Sandy McKenzie (Stewart Granger) is a buffalo hunter supreme, but he’s tired of that life, feels guilty about the carnage and wants to settle down and raise cattle … until his small herd is wiped out in what else — a buffalo stampede.
Along comes Charlie Gilson (Robert Taylor), a man who seemingly has to kill to feel alive. He entices McKenzie to re-enter the buffalo trade as his partner. Next, they pick up a pair of buffalo skinners — an aging man with one leg named Woodfoot (Lloyd Nolan) and a young half-breed named Jimmy (Russ Tamblyn).
The four become six after Indians try to steal the buffalo hunters’ horses. Gilson kills the guilty braves; he hates Indians most of all. But he spares a pretty young Indian woman (Debra Paget) and the baby boy she’s protecting.
Pretty soon, tensions mount, and not just because the new partners have very different views on life and death. A white buffalo robe causes its share of friction. The pretty Indian woman causes more. Gilson treats her poorly, but doesn’t mind sleeping with her at night. McKenzie is developing feelings for her that go deeper than that.
Review:
Bleak film on the passing of the buffalo, though this would certainly count as one of Robert Taylor’s most interesting Western roles. He’s quite convincing as the villain of the piece, a role he didn’t get to play very often. Tamblyn also comes off well in a role that doesn’t require him to carry the film.
Unfortunately, not everything in the film works — McKenzie’s trip into town to sell the first batch of buffalo hides seems particularly odd. And while the ending is certainly unique, the irony comes across as a bit trite. And a buildup to it that could have been filled with suspense simply lacks much.
As for the shooting of the buffalo — that was actually being done by U.S. government marksmen as part of an annual thinning of the herd.
Directed by:
Richard Brooks
Cast:
Robert Taylor … Charlie Gilson
Stewart Granger … Sandy McKenzie
Debra Paget … Indian woman
Russ Tamblyn … Jimmy O’Brien
Lloyd Nolan … Woodfoot
Constance Ford … Peg
Joe DeSantis … Ed Black
Ralph Moody … Indian agent
Bartender … Fred Graham
Ed Lonehill … Spotted Hand
Runtime: 108 min.
Memorable lines:
Sandy McKenzie: “Thought I was through chasing buffalo.”
Charlie Gilson: “Maybe they ain’t through chasin’ you.”
Sandy McKenzie: “I’m fed up on killing. Seems like all I’ve ever known since I was a kid was killing, one way or another.”
Charlie Gilson: “Ain’t nothing wrong with that. Killing’s natural.”
McKenzie: “Not for me it ain’t.”
Gilson: “Sure it is. War taught me that. That more you kill, the better man you was.”
Woodfoot: “What got you back in the butchering business?”
Sandy McKenzie: “Easy money.”
Woodfoot: “Ahh, I never knew easy money without a bad conscience.”
McKenzie: “I already got the bad conscience. Might as well have the money.”
Charlie Gilson: “It’s like killing’s the only real proof you’re alive.”
Sandy McKenzie: “You know, Charlie, you’re a special case. I’ve never known a gun to wear a man before.”
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