Cheyenne Autumn

Based on the novel The Last Frontier by Howard Fast, Cheyenne Autumn is the story of a cavalry captain who reluctantly takes part on a mission to track down a tribe of migrating Cheyenne. Directed by John Ford and screenplay by James R. Webb with contributions from Mari Sandoz, the film is Ford’s final western as it play into a man being forced to take down a Native American tribe as it play as an elegy for the West and for Native Americans who had been mistreated by the American government. Starring Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, Ricardo Montalban, Gilbert Roland, Sal Mineo, Dolores del Rio, Edward G. Robinson, Karl Malden, Arthur Kennedy, and James Stewart as Wyatt Earp. Cheyenne Autumn is a majestic and sprawling film from John Ford.

Set in the late 19th Century, the film is based on the real-life Northern Cheyenne Exodus of 1878-1879 where a group of Cheyenne decide to leave their reservation in the Oklahoma Territory to return to their homeland in Wyoming due to a promise that wasn’t fulfilled by the U.S. government. It plays into this cavalry officer who is order to pursue a tribe of migrating Cheyenne and take them back to the reservation as he doesn’t want to harm them but knows the mission is futile. Adding to this in this pursuit is then Secretary of the Interior in Carl Schurz (Edward G. Robinson) who trying to prevent violence happening while some in the press are spreading lies into what the Cheyenne has done when the reality is that the death toll of soldiers were actually small. James R. Webb’s screenplay is largely told from the perspective of Captain Thomas Archer (Richard Widmark) who talks about his pursuit as well as wanting to keep the peace knowing that he’s tried to help the Cheyenne anyway he can and was angry that a meeting between a major government official and the Cheyenne didn’t take place because the former didn’t keep his promise.

Captain Archer tries to ensure two of its chiefs in Little Wolf (Ricardo Montalban) and Dull Knife (Gilbert Roland) to stay in the reservation despite its poor condition so he can reach out and give the Cheyenne what they want. With their head chief in poor health, Little Wolf and Dull Knife make the decision to return to Wyoming as they’re aided by the schoolteacher Deborah Wright (Carroll Baker) who is concerned for the children as the Cheyenne allow her to travel with them. Wright is Captain Archer’s lover as he would learn that she had fled with the Cheyenne making his reluctant pursuit personal as well as wanting to ensure that no harm comes to her. The film also showcase others encountering the Cheyenne including Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday (Arthur Kennedy) in a comedic moment in the film as it play into this exaggeration of the press. Much of the film’s second half is about this divergence between Little Wolf and Dull Knife over their journey with the latter seeking shelter where things don’t go according to plan which angers Captain Archer and Wright forcing the former to turn to Schurz for help.

John Ford’s direction is definitely grand for the way he captures the world of the American West as it is shot largely on Monument Valley at the Arizona-Utah Border to play into not just some of the desolation of the location but also into a world that is ever-changing. Ford’s usage of the locations has him use a lot of wide shots with some precise compositions such as the scene of the Cheyenne waiting for the government official as they remain still with Captain Archer and his superior waiting as they would learn that the man won’t show up prompting the Cheyenne to leave. Ford’s usage of the wide shots doesn’t just play into the beauty of these locations but also in how vast the number of the Cheyenne as well as Captain Archer’s troops who are trying to pursue the Cheyenne but don’t want to create any conflict that could get both parties killed. The attention to detail in the compositions says a lot of what Ford wanted to say about the West and its mistreatment towards Natives including the Cheyenne.

While there are some intimate moments in the close-ups and medium shots that include a brief detour in a scene at a small town where Earp and Holliday are first seen playing cards and then get involved in a scuffle with the Cheyenne that is a comical moment in the film. It’s a scene that does seem out of place but it does play into this air of exaggeration the press will make in order to stir trouble and sell newspapers though there is a scene of one newspaper that wants to tell the truth. It all play into Ford’s need to have the Natives tell their side of the story as well as their mistrust towards whites with the latter wanting to make amends for their past sins. Though the eventual meeting between Schurz and the Cheyenne chiefs is presented in an awkward backdrop, it is a key moment that would create a step forward into a peaceful settlement between the Cheyenne and the American government. Overall, Ford crafts an evocative and mesmerizing film about the real life Northern Cheyenne Exodus.

