Seminole *** (1953, Rock Hudson, Barbara Hale, Anthony Quinn, Richard Carlson, Hugh O’Brian, Russell Johnson, Lee Marvin, Ralph Moody, Fay Roope, James Best) – Classic Movie Review 10,508

‘THE GLORY AND THE FURY OF THE GREAT EVERGLADES INDIAN WARS!’

Director Budd Boetticher’s 1953 Technicolor Western film Seminole stars Rock Hudson as West Point’s finest, lieutenant Lance Caldwell, who takes up his new post in Florida and meets his old flame Revere Muldoon (Barbara Hale), who has now got the hots for Seminole Indian chief Osceola (Anthony Quinn), a situation he plans to exploit to promote peace.

Hudson is on the side of the Native Americans, helping them to escape from the burden of the aggressive, racist white men like the outpost commander, evil Major Harlan Degan (Richard Carlson).

Seminole is a well-handled, often imaginative Western from the expert Boetticher, with fine action and a many bright moments. A strong cast (also including Hugh O’Brian, Russell Johnson, Lee Marvin, Ralph Moody, Fay Roope, James Best) etches in a gappy, rather under-written screenplay that does not make the most of its potential.

Don Gibson, John Daheim [John Day], Howard Erskine, Frank Chase, Duane Thorsen, Walter Reed, Robert Karnes, Duane Grey, Charles Horvath, William Janssen, John Phillips, Robert Bray, Peter Cranwell, Robert Dane, Jack Finley, Don Garrett, Jody Hutchinson, Soledad Jiménez, Scott Lee, Dan Poore, Alex Sharpe, and Earl Spainard.

Also in the cast are Sean Hewitt, Harry Ditson, Olivier Pierre, Tracy Harper, Al Matthews, Marsha A Hunt, Angus MacInnes, Jana Shelden, Manning Redwood, Monica Buford and John Stephen Hill.

Seminole is directed by Budd Boetticher, runs 87 minutes, is made by Universal International Pictures, is released by Universal, is written by Charles K Peck Jr (story and screenplay), is shot in Technicolor by Russell Metty, is produced by Howard Christie, is scored by Henry Mancini (uncredited), Milton Rosen (uncredited) and Joseph Gershenson (musical director) and is designed by Alexander Golitzen and Emrich Nicholson, with Film Editing by Virgil W Vogel.

It is shot at Everglades National Park, Florida.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,508

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