Ambush at Tomahawk Gap (1953) User Reviews

Gutsy Gusto Oater.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 30 January 2010]

Ambush At Tomahawk Gap tells the story of four outlaws, McCord (John Hodiak), Egan (David Bryan), Doc (Ray Teal) & Kid (John Derek), who after being released from a five year sentence for robbery at Yuma Territorial Prison, implode from within as they yearn to find the hidden loot from their ill gotten gains. Not only that, but they are in the middle of Indian territory and Apache attacks are frequent and savage in their execution.

Bloody & brutal Western programmer out of Columbia Pictures that's produced by Wallace MacDonald and directed by Fred Sears. Written by David Lang, the principal location shoot is at Corriganville, Simi Valley, California. With Technicolor enhanced cinematography coming from Henry Freulich. Though featuring a pretty weak, and at times nutty story, the film has a high viewing factor on account of its adherence to Western action staples, it helps, too, that Sears directs with an absolutely no nonsense approach.

Running at just shy of 80 minutes, it just doesn't have time to dwell on intricacies, instead choosing more to embrace that this isn't really about redemptive qualities - which since there's barely any on show is a rather good thing! Sears movie is grim and potent enough to warrant a recommendation to the serious Western fan, and it's also very easy on the eye. Bonus plot wise comes with two lovely kickers during the pulsating finale. The cast man up and give it gusto and brawn, with Hodiak particularly standing out, while even the inevitable lady character plot strand (Maria Elena Marques) doesn't cloy or hinder the pace and mood of the piece.

You will not want to ponder too much about it afterwards, but hopefully you will go away thinking that you have been royally entertained by the guns, arrows and fists that have flown and been thrown throughout the movie. 7/10

No Good Guys in White Hats To Be Found

[Henchman_Number1 · 7/10 · 15 June 2019]

When four inmates (John Hodiak, David Brian, John Derek, Ray Teal) are released from Yuma Prison they work their way back to what is now the ghost town of Tomahawk Gap to recover the money from the robbery they pulled off years before. Hodiak, who was an innocent bystander in the original heist but was convicted along with the others, decides to cut himself in for a piece of the action since he served the time for a crime he didn't commit. However the road to Tomahawk Gap is not an easy one and the four must cross Apache Territory swarming with renegades to recover the stolen loot.

Directed by low budget veteran Fred Sears, who cut his teeth on the Durango Kid series at Columbia, the film doesn't spend time on meandering plot lines. Tomahawk Gap has a grittier feel than typical for the time period with little in the way of moralizing or romance. Sears definitely knew how to work with a budget and the sole focus of the movie is spent on the foursome recovering the stolen money. Hodiak receives top billing in this adult themed western, but it really is more of an ensemble cast and a pretty good one at that. By this time Hodiak had been relegated to secondary leads, larger support roles and ensemble work such as this. If Hodiak wasn't happy with the trajectory of his career you wouldn't know it by viewing this film. He comes off pitch perfect as a wrongly convicted man whose only compass in life is being paid back for his years behind bars.

Worthwhile medium budget programmer with good production values and a clever ending. Recommended for those who like their Westerns thin on drama and heavy on action.

Dusty western has its moments and a fine cast

[NewEnglandPat · 6/10 · 9 June 2009]

This western is a grim, spare adventure about four ex-cons out to recover a cache of gold hidden in a ghost town. That's the entire plot, in a nutshell. The party grabs an Indian girl along the way, perhaps for a romantic effect with young John Derek, which suits the others just fine. Gold and greed are the two main themes in the screenplay, so none of the characters engender any sympathy. Most of the film dwells on the search for the gold and the anticipated Indian attack, which comes during the film's last reel. The cast is good, with John Hodiak, Ray Teal and David Bryan in the lead roles. Maria Elena Marques, a sharpshooter with a bow and fire arrow, is pretty and stays on the periphery of the story. The color work is very good, and though not a major entry in the western genre, this film is worth watching for the cast and the flavor of a golden-age western.

Good small cast Western with no good guys

[Marlburian · 14 November 2005]

An enjoyable Western with a small cast of white characters and rather more Indians, who follow the routine of seemingly being willing to take many casualties for relatively small gain. Another cliché is the improbable Indian girl played by a non-Native American, in this case a Mexican,María Elena Marqués. It appears from the plot that Navajo girls get taught to use the bow and arrow, but this apart the character might as well have been a Mexican anyway.

