Apache Drums

After gunning down two people in a saloon a gambler by the name of "Sam Leeds" (Stephen McNally) is told to leave the town of "Spanish Boot" at noon by the local mayor "Joe Madden" (Willard Parker). Although Joe believes that Sam's presence is bad for the town there is also a woman named "Sally" (Coleen Gray) who both men are attracted to that might have also factored into this decision. However, since he has little choice he sets out into the desert only to discover that the Apaches are on the warpath and rushes back to Spanish Boot to tell them of the news. At first they don't believe him but when a small cavalry unit arrives they realize that they will need every gun they can get-and even then it might not be enough. At any rate, rather than disclose any more of the film and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a pretty good grade-B western movie for this particular time. It certainly would have been a fine picture to show at the local drive-in. Slightly above average.

APACHE DRUMS (1951) is a routine western about Apaches on the warpath attacking isolated townsfolk in Arizona in 1880. A fairly low-budget film in color from Universal Pictures, it's something of a disappointment considering it was the final production of Val Lewton, the celebrated RKO producer who'd revolutionized the horror genre in the early-to-mid-1940s with such releases as CAT PEOPLE, I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE and THE BODY SNATCHER. While there are some interesting atmospheric touches and dramatic moments, the film is ultimately undone by a talky script that fails to generate much suspense.

It focuses on a group of disparate characters in the town of Spanish Boot, with Sam Leeds (Stephen McNally), an itinerant gambler, emerging as the hero when, after being evicted from town by the upright blacksmith/mayor, Joe Madden (Willard Parker), he returns to warn them of the impending Apache attack. When the Apaches launch their big assault, all the townsfolk, including a contingent of Welsh miners, and a few soldiers hole up in the thick-walled adobe church and try to fend off entrance by Indians through the high windows. From the moment of the doors being locked, the entire remainder of the film (about 25 minutes) is from the point-of-view inside the church. Such a situation lends itself to great tension and there are some harrowing moments as the defenders stumble about in darkness and scramble for candles so they can see the Indians when they attack. Some of the fighting from this point is frenzied hand-to-hand combat in semi-darkness. One stirring moment comes when the townsfolk, frightened and intimidated by the strains of the Apaches' war song, decide to respond with a Welsh fighting song of their own.

The suspense is undercut, however, by frequent lulls in the action, with too much talk and a pointless love triangle involving Sam, Joe and Sally (Coleen Gray), the young woman who runs the local boardinghouse for the Welsh miners. The Indians also spend far too little time fighting. They bring their drums with them and launch into a whole drumming-and-chanting number before the attack on the church, something I've never heard Apaches do in a western before (or since) and something I don't think Cochise or Geronimo, to name two famous Apaches, would have considered during their frequent skirmishes with the white man. (They might have sung a war song back at camp, but not during the actual battle!) At one jaw-dropping, head-shaking moment, the Apaches even stop the fighting to ask the whites if they've got a doctor to tend to their wounded leader, Victorio, promising to retreat if the doctor successfully patches him up. Again, this is something I've never seen the Apaches do in a western before.

The cast is peppered with a number of fine character actors. The leading man, Stephen McNally, was quite busy in westerns in the postwar era, most memorably as a villain (WINCHESTER '73). Coleen Gray specialized in westerns and film noir (RED RIVER, KISS OF DEATH, THE KILLING). Underrated western actor James Griffith plays a philosophical army lieutenant who understands and respects the Apaches. Irish actor Arthur Shields plays a zealous Welsh minister who scorns the gamblers and drives the dance hall girls out of town, but winds up picking up a gun to fight alongside Sam during one battle. Mexican actor Armando Silvestre plays an Apache army scout who has to prove himself to the whites when the Apaches attack. Clarence Muse appears briefly as an employee of the dance hall troupe. Argentine director Hugo Fregonese did several more films in Hollywood, including the excellent Civil War adventure, THE RAID (1954), before heading to Argentina and Europe to continue his career.

The least we can say is that for his last film as a producer, Val Lewton literally excelled, and in a domain where he was not used at all: the western. But if you watch this one very carefully, closely, you'll notice the Val Lewton's trademark; the atmosphere, the terrific atmosphere that he used for his famous, notorious RKO pictures horror films. Not in every scene, but during the second part. And the association between Hugo Fregonese and Val Lewton is a success, as was the combination Harry Joe Brown and Budd Boetticher for the Randolph Scott's western written by Burt Kennedy. Don't miss this one, it's Fregonese's best film.

This is an excellent B-Western. I first saw it as a child and found it hugely exciting and gripping - and I have seen no reason to change my mind in around four subsequent viewings!

I am puzzled when I hear people saying that they can't see the influence of producer Val Lewton in it. To me it is very clear. His expertise in building tension and providing visual shocks (from his many horror films) is clearly in evidence, especially in the climactic attack on the church. I bet he helped director Hugo Fregonese a fair bit!

