Again not really a film I am familiar with – but it has an interesting title so that is what drew me

Directed by Fred F. Sears

Cast: Charles Starrett (Steve Martin/The Durango Kid), Smiley Burnette (Smiley), Jack Mahoney (Jack Mahoney), Clayton Moore (The Hawk),

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The Hawk Of Wild River (1952) has a terrific cast,. With Jock Mahoney billed here as Jack Mahoney as we in the UK knew him from the Range Rider series, and Clayton Moore – The Lone Ranger which he went back playing to shortly after this film

After being replaced by John Hart for the third season of The Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore went back to work as one of the best, and busiest, bad guys in Hollywood. First up was the Republic serial Radar Men From The Moon (1952). In The Hawk Of Wild River, he’s The Hawk, a half-breed bandit who’s as proficient with a bow and arrow as he is with a six-gun.

Running just 53 minutes, The Hawk Of Wild River is a pretty typical Durango Kid Film,

Director Fred F. Sears keeps it moving at a quick pace, with plenty of action

The Iverson Ranch is really used well in this one.

The Hawk Of Wild River is on The Durango Kid Collection DVD along with nine others

This Western from later in the fifties.

This is not a film that I know well – and I don’t recall it on it’s release

Directed by Delmer Daves
Song: “The Hanging Tree”
Vocal by Marty Robbins
CAST: Gary Cooper (Dr. Joseph Frail), Maria Schell (Elizabeth Mahler), Karl Malden (Frenchy), Ben Piazza (Rune), George C. Scott (Grubb),

Cooper’s character, Doc Frail, lives in a cabin on a ridge about the mining town of Skull Creek. Throughout the picture, we’re look down on the village from Frail’s perspective. These shots now have a stunning amount of detail, giving you an opportunity to really study what Director Delmer Daves had his cast of extras doing in the recesses of those long shots.

THE HANGING TREE

THE HANGING TREE was out of distribution for over twenty years

The old Eastman Colour film stock had not aged well – however In 2012 a colour inter-negative was found that had been made in the 1970s and this was used.

It strikes me that Gary Cooper at the age of 53 when this was released was often cast with such young women – I think of Grace Kelly in High Noon – and then this one with Maria Schell.

Maria Schell always looked good – I remember her opposite Marius Goring in ‘So Little Time’ – a really good film.

Then a favourite of mine ‘Distant Drums’ set in the Florida Everglades – with Marie Aldon another very pretty – and young – girl cast opposite Gary Cooper

Above Maria Schell

The Hanging Tree was Delmer Daves’ last Western as director. In fact he only directed it between June 17 and July 28, 1958, falling ill while on the set, and star Gary Cooper, whose new company Baroda Productions this project led, asked one of the actors, Karl Malden, to finish the direction, which he seems to have done competently. But it was certainly a ‘Daves’ Western, featuring many of the themes that distinguished his pictures.

I also think of ‘The Last Wagon’ with Richard Widmark – another great Western which he directed – also ‘3-10 to Yuma’ with Glenn Ford – and surprisingly to me he directed ‘Demetrius and the Gladiators’ with Victor Mature – a monster Box Office hit

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I watched this on TV a few days ago, and enjoyed the film even though I am not at all a fan of David Niven. To me, he was never in the top star bracket even though he mingled with those icons of Hollywood and he was very much around in the golden days

David Niven, this time, stars as Carrington, VC a career army officer who does something reckless and a little stupid. He borrows money from the Officer’s Fund of his unit to pay some household bills. He’s owed a lot of back pay allowances that the British army hasn’t paid him. However he is a winner of the Victoria Cross, the VC of the title and the commander of the regiment.

Allan Cuthbertson plays Colonel Henniker who is a jealous of Carrington’s status and popularity with his regiment.

In any event Niven is being court martialled for the offence, charges brought by Cuthbertson.

Carrington, VC, is a fine military courtroom drama that stands on its own merits. David Niven does well in the lead ably supported by Margaret Leighton, Allan Cuthbertson and a host of top British actors

Allan Cuthbertson is one of those actors who just does well in everything he’s cast in. He’s quite the martinet and jealous of Niven’s war service and decoration. He spent the war directing a shore battery that was called upon to shoot down Mr. Hitler’s Luftwaffe planes, no chance for medals or glory there.

ABOVE – Victor Madden a great supporter of Carrington VC performs well in court in support of him

The second member of the supporting cast who is outstanding is Victor Madden playing Niven’s sergeant and biggest fan.

Carrington, VC has a bit of The Caine Mutiny and some of The Winslow Boy in its plot and presentation. But it’s a good courtroom drama and all actors love doing them.

ABOVE David Niven with Noelle Middleton

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ABOVE – Noelle Middleton talks with Margaret Leighton who plays David Niven’s wife

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This last weekend I have visited London with my family and re-visited an old haunt of mine – an office I worked at for a couple of years way back – an office in Grosvenor Street London W.1

My daughter quickly pointed out that directly opposite was this plaque – Alexander Korda had used this address as his office around the time he was acquiring Denham Film Studios

Korda

ABOVE – Grosvenor Street, London W1 –

Sir Alexander Korda ‘dreamed a dream’ of building here a Film Studio that would rival – and possibly eclipse – it’s Hollywood counterparts.

He succeeded even though it was relatively short-lived.

Building the massive Denham Studios started in late summer 1935 on a 165-acre site near Denham village in Buckinghamshire.

It was by far the largest production facility in the country, it opened in May 1936, boasting seven sound stages, workshops for every craft, restaurants and dressing-rooms fit for Hollywood stars and a new Technicolor laboratory.

This was to be a dream factory whose films would have “prestige, pomp, magic and madness”, according to Korda

All the planning, negotiating and financing was all arranged through this Office in Grosvenor Street W.1

In fact this central London headquarters served as the command centre from where Korda produced breakthrough cinematic classics like The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) and Things to Come (1936).

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