Against a Crooked Sky ** (1975, Richard Boone, Stewart Petersen, Geoffrey Land, Jewel Blanch, Henry Wilcoxon, Gordon Hanson) – Classic Movie Review 13,066

Earl Bellamy’s 1975 acceptable little American Western film Against a Crooked Sky stars Richard Boone, Stewart Petersen and Henry Wilcoxon.

Director Earl Bellamy’s 1975 American colour Western film Against a Crooked Sky stars Richard Boone, Stewart Petersen, Henry Wilcoxon, Geoffrey Land, Jewel Blanch, and Gordon Hanson.

Against a Crooked Sky is an acceptable little Western that rings very few changes on an old stock cowboy situation, with a good star in Richard Boone as an ancient crabby Westerner who teams up with a teenage lad (Stewart Petersen) looking for his sister (Jewel Blanch) kidnapped by Indians.

Screen-writers Douglas C Stewart and Eleanor Lamb’s tale is undeniably saddle sore, and there is no one here able to disguise that, particularly Earl Bellamy and his TV-style coldly efficient direction. But Boone’s stalwart turn, Joe Jackman’s distinctive Utah cinematography and Lex de Azevedo’s score help to keep it on the trail.

It was shot in Professor Valley, Martin Ranch, Pace Creek, Castle Valley, Dud’s Bottom, Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point, and the Dolores River in Utah.

Country music singer Jewel Blanch sings the theme song ‘Against a Crooked Sky’ (Music by Lex de Azevedo, lyrics by Mac David).

The cast are Richard Boone as Russian, Stewart Petersen as Sam Sutter, Henry Wilcoxon as Cut Tongue / Narrator, Clint Ritchie as John Sutter, Shannon Farnon as Molly Sutter, Jewel Blanch as Charlotte Sutter, Brenda Venus as Ashkea, Geoffrey Land as Temkai, Gordon Hanson as Chief Shumeki, Vince St. Cyr as Cheyenne Chief Shokobob, Margaret Willey as Old Hag, Norman Walke as Milt Adams, George Dale as Bob, and Bar Killer as B’ar Killer.

Stewart Petersen quit acting in the late 1970s and in the late 1980s he formed an outfitting business with his uncle called Magic Mountains Outfitters in Cokeville, Wyoming. After his uncle retired Petersen’s son took over and changed the name to Crooked Sky Outfitters in 2019, honouring the film.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,066

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