garland) . He is wounded and the doctor (Roy Roberts) finds him signs of tuberculosis. En route to Colorado by stagecoach he meets other passengers as Rannah Hayes (Piper Laurie) and Jimmy Rapp (Alex Nicol) . Brett arrives in Socorro where Sheriff Couthen (Edgar Buchanan) fears another gun-play . Meanwhile , Brett tries to get out of his previous life while helping a young woman from a life as one of Dick Braden's (David Brian) saloon girls.Brett stops in Socorro, New Mexico along with Ferris gunfighter Jimmy Rapp. LAST OF THE FRONTIER GAMBLERS! The Story of THE NOTORIOUS BRETT WADE LAST OF THE FRONTIER GAMBLERS! He lived on borrowed time...borrowed kisses...and a way with a six-gun that was all his life.

Nice Western with thrills , noisy action, shoot'em up , a highly commendable musical score and intriguing ending . Bursting with attractive characters, interesting sub-plots , symbols , and with very decent filmmaking and interpretation . Paramount Universal movie with great main and support cast, being well produced and efficiently directed. A charming Western that works efficiently within its own rather derivative limits . It is an usual Western of the Fifities with echoes of the classics as ¨High Noon¨ , ¨Duel at O.K. Corral¨ or ¨Shane¨ . Rory Calhoun gives a nice acting as a gunfighter in a town caught in a feud and pursued by avengeful pistoleros .Tall and handsome, Rory is extremely adequate playing Brett Wade, a gambler, gunslinger, and classical pianist , diagnosed with tuberculosis, who has in mind saving a waif-with-a-past girl . Before becoming an actor he worked as a boxer, a lumberjack, a truck driver and a cowpuncher. Rory benefited from a screen test at 20th Century-Fox, arranged for him by Sue Carol, a Hollywood agent and the wife of actor Alan Ladd, who is said to have spotted Calhoun while he was riding a horse in a Los Angeles park. He debuted on screen in Something for the Boys (1944), with Carmen Miranda, billed as "Frank McCown". David O. Selznick changed his name to Rory Calhoun, and after playing small parts for a while, he graduated to starring in western films, including Río sin retorno (1954) with Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum. Calhoun's better-known pictures include Cómo casarse con un millonario (1953) with Lauren Bacall, Monroe and Betty Grable, and Con una canción en mi corazón (1952) with Susan Hayward. From 1959 to 1960 he starred in the CBS television series The Texan (1958). More than two decades later he returned to CBS for five years as Judge Judson Tyler on the daytime serial Capitolio (1982). His final appearance, 70 years old but handsome as ever, was as Ernest Tucker in Pure Country (1992). Rory played a lot of Western such as : Ride Out for Revenge , Domino Kid , The Hired Gun , Utah Blaine , A bullet is waiting, Thunder in Carolina , Dawn in Socorro , The Yellow Tomahawk , and River with no return with Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum . The film ¨ Dawn at Socorro¨ is really buoyed by several familar faces in the supporting cast such as Edgar Buchanan Alex Nicol , Kathleen Hughes Mara Corday , Lee Van Cleef Roy Roberts , James Millican, Stanley Andrews, Richard Garland and Skip Homeier , Lee Marvin-lookalike , as his ordinary role as a nasty gunman.

Furthermore, it contains a colorful and glimmer cinematography , as the brilliant colour cinematography by expert cameraman Carl E. Guthrie by Jack Arnold in his best foray into the Western genre. As well as evocative and thrilling musical score by Frank Skinner and Herman Stein ,though uncredited The movie was a collaboration between independent producer William Alland and Universal Pictures , supported by the prestigious craftsman fimmaker Sherman . The motion picture was compellingly made by George Sherman . Entertainment , atmosphere , action and excitement surge along with the tale under the hand of filmmaker George Sherman , who is clearly more at home with the thrilling scenes than somewhat excessively talking storyline . Sherman made reliable low-budget fares for Columbia between 1945-48, then moved on to do the same at Universal for another eight years . Sherman specialized almost exclusively in "B" westerns there , including the "Three Musketeers" series, which featured a young John Wayne. George directed lots of Westerns as ¨The Last of the Fast Guns¨ , ¨The Lone Hand¨, ¨Santa Fe stampede¨ , ¨Red skin¨ , ¨Chief Crazy Horse¨ ¨Calamity Jane¨, ¨Relentless¨ , ¨Comanche Territory¨ , ¨Dawn at Socorro¨, ¨Border River¨ and many others . He also made occasional forays into action and horror themes, often achieving a sense of style over substance . The only "A"-grade films to his credit were two westerns starring John Wayne: ¨Comancheros¨ (1961) (as producer) and ¨The big Jack¨ (1971) . His last films were realized in Spain as "Find That Girl" , ¨The new Cinderella¨ and ¨Joaquin Murrieta¨. Rating : 6.5/10 . Acceptable and passable . Well worth watching. Agreeable Western that will appeal to enthusiasts.