Cinematographer William H. Clothier does brilliant work with the film’s Technicolor cinematography as it captures the beauty of the locations as well as the great attention to detail for many of the colors including some of the interior lighting for scenes set at night. Editor Otho Lovering, with additional work by David Hawkins, does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward to play into the action and suspense. Art director Richard Day and set decorator Darrell Silvera do amazing work with the look of the town where Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday were playing poker as well as the look of some of the cavalry forts. Costume designers Frank Beetson Jr. and Ann Peck do fantastic work with the costumes for the look of the cavalry uniforms and the lavish clothes for the people at the small town as well as clothes of the Cheyenne. The sound work of Francis E. Stahl is terrific for its natural approach to sound as well as the way it captures gunfire and war drums from afar. The film’s music by Alex North is wonderful for its sweeping orchestral score that play into the sense of adventure and suspense along with the usage of percussions for some of the bombast as well as low-key moments for the drama.

The film’s superb ensemble cast include some notable small roles and appearances from Judson Pratt as a mayor, George O’Brien as Captain Archer’s superior Major Braden, Sean McClory as the fort doctor O’Carberry who tends to a young Cheyenne girl, Mike Mazurki as 1st Sergeant Stanislus Wichowsky who helps out Captain Archer later in the film, John Carradine as Major Jeff Blair who plays poker with Earp and Holliday, Elizabeth Allen as a woman trying to flirt with Earp, and Patrick Wayne as 2nd Lieutenant Scott as a young cavalry officer eager to kill some Cheyenne yet has to endure some humility.

James Stewart and Arthur Kennedy are terrific in their brief appearances in their respective roles as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday with the two legends who provide some humor in their roles but also prove to be capable badasses that no one should mess with. Dolores del Rio is terrific in a small role as Spanish Woman as a Cheyenne who is a liaison for the Cheyenne and Wright as she sees good intentions in Wright but also know there is trouble going on. Sal Mineo is wonderful as Red Shirt as the son of a chief who has immense disdain towards the white people as he would often get the Cheyenne into danger while he pines for a chief’s wife. Karl Malden is fantastic as Captain Oscar Wessels as a cavalry fort captain who takes in a portion of the Cheyenne for shelter until he is given the order to take them back to their reservation as tries to instill his idea of order.

Ricardo Montalban and Gilbert Roland are excellent in their respective roles as Little Wolf and Dull Knife as two Cheyenne chiefs who both share the same views about White people only to diverge over ideas of survival as they would both struggle to maintain their friendship. Edward G. Robinson is brilliant as Carl Schurz as the then-Secretary of the Interior who is trying to maintain some order as well as securing a peaceful resolution with the Cheyenne as well as discredit any kind of news that puts them in a bad light. Carroll Baker is amazing as Deborah Wright as a Quaker schoolteacher who joins the exodus to watch over the children and help them as she deals with the troubles of the journey. Finally, there’s Richard Widmark in an incredible performance as Captain Thomas Archer as a cavalry officer who is trying to ensure a peaceful resolution with the Cheyenne as he reluctantly pursues them where he becomes aware of Wright with them as he tries to ensure that he and his troops don’t kill anyone.

Cheyenne Autumn is a remarkable film from John Ford. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, an exhilarating film score, amazing action, and a compelling story. The film is definitely one of Ford’s finest westerns as well as a touching elegy to Native Americans who were often depicted in an unkind light in the genre. In the end, Cheyenne Autumn is a marvelous film from John Ford.

© thevoid99 2018

Pickup on South Street

Written and directed by Samuel Fuller from a story by Dwight Taylor, Pickup on South Street is the story of a petty crook who steals a pocketbook from a woman that features secrets that are confidential by the U.S. government. The film is a noir-thriller set during the early years of the Cold War where a crook and a woman are caught in the middle of a chase involving Federal officers and Communist agents. Starring Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, and Thelma Ritter. Pickup on South Street is a riveting noir film from Samuel Fuller.

The film revolves around a pickpocket who steals a wallet from a woman’s purse unaware that it features an item that both the U.S. government and Communist spies want where he and the woman he stole from are in trouble. It’s a film that plays into the paranoia of Communism spreading into the U.S. yet writer/director Samuel Fuller would focus more on characters and their motivations rather than a lot of the political implications that occur. Especially as the pickpocket Skip McCoy (Richard Widmark) is just looking for money to steal as he wants nothing to do with Communism as he realizes that there is more at stake. While he is reluctant to trust Candy (Jean Peters) who wants the film back for her boyfriend, Skip wonders if Candy knew what she was carrying where she would eventually find out. The only person the two trust is an offbeat informer in Moe (Thelma Ritter) who works for little money but also is aware of what is right and wrong.