Hodiak, in one of his last films before his premature death, is suitably rugged, and Ray Teal gets a fuller role than usual; in fact he's the nearest to a good guy among all the men in the film, and even then he's served time in Yuma Prison and is still greedy for the loot.

Hodiak does another guy's time

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 22 March 2015]

Ambush At Tomahawk Gap starts with four prisoners, John Derek, John Hodiak, Ray Teal, and David Brian all released from Yuma prison and out looking for the loot that was stashed by one of them before they were caught at the town of Tomahawk Gap. Only one of those prisoners is a ringer. John Hodiak was a total stranger and the other three made him a patsy so the real fourth guy could stash the loot. Only he got killed and Hodiak did his time in the joint.

You can understand why he wants in on the split. Only the Apaches are on the warpath and Tomahawk Gap is now a ghost town. If it's up to them no one's going to live long enough to spend any of it if they can find it.

This one is a crackerjack B western in which most of the cast is killed. The Apache attack is really staged well and ensemble cast gives some great performances.

As for the stolen money. There is an ironical twist in the end worthy of Alfred Hitchcock or Billy Wilder.

Action packed B-Western

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 7 April 2012]

This western contains no well known actors but is none the worse for that; when you have a star you know they will make it to the end but unknown actors can die at any time! The story follows four men who have just been released from Yuma jail. After five years inside the criminals are keen to meet up with their partner and get their hands on the money; they have a few of problems though; the money is hidden in the town of Tomahawk Gap which has since been abandoned deep inside Apache territory, their partner is dead and one of the four wasn't actually involved in the crime; he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time but still expects a cut as he served the time. The three criminals head off towards Tomahawk Gap but are ambushed by a group of Apache; they manage to beat them but one of them is then shot by a Navaho woman. By this time this happens the fourth man has caught up with them and all of them; including the woman head into town where they discover the money wasn't where they expected it to be... if they want to get rich they will have to find it before they are found by the Apaches or the US Cavalry.

At only seventy three minutes the story doesn't have time to drag and there is plenty of action crammed in; when they aren't fighting the Apaches they are fighting each other. The action is well choreographed with plenty of dramatic falls as Indians fall from cliff-tops and rooftops when shot; the stunt men certainly earned their pay! The actors did a good job although Mexican actress María Elena Marqués, who played the Navaho girl didn't really look like a Native American. While it is essentially an action film a little bit of light relief is provided by the town's sole inhabitant who has stayed behind to look after the graveyard. If you are a fan of less well known westerns you could do a lot worse than this; I'd certainly recommend it.

Lunacy at Tomahawk Gap

[weezeralfalfa · 5/10 · 26 May 2017]

This is an old-style western, where the Native Americans are all anonymous and all are hostile, serving as fodder for the firearms of the whites. Nothing particularly memorable about it, at only 73 min. long.

Our 4 just-released inmates of Yuma territorial prison head for the town of Tomahawk Gap. They learn that it is now a ghost town, in designated Apache territory, and the only white person living there is an eccentric old coot who claims his mission is to take care of the graveyard. They hope to find the $10,000. in cash from the bank they hid there in a grave. They manage to remember the name on the tombstone, find some makeshift shovels, and find the box the money supposedly was placed in. Surprise! There's nothing in it. They assume that either it was stolen with the box replaced, or the money was taken out before the box was buried, presumably by their deceased partner who buried the box. The 'graveyard man' swears he didn't know anything about it, so they decide to look around town for where their partner might have stashed the cash. They start tearing up floor boards, looking in closets, drawers, etc.. Lunacy! Eventually, they argue about when to stop looking and leave this dangerous place.