Calhoun turns up trumps.

[brogmiller · 7/10 · 21 October 2021]

For this viewer at any rate the prerequisite for sitting through any film starring Rory Calhoun is to ascertain who else is in the cast! Here we have the excellent David Brian and Alex Nicol and the always good value Edgar Buchanan.

That being said, the character of tubercular gambler Brett Wade which is plainly inspired by Doc Holliday, gives Mr. Calhoun a rare role of substance and he certainly rises to the occasion.

Not for the first or indeed the last time it is the remarkable Piper Laurie who leaves the deepest impression. She is surely one of the greatest actresses never to win an Oscar and it is inconceivable, even by Hollywood standards, that after her stunning performance in 'The Hustler' she was obliged to wait fifteen years for her next film role. She and Mr. Calhoun work surprisingly well together here and were to team up once again in the lightweight 'Aint Misbehavin' the following year.

Solid direction here by George Sherman and the shoot outs, one of which is more than a passing nod to that at the OK corrall, are well staged. To say that Mr. Sherman is an old hand at this sort of thing would be an understatement as he made his first Western in 1937 and his last in 1971.

Under rated classic 50's Western

[bruce lander · 19 September 2003]

Any student of real western history will recognise the characters and part of the plot as being related to the Doc Holliday / Wyatt Earp /Clanton feud in Tombstone. Rory Calhoun is pretty obviously Doc while James Millican is Wyatt. The shootout in the stockyards is based on the OK corral and the screenwriters offer an interesting story on what happened next. Alex Nicol as Jimmy Rapp (John Ringo) is nicely portrayed and the movie moves along with a good pace of action, motivation and characterisation. Certainly a classic, considering the studio system in operation at the time it was made.A lot of effort and thought obviously went into its production. Well worth seeing.

Good psychological western-- until they pull their guns.

[keith-73 · 6/10 · 24 June 2004]

Not bad little movie, shows up on TCM every so often. And darned if Rory Calhoun doesn't look exactly like GEORGE CLOONEY at times, or is it vice versa? Anyway, interesting turn on the gunfighter trying to go straight story with an appealing Piper Laurie and mean gambling hall owner David Brian. They play cards and throw dice for the girl, with fortunes going back and forth. Edgar Buchanan plays a nervous sheriff and not the usual dimwit he's known for and Alex Nicol chews the furniture as the edgy slinger waiting to gun down Calhoun. But then comes the typical Hollywood ending where none of the characters show even a lick of common sense. Sorry to see that ending, this isn't a half bad film until the last five minutes, and then it's Universal Studios back lot fireworks. Too bad.

Enjoyable...and mostly myth.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 2 May 2021]

I used to teach US and World History, so I know a bit more than the average person about the old west and how it really was. Most of the stuff you see in films is fake...a Hollywood version of the west. Some, such as pretty singing cowboys, is obviously fake and only a knucklehead would think cowboys were like that. But others are commonly accepted and really were NOT a part of the old west or they occurred so rarely they are essentially myths. One of the most common of these accepted myths is the notion of the gunman. Despite what you see in films, gunfighters did NOT call each other out on main street to have duels. If there was a shooting, and it was rare, it was usually someone getting shot in the back. Additionally, the notion of a fast draw who traveled the land either making money or keeping the peace with their gun is also a myth. Such a person certainly wouldn't have lived long...plus guns just don't do what you see folks doing with them in most films. It might also surprise you to learn that in MANY old west towns, it was illegal to wear a sidearm and weapons were required to be checked with the sheriff when you entered the city limits! In light of this, understand that "Dawn at Socorro" is mostly myth...enjoyable myth, but myth nevertheless.

The story begins in Lordsburg, not Socorro (a town about an hour south of Albuquerque). The film has that title because the main character, Brett Wade (Rory Calhoun) is from that small town. He's passing through Lordsville when a shooting takes place...a believable one. A drunk punk tries to shoot the local sheriff and is shot to death as a result. But here's where the myth comes into it...the dead guy's family calls out the sheriff for a shootout. He brings along his deputy and Brett...and the fight turns out to be a draw. One of the surviving family members who was too drunk to be there promises revenge...though considering everything this doesn't make a lot of sense. At the same time, what most folks don't realize is that Brett is slowly dying...and Tuberculosis is eating up his lungs. What's next? See the film.