The film’s script is filled with some very stylish dialogue that plays into the world of film noir where there is a certain language in the way everyone talks. Even as it plays to everyone trying to outwit each other in order to get what they want. Yet, many of the characters in the film all want something but in the process realize that there’s a price to be paid where both Skip and Candy eventually decide to do what is right. One character that is key to the story is Moe as she is someone who knows about the ins and outs of the underworld but isn’t a total snitch as she would often steer people into the right path as she is also someone who is weary and has seen so much in her life.

Fuller’s direction is quite stylish not just in the way he plays into the visual language of film noir but also in the way he would subvert some of the expectations of the genre in favor of character study. Notably as Fuller would create some very intense yet intimate moments in the way Skip would do his pick pocketing where it’s all about timing and going for the move. It’s also a moment in the film where it is shown from different perspectives where there are men who are watching Skip as they’re tailing Candy. Fuller would take a break from the action where it is about speculation about whether Skip is a Communist while Candy who has very little clue about what she was supposed to do finds herself in a situation that makes her uncomfortable. The use of tight close-ups and medium shots would play into the drama that includes this chilling scene of a weary Moe facing a Communist agent. It would lead into Skip and Candy finding redemption as its climax does play to typical noir showdowns but one that manages to be fulfilling. Overall, Fuller creates a gripping yet very smart film about a pickpocket who uncovers a dark secret that could impact the world.

Cinematographer Joseph McDonald does brilliant work with the film‘s very stylized black-and-white photography with its noir-inspired interior shadings for scenes at night as well as some of the nighttime exterior lighting schemes. Editor Nick De Maggio does fantastic work with the editing with its rhythmic editing style to the pick pocketing scene as well as some of the dramatic moments where the editing is methodical to play into its suspense. Art directors Lyle Wheeler and George Patrick, with set decorator Al Orenbach, do excellent work with the look of the pier shack that Skip lives in to the quaint apartment of Moe.

Costume designer Travilla, with wardrobe supervisor Charles Le Maire, does nice work with the costumes from the stylish dresses that Candy wears to the suits the men wear. The sound work of Winston H. Leverett is superb for some of the sound effects that occur including some chilling moments inside the pier and in the locations the characters are in. The film’s music by Leigh Harline is wonderful for its thrilling orchestral score that features some elements of jazz as well as some somber pieces for the drama.

The film’s amazing cast includes some notable small roles from Willis Bouchey and Milburn Stone as a couple of government agents tailing Skip and Candy, Murvyn Vye as a police captain who doesn’t like Skip, and Richard Kiley in a very crucial and chilling performance as Candy’s boyfriend Joey. Thelma Ritter is phenomenal as Moe as this informant who doesn’t take shit from anyone while being the one person who is this unlikely conscious as she has this great monologue that is heartbreaking but also compelling about who she is. Jean Peters is superb as Candy as this woman who realizes what she has done as she tries to set things right while falling for Skip. Finally, there’s Richard Widmark in a marvelous performance as Skip McCoy as a pickpocket who deals with his discovery as he eventually realizes the trouble that is happening where he would try and do what is right.

Pickup on South Street is a phenomenal film from Samuel Fuller that features great performances from Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, and Thelma Ritter. The film is one of Fuller’s more seedy yet stylish films that showcase his dark take on film noir with a dose of captivating stories and characters. In the end, Pickup on South Street is a remarkable film from Samuel Fuller.

Samuel Fuller Films: I Shot Jesse James - The Baron of Arizona - The Steel Helmet - Fixed Bayonets! - Park Row - (Hell and High Water) - House of Bamboo - (China Gate) - Run of the Arrow - Forty Guns - Verboten! - The Crimson Kimono - Underworld U.S.A. - Merrill's Marauders - Shock Corridor - The Naked Kiss - (Shark!) - (Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street) - The Big Red One - White Dog - (Thieves After Dark) - (Street of No Return) - (The Madonna and the Dragon)

© thevoid99 2014