About then, a cavalry of Apache comes galloping through town, along with a few climbing on buildings. 2 of the 4 ex-inmates are killed by arrows or bullets. The others hide inside by a window. The cavalry keeps charging back and forth through town, The Kid and McCord picking off several each time. Lunacy to repeatedly exposing themselves to hidden gunfire! But, no doubt, many in the audiences liked to see 'Indians' fall off their horses or from high places. I won't tell you how the 2 killed the remaining Apaches quickly, but at the sacrifice of one of them. Which one? I will only tell you that McCord didn't actually participate in the robbery. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Before they got to Tomahawk gap, the men spotted some rustling in the shrubbery. It turned out to be a woman, with a rifle, who shot The Kid in the arm. Later, Doc would extract the bullet and the woman would help bandage it. They assumed she was Apache, being unfamiliar with Apache dress or language. Later, they would be told that she was actually a Navajo prisoner who had escaped. Egan tried to rape her twice, broken up by the others. At the end, the implication was that she would ride off with the remaining one of the 4, perhaps toward marriage? She is sometimes referred to as a girl, but she was 27 years old, and looked it. She should have been married long ago. Perhaps her husband had been killed or still was alive.

See all 72 min. of it in color at You Tube.

Action Western with thrills, Indian attacks, assaults and shootouts

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 30 October 2019]

Decent Western in 80 minutes only, with good cast and nice action scenes .It deals with 4 ex-convicts who spent five years at the State Penitentiary , the tough John Hodiak, the good-looking John Derek nicknamed the innocent kid , the veteran Ray Teal, the cool-blood killer played by David Brian, and all of them recently released from Yuma Territorial Prison. They arrive in Twin Folks town where at the saloon problems already emerge. Then, they go back to Tomahawk Gap to take the cash they robbed in a heist and that was buried at its graveyard . As three exprisoners fresh out from jail to get a share their stolen money. Along the way they meet strange charactes as a beautiful Indian woman : Maria Elena Marques and a grumpy undertaker : John Qualen, caring his cemetery. As three killers stalking down while the Apaches stalked them all. They come back for vengeance! One man against the West!. Stalking three killers down while the savage Indians stalked them all!

Simple and plain Western paced in fits and starts about four ex-inmates who attempt to retrieve the loot they stole and that was hidden by a colleague somewhere at Tomahawk town, a ghost city, being an extremely abandoned and ruined location. The picture contains noisy action, violent Indian hunting, spectacular attacks on the town and at the end a life and death battle ensues. The picture benefits itself of a good main and support cast such as : John Hodiak, David Brian, Ray Teal, the Mexican Maria Elena Marques, John Qualen, Trevor Bardette, John War Eagle, John Doucette, among others . And the famous John Derek who married the beauties Ursula Andress, Linda Evans and Bo Derek. He played a lot of Westerns and adventure movies, his most known role was Joshua as a secondary actor in Ten Commandments.

This Ambush at Tomahawk Gap is a run-of-the-mill but acceptable and passable Western that displays a colorful cinematography by Henry Freulich . Being shot on location in Corriganville, Ray Corrigan ranch, Simi Valley, California. And thrilling, atmospheric musical score by Ross DiMaggio. The motion picture with interesting script by David Lang, produced by Columbia Pictures /Wallace MacDonald and being professionally directed by Fred F. Sears. He was a prolific actor and director who worked hardly until his early death at 44 years. He spent in Columbia long time , making quickies for the low-budgeted producer Sam Katzman and favorite producer Wallace McDonald . Fred made all kinds of genres outstanding in Western, thriller, Noir, Sci-Fi, Juvenile delinquent crime film and WWII, such as : El Alamein, The 49th man, Chicago Syndicate, Bonanza town, Blackhawk, The Nebraskan, Massacre Canyon, Cell 3455 death row, Cha cha Boom, Rock around the clock, Inside Detroit, Don't knock the rock, Ghost of the China sea, Fury at Gunlight Pass, Rumble on the docks, Escape from San Quentin, Sky Commando, Mission over Korea, Badman's country, The night the world exploded. His best movie is considered to be Earth vs Flying saucers with FX by Ray Harryhausen and his worst one : The giant Claw, both of them Science Fiction movies. Rating :6 /10. The movie will appeal to Western lovers

Ambush at Ignoramus Gap

[osloj · 4/10 · 6 November 2016]

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

*Plot and ending analyzed*

Ambush at Tomahawk Gap (1953) starts out well enough, but the scriptwriters make absolutely no sense after awhile. Instead of concentrating on the stolid characters, they add the "evil" Apache to fill up the runtime, with repeated attacks that are so drawn-out and inconsistent.