"Dawn at Socorro" is a slightly better than average 1950s western....filled with cliches but also slickly written. Plus Calhoun (an underrated actor) is excellent in the lead. Well worth seeing but far from a must-see film.

"Gonna be a shootin', huh?"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 1 February 2014]

The nods to "Gunfight at the OK Corral", the Earps and the Clanton Gang are more than evident only a few minutes into the picture, particularly when Rory Calhoun starts coughing up a storm in the middle of a card game. His take on gambler Brett Wade is a dead giveaway for Doc Holliday, but unless I'm mistaken, the brief description of the story line here on the IMDb and supported by a few reviewers is incorrect. The word tuberculosis wasn't used to describe Wade's condition; Doc Jameson (Roy Roberts) suggested that Wade hadn't properly taken care of himself after taking a slug in the ribs a couple of years earlier.

Calhoun gives the impression of a strong, resolute gunman as he generously stares down his opposition in scene after scene. Taking a fancy to young Miss Rannah Hayes (Piper Laurie), Brett Wade decides to linger a while at Dick Braden's Big Casino as Hayes dons the flashy red dress of a working saloon gal. There's a high stakes poker showdown between Wade and Braden (David Brian) that goes against our hero, but he manages to turn things around by the final curtain.

Altogether not a bad little flick, though some of the other reviews here are overly generous in it's praise in my opinion. Only the film's length and Technicolor format help it rise slightly over it's B Western origins, as the cast includes a nice sprinkling of cool supporting players like Lee Van Cleef, Edgar Buchanan, Stanley Andrews and Skip Homeier. There's a fair amount of clever dialog too; who could argue with Rory Calhoun's character when he proclaims "There's a lot of good shooting days before Christmas."

Its Gonna Be A Long Night!

[damianphelps · 7/10 · 9 January 2021]

This is definitely one of Rory Calhoun's better efforts.

The story is a ripoff of The O.K Coral but more focused on what happened after rather than before (all the characters names are different but you will see the cloning).

There is really good character development as they muse the stories of their lives and the decisions they have made. This movie could also have been called Regrets at Socorro.

Better than average for sure :)

An Unusual Western of Ideas, Strong Characters and Authentic Scenes

[silverscreen888 · 8/10 · 15 June 2005]

A colorful western that is well-acted, unusually atmospheric and filled with intelligent dialogue and dramatic scenes is a rarity. The term "western" simply refers to a North American-based adventure or dramatic film wherein the central character acts in places where trains and modern technology are not the available norm. Those who would like to limit the term are obviously therefore wrong or worse. "Dawn at Socorro", with a literate script by George Zuckerman proves this point beautifully, I suggest. The stars of the film are attractive Rory Calhoun, lovely young Piper Laurie, powerful David Brian, charismatic tough guy Alex Nicol, graceful Lee Van Cleef, Edgar Buchanan as a harried sheriff and a raft of fine supporting actors including George Homeier, Ron Roberts, Paul Brinegar, Mara Corday and others. The unbilled star of the film is the state of New Mexico colors and the art director's, set designer's and costumer's achievements. This film feels like the real West where I have lived for many years, a countryside that is rough; it is being slowly civilized and lived in by men, but is still untamed as much as any zone in this country that I know. From the unforgettable opening narration in Lordsburg read by Roberts that sets up a fabled gunfight at the stockyards in Lordsburg through a memorable stagecoach ride, a long dramatic night at Brian's Bis Casino in Socorro to the climactic shootout and resolution, there is only only jarring element I suggest. This comes into the script because gambler Brett Wade, decently underplayed by Calhoun, probably the model for "Maverick", loved every minute of his notorious hell-raising past, yet now is forced to repudiate that vanishing time of which he says, "There'll never be another like it". When asked who is coming after him at the end, he says, "My past--every dark miserable day of it." But he triumphs in the end, as a cultured gentleman from South Carolina who plays classical piano ought to do; and despite his doubts and regrets for lost years, he manages to go on with hope. And what one remembers most of this terrific idea-level movie is the strongly-etched characters, the logic of their actions and motivations and the physical beauty of what is actually a "B" film production from Universal but looks more expensive at every moment. This is a movie that I claim is like a can't-put-it-down thriller, but with important ideas being expressed. Unusual, and powerful. George Sherman's fluid direction can be given much of the credit. This western is not to be missed.

