Drums Across the River (1954)

When whites hunger after the gold on Ute Indian land, a bigoted young man finds himself forced into a peacekeeping role.

Director: Nathan Juran
Cast: Audie Murphy, Walter Brennan, Lyle Bettger, Lisa Gaye, Hugh O'Brian, Mara Corday, Jay Silverheels, Emile Meyer, Regis Toomey, Morris Ankrum, Bob Steele, James Anderson, George Wallace, Lane Bradford, Howard McNear, Gregg Barton, Andy Brennan, Carl Andre, Emile Avery, Robert Bray, Phil Chambers, Edmund Cobb, Steve Darrell, Herman Hack, Cliff Lyons, Philo McCullough, Ewing Mitchell, Lee Morgan, Joseph Morrissey, Jack Perrin




A Colorful, Winner Western with Audie Murphy in His Element and a Solid Back-Up Cast including Walter Brennan in an atypical Super Serious Role as Murph's Dad.

Some Recognizable Bad-Guys including the always Grinning Lyle Bettger, Bob Steele, and Hugh O'Brian as a Psycho Gunslinger. Jay Silverheels and that always Recognizable Voice has a Small but Important Role as an Indian Chief.

It is quite Striking just how much Plot was Woven into these 80 Minute Westerns, it's just a Treat to Watch it Unfold at a Blistering Pace. The Action Never Lets Up and the Story Layers are Simple and Significant.

The Movie features that Glorious Technicolor that Drips from the Screen, a Look that has been Lost in Time. Overall, this Cowboys and Indians Movie is the Stuff that made Saturday Matinees the Favorite Spot for Kids of the Fifties.

Downtown at the Movie Palace there were Western and Sci-/Horror Entertainment along with Color Cartoons, and Short Subjects and the Kids were there because that was where it was at, through the 1950's.
~ LeonLouisRicci

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