The action scenes are all well shot and exciting, but one of the best bits doesn't have any action. It is the scene where Stephen McNally comes across the Indian massacre in the canyon. Now we've all seen many Westerns where someone, usually the leading man, comes across a massacre, whether by Indians or whites. Usually however, whilst they may look sad or occasionally even upset, they are completely blasé about any ongoing danger. This is always rather unrealistic: Who is to say that the perpetrators of the massacre aren't still around, just over the next ridge, or laying in wait behind a nearby group of rocks? However, here, McNally looks genuinely scared, looking nervously around him in case the Indians are still close by, and in case he's next. At last, some realism! It is also one of the many gripping moments.

The rousing singing of 'Men of Harlech' by the defenders of the church works well for me, despite the criticism by another reviewer. However, I agree with him that that is almost certainly where the makers of 'Zulu' got the idea from!

I gave 'Apache Drums' a 10, as it remains one of my very favourite B-Westerns.

The picture gets Western action , shootouts , US cavalry charges , go riding , a love story , and it results to be an enjoyable tale . It narrates in adequate style the gradual rolling back of the native Indians from their ancestral lands by the colonist invasion including settlers , cattlemen and army soldiers . In 1880 the drums of the Mescalero Apaches carried the thunder of chief Victorio's words over the waterless mountains of the South West . The newly drawn Mexico-USA border line prevents the Apache from hunting on either side of the border . These reasons are of little consolation for the American settlers who feel the wrath of Apache attacks . In the town of Spanish Boot, inhabited mostly by Welsh silver mine. As Apache Chief Victorio breaks the peace treaty and starts attacking White settlements with his band of renegade braves. A hungry people rose to fight . Their fury fell upon settled placed where peaceful American carried on trade and Welsh miners dug for silver . One of these places was the town of Spanish Boot. There a gambler Sam Leeds (Stephen McNally) -who's in love for cook Sally (Coleen Gray)- is thrown out of a western town , as Mayor Joe Madden (Willard Parker) decides to preserve the clean image of a hard-working town by evicting the bad elements . Among them, Madam Betty Careless and her girls are told to leave town. The gambler is kicked out but he returns when the town is suddenly threatened by a band of marauding Apaches whose reason is the famine to which the tribe of Mescalero is subjected .

Set in 1880, in the Southwestern USA ,during the Apache Indian Wars , with the violent upheaval of brave chiefs as Vitorio , when fear and violence spread throughout the land . This one shows a campy , amusing and entertaining glimpse in the Wild West . The film packs thrills , noisy action , horse pursuits , crossfire , high body-count , it is fast-moving and quite entertaining . It's a medium budget film with acceptable actors , technicians , functional production values and pleasing results . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes .Bursting with appealing characters, thought-provoking themes as the peculiar relationships among citizens , sub-plots , and with very decent filmmaking , appropriate interpretation and with some interesting elements .There is an odd implementation of shots in the camera work during some particular scenes as the film approaches its climax with bloody Apaches doing a lot of leaping from high windows , off of roofs, etc , to carry out a slaughter . Nice production design creating an adequate scenario with luminous outdoors , plains , montains and rocky landscapes under a glimmer sun and atmospheric sets but in B-series style . This zesty little western packs a nice script though at times a little stilted , moody and dramatic , but does a good job of capturing the violent environment , including brutal killings , as well as breathtaking battles and gorgeous outdoors . It is an acceptable and passable Western in which director Fregonese and prestigious producer Val Lewton manage to rise it to a superior quality . The veteran actor Stephen McNally gives a fine acting as a gunfighter who is kicked out of the town Spanish Boot but he returns to warn its citizens of an impeding Apache attack ; being well accompanied by gorgeous Coleen Gray as his sweetheart . Nice acting all around, especially from the support cast that included some of the best secondaries of the period , Willard Parker as Mayor Joe Madden , James Griffith as a rugged army captain , Arthur Shields , Armando Silvestre, James Best , Clarence Muse , among others .

It displays a colorful and evocative cinematography by Charles P. Boyle. Thrilling and atmospheric musical score by Hans J. Salter .Final movie of producer Val Lewton , a terror expert , that's partially shown on some scenes during the creepy and frightening siege when the Indians submit the unfortunate white people . The motion picture was professionally directed by Hugo Fregonese , though has some flaws and gaps . Direction by Fregonese maintains a steady pace and is partially as good in interiors as in outdoor action scenes . Hugo Fregonese is an Argentine director and this one was a Hollywood work , that began with One Way Street in 1950 and included some biggies such as Blowing Wild (1953), his biggest hit . Fregonese started in Argentina, and Pampa Bárbara , first version , is the first first film he directed he is listed as co- director with Lucas Demare . He had done his apprenticeship with Demare as assistant director in two previous films. Hugo was an Argentina director who emigrated to Hollywood, then became technical adviser on latino themes at Columbia Studios in Hollywood, and subsequently under contract at Universal from 1950 to 1952 filming ¨Man in the attic¨ with Jack Palance , ¨Blowing wild¨with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck , ¨Decameron Nights¨with Joan Fontaine , ¨Harry Black and the tiger¨with Stewart Granger . Spent the rest of the decade in Europe directing Euro-westerns as ¨Apache's last battle¨ , ¨Savage Pampas¨ and potboilers as "The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse" , Terror as "Dracula vs. Frankenstein" before finishing his career back in the country of his birth . Rating : 6.5/10, acceptable and decent western. Worthwhile seeing for marvelous landscapes and breathtaking final scenes .