Mixmaster Plot, Good Direction and Great Production Values

[Bob-45 · 5/10 · 30 November 2005]

Take a dash of "My Darling Clementine," a pinch of "Stagecoach" and a touch of "High Noon" and you get "Dawn at Socorro," a string of western clichés so predictable you may have trouble staying awake. Rory Calhoun, with fake temple gray so outlandish it looks as if he's wearing a bad hairpiece, plays the thinly disguised Doc Holliday character. Piper Laurie, surprisingly attractive and magnetic plays his love interest. The always smarmy David Brian plays the chief heavy. If this movie didn't have such gorgeous Technicolor, imaginative camera setups and crisp direction, it would be a big "nothingburger." As played, it's a reasonably passable western. I give "Dawn at Socorro" a "5."

Surprisingly Superlative Calhoun Western

[zardoz-13 · 10/10 · 8 July 2007]

George Sherman's imaginative but brooding little western drama "Dawn at Socorro" synthesizes characters and events from every Wyatt Earp & Doc Holiday cinematic shoot-em up, deadline oaters like "High Noon," "Last Train to Gun Hill," and "The 3:10 to Yuma," and "Stagecoach." This modest Technicolored Universal-International release casts Rory Calhoun of "River of No Return" as notorious but well-tailored gambler Brett Wade. He suffers from an improperly healed lung wound, aspires to hang up his gun and turn over a new leaf in his life.

The story opens with the framing device of a flashback that is later forgotten. A witness (Roy Roberts) to the infamous shoot-out in Keane's Stockyards remembers the events that culminated in the gunfight between the Farris clan--father Tom (Stanley Andrews of "Three Outlaws"), sons Earl (Lee Van Cleef of "Commandos") and Tom (Richard Garland of "Rage At Dawn")--and Marshal Harry McNair (James Millican of "Red Sundown"), Deputy Vince McNair (Scott Lee of "San Antone"), and Wade. The gunplay is snappy and well-orchestrated. Farris' youngest son Bud (Skip Homeier of "Tomorrow The World"), a drunken cowhand who gets rowdy when his girl stands him up raises Harry's hackles. He orders Bud to vacate the premises, but the drunken Farris decides to take a shot at the marshal. Wade intervenes and shoots the gun out of Bud's fist. Bud grabs another gun with his other hand and the marshal pumps him full of lead. The Farris clan learns about Bud's demise and challenge the McNairs and Wade to meet them in a showdown at the stockyards. Harry and Wade kick the patriarch and young Tom while a sniveling Earl flees the scene, vowing vengeance against Wade. Before Bud's death, Wade had locked horns with an unscrupulous, easily insulted gambler, Dick Braden, who tries to make a deal with Wade and McNair in order to open another saloon in Lordsburg. After Wade insults Braden about his casino in Socorro for serving watered-down liquor and rigged dice, Braden leaves the saloon and watches from afar as a man in a buckboard with a dressed-up woman Rannah Hayes (Piper Laurie) has some final words. The older bearded man disowns his daughter because of what he feels is her lack of moral conscience. Anyway, Lordsburg throws a farewell party for Wade and he climbs aboard the stage to Socorro for the train to Colorado Springs where he plans to recover his health. Gun-slinging Jimmy Rapp, who was too drunk to join the Farris clan during the gunfight, boards the stage, too, with blood in his eye. Hayes and Wade indulge in verbal sparring match before she saves his life from low-down Earl who tries to ambush the gambler. The crowning irony of this gunfight is that Wade kills Earl with Jimmy's six-shooter. Originally, Earl's father had hired Jimmy to act as Earl's bodyguard. When they reach Socorro, Rannah becomes a saloon girl despite Wade's protestations, and Sheriff Cauthen (Edgar Buchanan) keeps an eye on both Rapp and Wade. Initially, Cauthen escorted Wade to the train, but Wade got back off because of his attraction to Rannah. From the time that Wade enters his casino, Braden smolders with rage.

Sherman and scenarist George Zukerman delineate the hero, the heroine, and the villains during the first third of this nifty western that ends with a fast-paced gunfight in the stockyards of Lordsburg, New Mexico. The neat thing about the stockyards shoot-out is that Sherman has the premises plowed up and watered down to suggest the manure-strewn nature of an authentic stockyard; this was long before Hollywood westerns could show horse apples. The scene where Wade plays a classic musical excerpt on the piano and everybody becomes quiet is memorable. The second third of the action takes place in the stagecoach and at one of the stops on the way to Socorro. The last third happens in Socorro leading up to Wade's departure on the morning train. Carl Guthrie's subdued looking photography gives the interior scenes in the Lordsburg saloon a conspiratorial Rembrandt quality with its warm colors and dark spaces. George Zuckerman's screenplay contains many quotable lines of dialogue.