A man gets stuck in the Yuma Territorial Prison with a group of robbers who said he was in with them. He's innocent, goes his separate way, but then he saves the group in Apache country in a stupid scene where they all play "dead" and the 'idiotic' Apaches come down, and instead of shooting arrows into them, or using knives, or even bullets, they get overtaken by the white guys with ease.

Later, the white guys find an abandoned town and look for a cache of money they had buried there a few years earlier. Apaches again are on the prowl, but they get taken out one by one by the ardent white guys.

It gets repetitive from there on. Apaches make no gains at all, merely providing enough gun-fodder for the group. That's about it, the end scene has the innocent man finding the Apaches, who are just dancing around a fire and singing songs instead of trying to kill them, and he jumps in with gunpowder to blow them all to death.

The whole film is a waste of time merely because it insults the viewers' sensibility.

Ex-cons hunt for missing loot

[helpless_dancer · 6/10 · 27 January 2000]

Four released convicts go back to the ghost town of Tomahawk Gap searching for the Army payroll they stole several years earlier. Not only did they have trouble finding the money, but they had to deal with a horde of mean, bloodthirsty indians and a couple of conniving white men intent on getting the money or themselves. Typical western with plenty of gunplay, horses, and action.

Three guilty men and one innocent man in quest

[drystyx · 9/10 · 21 June 2006]

This film is a rugged Western with plenty of action. The premise is that four men are released from prison and set out to find the loot they were arrested for stealing. The fact is that one of the four (Hodiak) was actually just an innocent bystander and happened to get mistaken for the fourth gang member while on his horse on honest work. He has to fight his way through years of jail time with the other three, and joins them on their quest, figuring he has a right to the money now. Hodiak represents the heroic Everyman, dealing with the situation. The other characters are very well drawn, and Derek is perfect as the rebel without a cause kid, who struggles with the three different adults in his life-two who are helpful(Hodiak and Teal, representing the "Sgt Lyle" character more) and Brian (defintely the "Sgt Barnes" character). To watch it today, you would think "Platoon" had some roots in this movie. I won't give away the end, but self sacrifice is involved, and a great twist in the overall quest.

At least my time wasn't ambushed.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 10 September 2020]

Buried loot from a heist in a ghost town and savage Apache raids dirt bikes that are colorful Western stand above others I've seen from the era. It stars John Derek and John Hodiak as part of a group of bank robbers who after serving their time go to claim the money that they have had buried avoid the law as well as attacking natives. While the Apaches are presented as savages (as they usually are), there's a beautiful Navajo maiden (Maria Elena Marques) who shows a different side of the indigenous Americans. Suspicions between the group when the money proves not to be where they left it causes them to turn against each other, but when it comes down to Derek and Kodiak together, they find they must do something more than fight each other to survive.

Featuring such veteran character actors as Percy Helton (the short, chubby grizzled actor who always sounded like he was suffering from bad asthma) and John Qualem (as the sole resident of the ghost town), this is filled with atmosphere, violence and a lot of surprises. Marques' Navajo girl, having obviously suffered at the hands of the Apaches, proves herself as adept with a bow and arrow as the stronger tribe) and is a very memorable western heroine. This is unique because the main characters aren't exactly of the highest moral fiber, but the theme of surviving rather than finding the money they left behind becomes a stronger one. Quite memorable, and one I will revisit again.

Slightly- better- than- average 'B' western

[GManfred · 3 June 2008]

I am a pushover for a good western. Horses and gunsmoke get me every time. This one is passable although it is uneven, as most of the action is toward the end of the film. Peculiar storyline but some dependable second-tier actors in the leads make the picture work.

In the 50's it must have been second-billed with a quality 'A' picture getting most of the newspaper ad, but it holds its own and would have been a good filler until time for the main feature. John Hodiak and David Brian are the main characters and acquit themselves well. John Derek manages to get in the way as a man with a gunshot wound (filmmakers often slow down the action by having the protagonists drag along an injured character). Note: this is not a spoiler as he is shot early on in the proceedings. Set designing is good as are lots of stuntmen falling off of various objects.

Next time it comes on - hopefully a rainy day or if you are recovering from a gunshot wound - this film will pass the time. Best I can say is that it is not all bad.

It's hard to know who to root for in this flick!

