Arrow in the Dust (1954)

Sterling Hayden is Bart Laish, a former West Pointer who went bad, became a gambler and gunfighter and is now on the run because he rejoined the cavalry only to desert.

But while fleeing a cavalry patrol, he runs into the scene of a massacre. One cavalryman is still alive, though barely. It’s his cousin, Maj. Andy Pepperis, who had just been assigned command of a nearby post.

Andy begs Bart to help a wagon train reach safety; reluctantly, Bart agrees. But he’s also interested in saving his own skin, so he dons a cavalry uniform and pretends to be Maj. Pepperis.

Sure enough, the Indians are on the trail of the wagon train, which includes the lovely Christella Burke (Coleen Gray) and a trader named Tillotson (Tudor Owen).

Using some unusual tactics — such as ambushing the Indians, and leaving a wagon of whiskey behind to slow their progress — Laish does his best to keep the wagon train out of harm’s way.

In the process, he earns the admiration of his men and the affection of Christella.

But a handful of the small band have learned the truth: That Laish isn’t really Andy Pepperis; he’s a man still on the run.

Review:

Mediocre and pretty predictable, with a typical Hayden performance, meaning wooden and full of bravado. His opening scene with the dying major is downright embarrassing.

Coleen Gray fairs better as a doctor’s daughter, who first feuds with Laish, then falls for him.

Another of the film’s problems is the badly matched stock footage used for the biggest action scenes. An early battle scene goes from night to day to night again and again.

Then there’s the climax. It was taken from 1951’s “New Mexico” and looks like New Mexico and nothing like the country the wagon train has been traveling through until that point.

Directed by:
Lesley Selander

Cast:
Sterling Hayden … Bart Laish
Coleen Gray … Christella Burke
Keith Larsen … Lt. Steve King
Tom Tully … Crowshaw
Jimmy Wakely … Pvt. Carqueville
Tudor Owen … Tillotson
Lee Van Cleef … Tillotson’s Crew Boss
John Pickard … Sgt. Lybarger
Carleton Young … Maj. Pepperis

Runtime: 80 min.

Memorable lines:

Maj. Pepperis: “You’ve come a long way down, Bart. How much farther can you go?”
Laish: “Oregon. Nobody knows me there.”
Pepperis: “Gambler. Gunfighter. Now a deserter?”
Laish: “Yeah.”
Pepperis: “Looks like you’ve added coward to the list.”

Crowshaw (Cavalry Scout), when the major assumes command: “(Lt.) King’s been running this according to the book.”
Laish: “Well, it’s the wrong book.”

Christelle Burke: “The trip will be too hard on the wounded soldiers.”
Laish: “Miss Burke, back where I came from, there were dead soldiers.”

Laish, after using a wagon of whiskey to keep the Pawnees from following his outfit: “Who would have thought good whiskey would do what gunpowder couldn’t?”

Keith Larsen as Lt. Steve King and Coleen Gray as Christella Burke, discussing a deserter’s future in Arrow in the Dust (1954)

John Pickard as Sgt. Lybarger, getting his marching orders from Bart Laish (Sterling Hayden) in Arrow in the Dust (1954)

Jimmy Wakely as Private Carqueville, siinging Wayfaring Stranger between Indian attacks in Arrow in the Dust (1954)

Coleen Gray as Christella Burke, jumping into action during an Indian attack in Arrow in the Dust (1954)