The entire cast is first-rate, with Calhoun delivering a solemn, contemplative performance as the South Carolina-bred, former Confederate officer turned melancholy gambler/gunman. If course, drawing comparisons between Brett Wade and Doc Holiday is inevitable. Meanwhile, Alex Nichol of "The Man From Laramie" gives Wade a hard time as an alcoholic, conscience stricken gunslinger named Jimmy Rapp, loosely based on real-life desperado Johnny Ringo. David Brian of "The Springfield Rifle" wants to see Wade dead, too. As Dick Braden, he operates the biggest casino in Socorro and lets Jimmy Rapp gulp his fill of booze. Edgar Buchanan is a nervy town marshal who wants to get Wade off onto the train to Colorado Springs before he shoots up Socorro. Finally, Piper Laurie of "Carrie" plays a daughter who's Puritan, suspicious-minded father has disowned and branded a 'Jezebel." Braden has hired her to work in his casino and distract his patrons with her feminine wiles so they will drink more and lose more at the gambling tables. The lives of these characters intertwine throughout this taunt 80 minute epic that doesn't look like the average 1950s' horse opera.

Go on. Make your play.

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 29 December 2014]

Real-life ex felon Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown) smirks his way through the role of gunfighter and professional gambler, Brett Wade. I don't know where screenwriters come up with these names for cowboys. I've done a scientific study of the subject and no cowboy was ever named Brett, Wade, Cole, Matt, or Dutch. As a matter of fact, the three most common names in the post-Civil War West were Montmorency, Governeur, and Bruce. Be that as it may, Calhoun, like some of the supporting cast, are well dressed in black frocks, ruffled white shirts, and those sparkly looking vests that gentlemen were supposed to wear.

The opening scene is right out of "My Darling Clementine." Calhoun is the Doc Holliday figure, suffering from a hacking cough that's made only worse by the smoke, fetid air of Lordsberg, New Mexico. Lordsberg seems to have been a popular place to set Westerns, although it doesn't have the portent of a name like Contention ("The Gunfighter") or Big Whiskey ("Unforgiven"). But Lordsberg is the terminus of the stagecoach in John Ford's "Stagecoach." Calhoun wouldn't find the air in Lordsberg stifling today, if he could stay out the town's sole saloon. It's only an hour's drive from where I live and it's dry and dusty, speckled with the shabby gray boards of decrepit wooden buildings in the ghost towns scattered about the area.

Oh, the movie. I was pretty well gemischt by the various allegiances of the townspeople. It was all explained by the narrator too quickly for me. Somebody doesn't like somebody else. Somebody else doesn't like somebody, and all for reasons never quite made clear, except that the Ferris family (quickly disposed of) are modeled on the Clanton boys from the shoot out at the O.K. corral.

Calhoun decides to follow the doctor's advice and take the stage to Colorado Springs for his health. The other passengers are Piper Laurie and Alex Nicol. Piper Laurie's role could have been handled without a thought by any other second-tier actress of the time, Yvonne DeCarlo, Mari Blanchard, Mara Corday, Faith Domergue, zzzzz. It was a genuine surprise when, six years later, she did a magnificent job as an alcoholic cripple in "The Hustler." Here, she's merely pretty with a nose designed by a French curve and two plump lips. Alex Nicol, on the other hand, is vicious and hates Calhoun. His every utterance is an angry and contemptuous sneer. When he tries to be pleasant, it's obvious that he's TRYING to be pleasant. I don't mean Nicol himself, the actor, only the roles that he was always given. In real life he may have been a paragon of virtue and affability, his only passion being collecting Kachina Dolls or something. All three disencoach at Socorro for their own reasons. Laurie is fleeing a stern evangelical family. Nicol wants to kill Calhoun. And Calhoun wants to "get some things straight." Edgar Buchanan is on hand as the sheriff determined to keep Socorro peaceful. David Brian owns Socorro's Big Casino, a saloon and whorehouse. He's a businessman with an eye for pulchritude and he hires Piper Laurie as a "saloon girl".

Not to worry. Calhoun saves her from her fate. I won't give away the ending but Calhoun is forced to shoot Nicol, Brien, and assorted henchmen before leaving town on the train with Piper Laurie, destination Colorado Springs and a better life for both of them.

Classic Western!

