Flaming Star **** (1960, Elvis Presley, Barbara Eden, Steve Forrest, John McIntire, Dolores Del Rio) – Classic Movie Review 1359

Director Don Siegel’s effective 1960 widescreen, colour Western stars an impressive Elvis Presley in a non-musical role.

When a neighbouring family is massacred, Pacer Burton (Presley), offspring of white father Sam Burton (John McIntire) and Indian mother Neddy (Dolores Del Rio), is hopelessly trapped by his divided loyalties.  As a struggle starts between the whites and the Kiowa Indians, the Burton family is split. When Pacer sides with the Indians, his half-brother Clint (Steve Forrest) sides with the whites.

Unexpectedly, Presley is on his best acting form here, even if he is very oddly cast as a mixed-race Native American forced to show his true allegiance as his tribe attack the White Man.

Cult director Siegel shoots a tense, busy, atmospheric Western with lots happening and no one singing once the opening reel is over. Clair Huffaker and Nunnally Johnson’s screenplay is very workmanlike and Elvis is quietly compelling under loads of makeup in a unique outing for him.

It also stars Barbara Eden, Rodolfo Acosta, Karl Swenson, Ford Rainey, Richard Jaeckel, Anne Benton, L Q Jones as Tom Howard, Douglas Dick, Tom Reese, Ray Beltran, Perry Lopez and Virginia Christine.

It is shot in colour by Charles G Clarke, produced by David Weisbart and scored by Cyril J Mockridge.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1359

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