Massacre (1956)

Dane Clark is Captain Ramon, a Mexican rurales officer trying to find out who’s been selling rifles to the Yaqui.

It’s something of a personal mission for Ramon; his family was killed in an Indian massacre.

It’s something of a timely matter too. The local Indians are in a killing mood because someone gave them bad medicine that left many of their tribe members blind.

Ramon suspects the culprit in both cases in a trader named Miguel Chavez.

But when he and his men arrive at the Chavez trading post, the only person there is Miguel’s pretty wife Angelica (Martha Roth).

Ramon allows the Indians to burn down the trading post, then insists on taking Angelica along as his rurales detail attempts to locate the guns.

Angelica tries to curry favor with Lt. Ezparza (James Craig), flirting shamelessly in an attempt to escape her predicament.

Angelica isn’t the only source of friction between Ezparza and Ramon. The former suspects Ramon’s Indian guide, Juan Pedro, is leading them into a trap.

Dane Clark as Capt. Ramon, questioning Angelica about her husband’s whereabouts in Massacre (1956)

Martha Roth as Angelica Chavez, preparing to charm Lt. Ezparza in helping her escape Capt. Ramon’s grip in Massacre (1956)

Review:

Taunt little low-budget B Western that gives us past-their-prime stars Dane Clark and James Craig in unconvincing performances as Mexican rurales.

What makes it work as well as it does is a fiery bad girl performance from Martha Roth in the Angelica role. And a very unusual ending.

This marked Roth’s only appearance in an American Western, but she had a long career in film and TV in Mexico, last appearing on a TV show in 2007, well into her 70s. She died in 2016 at age 84.

This was the final feature film directed by Louis King, lesser known brother of director Henry King. His other films included Powder River (1953), Frencie (1950) and a number of pre-sound Westerns released in the mid- to late-1920s.

James Craig as Lt. Ezparza, the officer who comes to sympathize with Angelica Chavez in Massacre (1956)

Jaime Fernandez as Juan Pedro, the son of a chief who guides the rurales into Yaqui country in Massacre (1956)

Directed by:
Louis King

Cast:
Dane Clark … Capitan Ramon
James Craig … Teniente Ezparza
Martha Roth … Angelica Chaves
Miguel Torruco … Miguel Chaves
Jaime Fernandez … Juan Pedro
Joe Angel Espinos Ferrusquilla … Vincent
Enrique Zambrano … Munez
Jose Munoz … Macario
Jose Puildo … Jose Puildo

Runtime: 75 min.

Miguel Torruco as Miguel Chavez, the man trading rifles to the Yaqui in Massacre (1956)

An Indian chief, demanding justice for the bad medicine sold to his tribe. Does anyone know who plays this part in Massacre (1956)?

Memorable lines:

Angelica Chaves: “Someday, captain, somehow, I shall kill you.”
Capt. Ramon: “It’s quite possible. You’ve helped kill quite a few people already.”

Angelica Chavez: “Lieutenant, if they did catch my husband with some guns, what would happen?”
Lt. Ezparza: “They’d put him in jail, provided they didn’t hang him or shoot him first.”
Angelica: “And what would happen to me?”
Lt. Ezparza: “They’d put you in jail too.”
Angelica, gazing at him seductively: “Would you like that, lieutenant?”

Capt. Ramon: “Stay away from the senora.”
Lt. Ezparza: “That an order?”
Ramon: “No, that’s just good advice.”
Lt. Ezparza: “How many people pay attention to advice?”
Ramon: “Very few, but you’re gonna be one of the exceptions.”

Angelica Chavez, as the captain hands her dinner: “The condemned woman ate a hearty meal.”
Capt. Ramon: “Who wants to die on an empty stomach?”
Angelica: “Who wants to die?”
Capt. Ramon: “That’s a good question too.”

Angelica Chavez: “I loathe you. It would be almost a pleasure to die knowing you’d be dead too.”
Capt. Ramon: “That you, senora, you’ve expressed my own feelings very clearly.”

Martha Roth as Angelica Chavez, trying to convinced Lt. Ezparza to ambush Capt. Ramon in Massacre (1956)

Dane Clark as Capt. Ramon, forcing Angelica Chavez (Martha Roth) to watch the Yaqui torture two men in Massacre (1956)