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 24 June 2004]

Over the years I missed seeing this Western Film of the 1950's. I have always followed the career of Rory Calhoun,(Brell Ruthledge Wade),"The Red House",'47, who rides into a Western town on a stagecoach and meets Piper Laurie,(Rannah Hayes),"The Grass Harp",'95, and becomes very attracted to her very innocent and loving appearance. Brell tells Rannah that he is going to Colorado Springs for health reasons and soon changes his mind after he follows her into a 'BIG CASINO' in town and finds out she has chosen a different profession than he figured she would have chosen. David Brian,(Dick Braden),"The Seven Minutes",'71, owns the 'BIG CASINO', and wants also to own Rannah Body & Soul so to speak. The Sheriff, Edgar Buchanan,(Cauthen),"Gunpoint",'66, keeps his eyes on Brell and wants him to get out of town on the next train as soon as possible to Colorado. This is a great film to view if you can catch it on TV!

All my friends are my enemies.

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 7 February 2016]

Dawn at Socorro is directed by George Sherman and written by George Zuckerman. It stars Rory Calhoun, Piper Laurie, David Brian, Kathleen Hughes, Alex Nicol and Edgar Buchanan. Music is by Joseph Gershenson and cinematography by Carl Guthrie.

One Night In Socorro.

A cracker-jack Western this. Plot essentially has Calhoun as Brett Wade, a tough gunfighter who is suffering badly from ill health. Taking advice from his doctor he decides to retire to healthier pastures, but his past and new enemies refuse to let him go. OK! So it's very much a composite of a number of famous Westerns, but to dismiss this as a cheap knock off would be foolish. The script is very literate and the screenplay never gets tired or preposterous. From an action stand point it scores favourably, right from the opening in Lordsburgh where we get a stockyard shoot-out, pic is never dull.

I wont arrest you for being naked.

There's good black humour in here as well, and some outstanding scenes such as Brett playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata at his own funeral (you will understand when you see it) and a poker game where the stake is the fetching Piper Laurie! There's a constant running feud between Wade and Jimmy Rapp (Nicol), a well written part of the film as it brings in codes and ethics that play opposite another character.

The tech credits are bang on the money. Location photography out of Apple Valley and Victorville is gorgeous, as is Guthrie's colour lensing for the interiors. Props and set design is hugely appealing, including a super locomotive for the train enthusiasts to gorge on. While the front line cast members (Lee Van Cleef & Skip Homeier have small roles) turn in very good work, with Calhoun once again showing his qualities in the genre.

My past - every dark miserable day of it!

But it's with the characterisations where the film strikes the finest. Laurie's Rannah Hayes has been cast out the family home for apparently being a hussy, she's constantly carrying that baggage with her. She finds a soul mate in Wade, a man dragged down by his life, and the weight of such could be his downfall - and he knows it. Buchanan is wonderfully ebullient as the lawman trying to get Wade out of town ASAP, Nicol is hopped up on booze and a thirst for vengeance, whilst David Brian is entrepreneur Dick Braden, a devious man with no code or honour.

Highly recommended to Western fans. 8/10

Doc Holliday-type character post OK Corral

[louis-godena · 8/10 · 7 May 2005]

*Dawn* is one of those 1950's westerns that were a variation on the Earp/Holliday story (e.g. *Warlock*). It works fairly well here. Grell Wade (Rory Calhoun) is a former Southern gentleman turned consumptive gunman and gambler who heads for the healthier climate of Colorado after standing with lawman brothers in their showdown against a family of cowboy outlaws. But of course in westerns no gunslinger is allowed to quit without at least one more fight, and that's the making of the story line here. Along the way, Wade meets his "fallen woman" with the heart of gold (Piper Laurie), a shady businessman and saloon owner (David Brian) and vengeful cowboys (Lee Van Cleef, Alex Nichol). Good supporting roles for Roy Roberts, Edgar Buchanan, James Millican, and others make this an entirely enjoyable little horse opera. A bit slow at times, but definitely a must-see for western fans and those who like their Rory Calhoun straight-up.

A cut above the average; well worth watching

[Brucey_D · 8/10 · 2 February 2016]

Rory Calhoun plays the dissipated gambler/gunslinger on some kind of a road to redemption with Piper Laurie, with plenty of other well-known actors, some good dialogue, some obligatory gun-toting, and even a little musical interest thrown into the mix.

Calhoun may cough like a consumptive, but according to his doctor it is an old gunshot wound plus his louche lifestyle that is giving him gyp;

"alright, what is it?"

"you know why you have been coughing so much recently? - you never gave that wound time to heal properly and it is inflaming the lung."

