Blood On the Moon (1948)

Directed by Robert Wise. Starring Robert Mitchum, Barbara Bel Geddes, Robert Preston, Frank Faylen and Walter Brennan as Kris Barden!

A shadowy noir-infused western soaked in adult themes and shady characters.

*SPOILERS* Robert Mitchum plays hired gunman "Jim Garry", called into town by his old friend to help him fellow homesteaders stand up to local cattle baron John Lufton (a wonderful Tom Tully). Jim comes to cross paths with Lufton's daughter, Amy (a fiery Barbara Bel Geddes). He eventually realizes that he not only has feelings for Amy, but that he was brought in under phony pretense by his slimy friend, Tate Riling (a fantastic bit of villainy by Robert Preston).

Walter Brennan plays one of the fellow homesteaders that early on is joined with Tate Riling in their quest against John Lufton. When a planned cattle raid goes awry, Brennan's son winds up dead. From that point on he realizes he was wrong, that he should have talked it out with Lufton instead of taking the cattle by force. He joins up with Jim and Amy, and along with Lufton they come up with a plan to stop Tate Riling. Frank Faylan pops up as one of Tate Riling's goons. In a great bit Mitchum tricks Faylen, leading him out into the middle of nowhere so he can't notify Riling that Mitchum switched sides.

Robert Wise directs BLOOD ON THE MOON like a fine film noir drenched in black and white. It opens during a rain storm at night and though much of it is shot on location a lot of it takes place at night. It has a somber tone and when Brennan's character loses his son it's ramification effects everyone's motivations, unlike the human fodder showcased in most oaters of the time.

Robert Mitchum plays the deep thinking brooding gun-for-hire to a "T". His presence as a cowboy fits just as comfortable as his roles in crime noir. The difference is strictly window dressing, the motivations and set-up are similar, the tone and atmosphere are also very similar. This movie looks forward to the more adult and psychological westerns that would be made in the following years, those of Budd Boetticher and Anthony Mann. And especially that of Mitchum's own similar role in MAN WITH A GUN (1955).

If there is one complaint it's a goofy one, the film ends on too much of a happy note. The bad guy dies and in a throwaway line Amy's insinuates her and Jim will now be married, just like that. Jim shrugs and they practically skip into the sunset. After all the rain and dark nights it just doesn't sit right. I guess it was just a convention of westerns at the time. True film noir ends mostly in tragedy, in my opinion. Almost reaching the goal then losing it. But I still love this movie, Mitchum's Jim Garry earned his happy ending.

Man With the Gun (1955)

Directed by Richard Wilson - starring Robert Mitchum, Henry Hull, Jan Sterling and Karen Sharpe

The movie opens with a man shooting a dog in front of a young boy in the middle of the street, thus setting the grim tone of what's to follow.

Robert Mitchum plays 'Clint Tollinger', a man who comes to town looking for his wife, Nelly Bain (Jan Sterling), who ran away from him and who now runs a saloon full of girls. Clint has a reputation as a town tamer and once the folks in town learn of his presence they decide to employ him to clean up their act and rid them of a ruthless cattle baron, Dade Holman (an un-credited Joe Barry), who's been taking them over with his violent ways. Unfortunately for the town they soon find out that the medicine is almost as bad as the cure.

Henry Hull plays the town Sheriff, a weathered tired old man who refuses to stand up to Dade Holman and his goons. He deputizes Clint and tries to stay out of his way only helping once things start to tip in their favor. A young man named Jeff Castle (John Lupton) is the only one in town who's willing to fight for his land. Holman's thugs having burnt down his new house and knocked him around. Jeff is looking to take back what's rightfully his back but he doesn't stand a chance and his hot-headedness risks him losing his soon-to-be bride, Stella Akins (Karen Sharpe). Stella, along with most of the women in town, take an immediate liking to Clint. This is picked up by Clint's wife who gets jealous of the younger woman, who Clint says reminds him of her when she was younger and more innocent.

A quick paced western-noir that has Mitchum playing a troubled man right set to explode. Mitchum rides into town and locates his wife only to find that she wants nothing to do with him, that is unless he wants to put his guns down. He doesn't. Gunslinging is all he knows. He rids the town of most of the riff-raff then waits for their boss to show. 

**SPOILERS** In a heated discussion he finds out from his wife that their daughter died years ago from influenza and she's been keeping it a secret, punishing herself over it. Mitchum's rage boils over and he darts out the room. He walks over to Dade Holman's saloon and coaxes the crooked manager into a fight, killing him, then sets the building ablaze, risking the whole town of burning down.

He stands aside sweating, in awe of the fire as the townsfolk rush to wet down the nearby buildings.

There are several un-credited cameos by bit players. A young Angie Dickinson can be seen in the group of dancing girls and Claude Akins is one of Holman's gang who tries to shoot Mitchum with a gun hidden in is hat. Directed by Richard Wilson, a protégé of Orson Welles, and shot in glorious black and white. The film fits in nicely with Mitchum's other noir-like westerns: BLOOD ON THE MOON and PURSUED. All three are worth seeking out for fans of noir and adult westerns of the 1940's and 50's.

 

Track of the Cat (1954)

Directed by William A. Wellman - starring Robert Mitchum, Tab Hunter, Beulah Bondi, Philip Tonge and Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer

Robert Mitchum plays a ranch owner who bullies his family and constantly belittles his younger brother in front of his bride-to-be. His mother is an overtly religious zealot and his father drinks the days away. It's winter and a big cat is killing the family's livestock. Is it the feared black 'painter' (panther) that the family has built up to mythical proportions?

Shot on sets with a limited color palette to appear monochrome with a few splashes of isolated color, such as Mitchum's bright red coat, the visual experiment is mostly a success. A bigger success is the story and acting which plays out like a chamber drama of one family's power play. Mitchum is a terrific jerk, he just leaves you in awe of his pig-headedness. Beulah Bondi is just as intense with her constant bible guilt and judgments. Tab Hunter is cool but slightly unsure as the young son who's sort of ready to take the next steps into manhood. Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer is completely unrecognizable under old age make-up as Joe Sam, the 100+ year old Indian friend of the family.

Second unit location footage has Mitchum battling the black 'painter', and himself, among an awesomely snowy mountain forest. Mitchum is crazed as he hunts the killer cat and all too sure of himself as it's would be destroyer. A wonderful movie that perfectly captures the emotional family dynamic and the highs and lows therein.