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 13 January 2022]

When the story begins, a group of men have just been released from prison and the local sheriff chases them out of town. It seems they were involved in a robbery five years ago and now that they are out of prison, the men want to track down the hidden money. One of the men is not actually part of the gang (John Hodiak) but was convicted of the crime nonetheless...mostly because the gang members said nothing to help free him. Not surprisingly there are a few hard feelings and the guy feels he, too, is entitled to the money.

There are some problems getting the money. First, it's buried in a long abandoned ghost town. Second, and more importantly, it's on Apache land and the tribe is not especially friendly! Third, there is no one...no one to root for in the film.

This is a fair western. It has a few problems apart from having nothing but unlikable characters, such as how stupidly the Apache braves fight...they couldn't have been this dumb in real life! They seem to enjoy riding up on their horses just to be shot! Also, there's a character played by John Qualen that is just bizarre and his motivations and actions make little sense. Overall, a decent and watchable western but one that isn't particularly great or necessary to watch.

Bad Company

[richardchatten · 7/10 · 2 March 2021]

Within the first five minutes of this elegantly nasty little Columbia western (shot in shiny Technicolor by Henry Freulich) both the villain and the hero spit messily. Their anti-social antics continues for the next seventy minutes - with some remarkably graphic violence along the way - until the cute final shot.

Great story

[loversofmovies · 7/10 · 13 December 2018]

I really enjoyed the movie. I think this is one movie that they "SHOULD" remake.

Money hidden in a ghost town western

[coltras35 · 6/10 · 26 May 2021]

Four grizzled jailbirds are released from prison and head for an isolated Wild West town to search for the loot a deceased partner squirrelled away years earlier. However, besides having to find the stash, they also end up fending off a tribe of vengeful Apaches.

A dusty, grim western with no heroes. They are shady and bitter characters with one goal in mind: to find the money in the ghost town. It can be plodding, especially in the first half, and the characters aren't likeable, except Ray Teal and Navajo girl, however, it's full of grit, there's some tense moments, and the Apache attack at the end is well done. And that little twist about the money in the final reel is quite ironic.

Good Westerm

[davidjanuzbrown · 9/10 · 2 March 2016]

I had never heard of this movie before seeing it tonight on Sony Movie Channel. I really liked this western there was a lot of suspense to it, and none of The people in the movie were really good ( they were all parolees from prison with one of them ( McCord ( John Hodiak)) being innocent. Spoilers ahead: They were in pursuit of $10,000 that was hidden in a ghost town. The key was who was actually going to survive the Apaches. You would have figured that it would be McCord, but If you go right to the beginning you see that one of the parolees ( Doc) wanted to help 'The Kid' ( John Derek) not to make the same mistakes he did in life, which he was doing. It is really his story and how he grows up and ends up with a Navajo girl. The major part is when McCord, Doc, and 'The Kid'could have gotten away ( The fourth got killed earlier), but first him then the others go back for her. At the end BOTH Doc and McCord sacrifice themselves for them. So he does survive and ends up with a woman who is very devoted to him, and he proved that he is worthy of her love. At the end he tells her "We are going to Senora you and me" and despite the language barrier she understands they are a couple. As for the money, it burns up and no one gets it. Well worth watching.9/10 stars.

Middle of the road western

[nenms11 · 6/10 · 5 October 2020]

Bad guys become good guys and lose everything in the process.

Honestly Depicts West

[PlasticActor · 10/10 · 7 October 2023]

Snowflakes - - there was a war. Both sides fought. Kill or be killed. Nobody looks at who produced the film. Today there is a silly excuse about these films reflecting the cultural heritage of the time of filming. Total crock of BS. One review is even racist. I didn't report it because I believe in free speech. Of course all the other ethnicities needn't worry; they're protected. One of the best "arrow in ma back" scenes in the business - - but oh, forget that, Indians never exact any retribution. On with the film without a spoiler. Direction is excellent. Has anyone noticed how much a young John Derek looks like Orlando Bloom? Script here is excellent and so is Ray Teal and the Indian girl: Academy Award winning performance. If only the AMPA&S was not fake. We're looking at the GOOD GUYS here...you're welcome. Hurtie feelings? Stay with the hideously modern horror films with their sick violence and porn and keep promoting (and buying) modern Hollywood.