"Is that a medical opinion, or a fact?"

"Oh, the way you go at it with whiskey, women, and poker... it's a sucker's game!"

"I always figured that 'the game' would end with one well-placed bullet..."

"Well, it still might; there's a lot of shooting days before Christmas..."

Before he leaves for healthier climes, Calhoun plays classical piano at his own 'wake' (held in celebration of his departure) in a scene unlike any in other western genre movies I've seen. At a saloon girl's behest to 'play something' he taps out a pretty fair rendition of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on the Saloon's beat-up piano, which reduces the room to appreciative silence.

Later, in the stagecoach with Piper Laurie, when she comes to the aid of this stranger having a coughing fit, the accompanying music subtly echoes the Moonlight Sonata theme as if to underline his character's more vulnerable side.

Comment elsewhere may lead you to suppose that the back-projected scenery from the stagecoach is sepia-tinted stock monochrome footage; this might be so, but the sky is blue, and in the long shots the barren landscape is almost equally sepia-tinted. If it is the case, it makes little difference.

Piper Laurie's acting is a little stiff, as befits her character perhaps, but then she is also pretty well trussed up in period corsetry for most of the piece; I'm surprised she could breathe, leave alone act.

It is best to pay good attention at the start of this film; many of the protagonists are introduced by the narrator in a very short period of time. If you miss this, the rest of the film makes even less sense than it does already; it smacks of having been cut somewhat from its planned length.

Overall, a somewhat underrated movie, this one.

Definitely One for the Must-See List!

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 12 September 2012]

Despite the director's odd decision to over-use close-ups (maybe he anticipated a quick sale to TV), Dawn at Socorro turns out to be one of the more interesting westerns of 1954. In the U.K., the movie was even released as an "A" feature. Perhaps Universal's exchanges in other countries thought that the cast offered no box office lure. While it's true that Kathleen Hughes is confined to a disappointingly small role, the equally lovely Mara Corday is given a decent innings for once; the Alex Nichol character is intriguingly conceived and played; and I loved David Brian's lecherous saloon proprietor, even if he does rather let hate go to his head. Lee Van Cleef is also on hand, plus Skip Homeier, James Millican and Edgar Buchanan. Perhaps even more importantly, the movie offers scads of action with splendid stuntwork. And it's not only expansively produced in attractive color with arresting real locations backgrounds, but it features dialogue that is much blunter than we expect from the censor-ridden mid-1950s. So, despite the Kathleen Hughes disappointment, Dawn at Socorro is most definitely a film to add to the must-see list!

IT DAWNS ON YOU

[Richie-67-485852 · 8/10 · 24 January 2020]

Its a Western so enjoy the saloon, whiskey, women, gambling, horses, railroad with a mix of good and bad guys thrown and we are off. The actors take it seriously and the saloon girl has a draw on you that adds to the fixation of the whole thing. I had deja vu with flashbacks to the O.K. Corral storyline and lets face it all Westerns are basically the same except for the unique story and glimpses they give of the Wild West by gone days. Notice to that being quick on the draw was no myth and stop and think how many months or years in practice it must take to reach the lethal draw stage. Of course the exception to this was Wild Bill Hickok who they claim wielded pistols so well they became part of his hands and his hands operated at lightning speed. He was a natural. Enjoy some familiar faces and also note that the gambling reached into the tens of thousands of dollars. Back then, you could buy a nice spread and retire even with hired help and minimum effort and still have left over. These boys were betting it like it wasn't. One wonders what is the point to keep playing, get drunk, carry a gun, watch back etc after you have won that much? Lets ride

Excellent Western

[jromanbaker · 9/10 · 25 January 2020]

Rory Calhoun gives a wounded performance in this film ( literally as well as metaphorically ) that shows inner pain and world weariness that I have never seen in any other performance of his. The bad boy image has gone, and he is just hunted and tired. As for Piper Laurie, one of the greatest actresses and rarely given the range she deserved is equal to his performance. Shot in colour this is as much Film Noir as Western, and superbly it shows how the two genres could join together. George Sherman directed this film with an originality that astonished me and the film score is a plus. The scenario has been seen many times before, but every story has been told before and this repeat excels. Alex Nicoll is well cast and as usual Universal Studios when they wanted to gave both entertainment and artistic merit. But for me Piper Laurie deserves the highest praise and every word, every glance rings true.

