Audie Murphy plays Gary Brannon, who runs a freight business with his father Sam (Walter Brennan) in the town of Crown City, where businessmen are getting desperate.
That’s because the mines in the area have played out, but there’s plenty of rich mineral deposits in nearby Ute land, if one’s willing to risk his or her life to start an Indian war.
Frank Walker (Lyle Bettger) and his cronies are, and the Brannons wind up involved in their scheming.
In Gary’s case, that’s first by choice. A drunken Ute warrior killed his mother; he has little used for Indians.
Later it’s by force, because Walker quickly realizes that way to bend Gary to his will is to put his father in danger.
And when it looks like all else has failed, Walker and his men — they include a vicious fast gun named Morgan (Hugh O’Brian) — fake a Ute attack on a stage to stir up hostilities all over again.
Audie Murphy as Gary Brannon, capturing a warrior as a bargaining chip in Drums Across the River (1954)
Lyle Bettger as Frank Walker, willing to risk war to get to the minerals on Indian land in Drums Across the River (1954)
Review:
Some silly scenes mar a great-looking film. For instance, new Ute Chief Taos (Jay Silverheels) invites Gary Brannon to attend his father’s funeral, though only the bravest Ute warriors are allowed to be present.
As Gary’s dad, Walter Brennan pushes for peace with the Indians; he realizes whites like Walker are every bit as savage as the worst Indian.
He spends most of the film being tied up and threatened over and over as a means of getting Murphy’s character to do what the baddies want.
The film includes lots of other familiar faces, including O’Brian, a year shy of his TV role as Wyatt Earp. Not so familiar might be Lisa Gaye as Audie’s love interest; this marked her only Western film.
Mara Corday plays Sue Randolph is the saloon girl who relies on Walker to lead her to a better life.
Walter Brennan as Sam Brannon, warning against stirring up hostilities with the Indians in Drums Across the River (1954)
Hugh O’Brian as Morgan, the vicious fast gun under Frank Walker (Lyle Bettger’s) employ in Drums Across the River (1954)
Directed by:
Nathan Juran
Cast:
Audie Murphy … Gary Brannon
Walter Brennan … Sam Brannon
Lyle Bettger … Frank Walker
Lisa Gaye … Jennie Marlowe
Hugh O’Brian … Morgan
Mara Corday … Sue Randolph
Jay Silverheels … Taos
Bob Steele … Billy Costa
Emile Meyer … Nathan Marlowe
Regis Toomey … Sheriff Jim Beal
Morris Ankrum … Chief Ouray
James Anderson … Jed Walker
George Wallace … Les Walker
Lane Bradford … Ralph Costa
Howard McNear … Stillwell
Gregg Barton … Fallon
Runtime: 78 min.
Lisa Gaye as Jennie Marlowe, eagerly awaiting boyfriend Gary Brannon’s (Audie Murphy’s) return to town in Drums Across the River (1954)
Mara Corday as Sue Randolph, the saloon girl who relies on Frank Walker to live a high-class life in Drums Across the River (1954)
Memorable lines:
Sam Brannon, casting an eye toward Walker and his men: “What are they hatching now?”
Gary Brannon: “I don’t know that they’re hatching anything.”
Sam: “For a young man with two bright eyes, you’re mighty unseeing.”
Sam Brannon to his son Gary, as he proposes to talk peace with the Utes: “Can you humble yourself to a red man? Can you plead with them and admit to them there are white skinned folks like us that are no better than savages? Can you forget for every second you’re out there that a Ute killed ma and they’re all to blame? No, son, I don’t think there’s much you can do so long as the only thing you have in your heart for them is hate.”
Jay Silverheels as Taos, chief of the Ute warriors in Drums Across the River (1954)
Emile Meyer as Nathan Marlowe and Regis Toomey as Sheriff Jim Beat in Drums Across the River (1954)
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