Tyrone Power is Tom Owens, a youngster learning the stage line business from old timer Sam Todd.
One day, a stage arrives with disturbing news. A desperate killer named Zimmerman has escaped from a nearby prison with three fellow convicts.
Citing a stageline policy against putting children in danger, Todd forces two stage passengers to stay behind when the stage leaves the Rawhide Pass station.
The two passengers are a feisty redhead named Vinnie Holt (Susan Hayward) and a niece she’s caring for.
Not long after the stage departs, a stranger shows up and introduces himself as Deputy Sheriff Ben Miles (Huge Marlowe).
Naturally, he’s none other than Zimmerman, that desperate killer.
Once he’s safely inside the station, he summons his gang, consisting of the evil Tevis, a simple-minded horse thief named Yancy and Gratz.
After Todd is brutally gunned down trying to go for a gun, Tom and Vinnie realize their lives are in jeopardy.
Formally at one another’s throat, they pretend to be husband and wife and find themselves working together to find some way to escape before the next morning’s stage arrives.
It carries a shipment of gold. And once the outlaws have nabbed the gold, Tom and Vinnie figure they’ll have to kill the witnesses.
Tyrone Power as Tom Owens, an apprentice on his father’s stage line when trouble comes calling in Rawhide (1951)
Susan Hayward as Vinnie Holt, alarmed by the predicament she finds herself in at Rawhide Station in Rawhide (1951)
Review:
Well done Western, with touches of humor early on, followed by lots of suspense once the outlaws arrives at the stage and brutally gun down the character played by Edgar Buchanan.
For as young as she looks in this film, Susan Hayward was 34 when this film was made. It marked Tyrone Powers first Western since starring in 1939’s Jesse James. Director Henry Hathaway hadn’t made a Western since 1931.
Among the second tier characters, Jack Elam is particularly effective as the snarling outlaw named Tevis, who balks at Zimmerman’s orders and just can’t keep his eyes off pretty Vinnie Holt.
Hugh Marlowe as Rafe Zimmerman, the escape killer who causes havoc at Rawhide Station in Rawhide (1951)
Jack Elam as Tevis, Rafe Zimmerman’s lecherous gang member in Rawhide (1951)
Directed by:
Henry Hathaway
Cast:
Tyrone Power … Tom Owens
Susan Hayward … Vinnie Holt
Hugh Marlowe … Rafe Zimmerman
Dean Jagger … Yancy
Edgar Buchanan … Sam Todd
Jack Elam … Tevis
George Tobias … Gratz
Jeff Corey … Luke Davis
James Millican … Tex Squires
Louis Jean Heydt … Fickert
Runtime: 86 min.
George Tobias as Gratz, a member of Rafe Zimmerman’s gang in Rawhide (1951)
Dean Jagger as Yancy, the Zimmerman gang member who grows fond of Callie in Rawhide (1951)
Memorable lines:
Sam Todd to Tom Owens: “Problem with you, you just don’t listen. Here I’ve been trying to learn you the business five or six months, and you’re still shaving and taking a bath. Well, it’s no wonder the mules don’t take to you kindly.”
Tom Owens to Vinnie, as she secures the lock on her door: “What are you afraid of, coyotes?”
Vinnie: “Yeah, the kind with boots on.”
Stage driver, upon arriving at Rawhide to find a stage station strewn with dead bodies: “By Jerusalem, what have you been doing around here.”
A weary Tom Owens: “Learning the business. Just learning the business.”
Edgar Buchanan as Sam Todd, under the gun of outlaw Rafe Zimmerman in Rawhide (1951)
Edgar Buchanan as Sam Todd and Tyrone Power as Tom Owens, watching a mysterious rider approach in Rawhide (1951)
Susan Hayward as Vinnie Holt with Callie (Judy Dunn), the niece she’s caring for in Rawhide (1951)
Tyrone Power as Tom Owens and Susan Hayward as Vinnie Holt, trying to dig their way out of trouble in Rawhide (1951)
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VERY Run of the mill 50’s western. Tyrone Power looks a bit prim and proper for the genre and seems around 40-a bit old to be sent to a plains outpost to learn dad’s stage coach business. Susan Hayward went onto better roles and this seems like a filler film for her but you can see the appeal of this future academy award winner. Hugh Marlowe is miscast in this film same as Power. In fact, the narration points out thru immediate mocking by his boss the fact that Power is too clean and well shaven for his position and later dialogue advises that Marlowe-obviously an educated man, is below his station being involved in this chicanery. Sad when a movie takes a few moment’s to say “ these people don’t really belong here”.
Also a weird twist for this decade-one player seems effeminate-wanting to be “pretty” and wearing a women’s jacket and shoes-then moping and whining when forced to get rid of the jacket? What was this meant to convey in 1951? Nowadays you’d have to let him keep the jacket, help him put on the shoes, then tell him how great he looks!
The additional cast includes familiar faces from that era and Jack Elam-licking his lips with his bulging eyes-shines as the creepy ex-con who hasn’t seen a woman in 2 years. His oogling and harassment of Hayward is disturbing and he definitely can’t be trusted.
Why this film is called RAWHIDE I have no idea-should be titled Stage Stop or something. Dumbest part of movie was the ongoing 20 minutes of wasted film attempting to dig an adult size hole thru a stone and mortar building with a steak knife when its dinner time and the next stage comes tomorrow at noon ??? In the end only a baby could fit thru that hole. Thumbs Down.