A REFRESHINGLY LITERATE FILM, TWO CUTS ABOVE THE USUAL WESTERN

[Captain_Augustus_McCrae · 9/10 · 29 January 2021]

This surprisingly enjoyable Western clearly uses the shootout near the OK Corral as both inspiration and springboard for creating a character very reminiscent of Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday from Tombstone. Rory Calhoun's Bret Wade is clearly a cinematic ancestor of Kilmer's Doc, deadly but sophisticated, playing Moonlight Sonata on a tinny saloon piano. The shootout at the stockyard (stand-in for the OK Corral in this film) is a launching pad for a series of events that showcase the drama between the well-drawn characters. Calhoun is terrific as Wade, David Brian is effectively oily and vindictive, and Piper Laurie is not only breathtakingly lovely, but also wistful, empathic, and sensitive. This film is so much better than the run of the mill B oater that one might expect from the time it was made. Just goes to show that, given good material to work with, the cast of usually supporting actors can give excellent performances. 9 out of 10 for this gem of a film.

Very Good Western.

[beach-11 · 21 May 2000]

I am not a fan of westerns, but I liked this one. It is interesting to see how Calhoun escapes gunman Nicol after killing Andrews and his family in a gunfight. The only problem is that he escapes from him and becomes an enemy to saloon owner Brian. An unusually exciting western.

Best Rory Calhoun Movie

[gkarf23 · 8/10 · 8 September 2019]

Had never seen it , but really enjoyed it. Rory Calhoun could act. Not your normal shoot em up. And previous reviewer mentioned resemblance to George Clooney. Spot on. Brian good bad guy as always. One of many unknown great character actors.

I'm from Socorro! Never knew it was in a movie!

[minitrez · 17 May 2004]

I just saw this movie last night as I was channel surfing. I of course watched it as it is set in my quaint little city of Socorro, NM, right on the Rio Grande. I'd like to find out where it was filmed. Just made me even more homesick, as I work in Washington, DC and miss the quiet peacefulness of Socorro. Was a pretty good movie too. As far as westerns go, it is no "Big Jake" (though the director of this movie actually teamed with John Wayne to direct Big Jake") or Silverado, but I did find it an easy watch. Predictable, but when you've seen as many movies as I, not much surprises me, unless the writing is just down right amazing. Again, just amazed that my little seemingly insignificant hometown was ever featured or mentioned in a movie.

Cluttered but Passable

[dougdoepke · 14 August 2013]

There's a good story buried somewhere in the cluttered screenplay. Trouble is there're enough bad guys drifting in and out or getting splattered that you may need the proverbial scorecard. Too bad we lose one of the premier obnoxious punks of the period much, much too early-- Skip Homeier as Buddy Ferris. In fact, however, it's a stellar line-up of baddies— VanCleef, Nicol, Brian, and Homeier, along with other lesser knowns.

So will consumptive Brett Wade make it to the good-air mountains of Colorado to recover before one of these cut-throats does him in. He's an ex-gunfighter, so he's racked up a lot of enemies lurking about. But Wade just wants to retire, maybe with dancehall girl Rannah Hayes (Laurie). Too bad that actress Laurie acts like she swallowed a lemon before showing up for work, so sour and unchanging is her expression throughout. Judging from her bio, she was likely obligated contractually with Universal to do a movie she didn't want to do.

Calhoun does a good job as the squinty-eyed ex-gunslinger. The trouble is the screenplay can't seem to untangle which of his enemies is the most threatening and why. So Wade's got a lot of shooting to do. Seems like every western of this period had the great raspy voiced Edgar Buchanan somewhere in the line-up furnishing his singular brand of color. Here he's a sheriff, of all things. On the whole, there's nothing special here, just one more passable entry in Universal's lengthy list of 50's Technicolor westerns.

(In passing—as a native of Colorado Springs, which features prominently in the screenplay, I can attest to its early attraction for tubercular patients. The mineral springs nearby were supposed to be of special help, including the clear mountain air of that non-urbanized time.)

Maybe Audie Murphy would have been at his place

[searchanddestroy-1 · 11 June 2023]

I appreciate Rory Calhoun but for this western, I think Audie Murphy, an Universal contract home actor, would also have been perfect for this poor man's GUNFIGHT AT OK CORRALL; and as far as I know, Murphy had never played in rip-offs of this latest western myth film. He played Jesse James, Billy the Kid, but never Wyatt Earp or Doc Hollyday. However I may be wrong. So back to this George Sherman's western, it is for me one of his best, eve without Indian wars such as his WAR ARROW or BATTLE AT APACHE PASS. Yes, Rory Calhoun and a David Brian - I suppose "escaped"or borrowed from Warner Bros company - do their job pretty well.