Tumbleweed *** (1953, Audie Murphy, Lori Nelson, Chill Wills) – Classic Movie Review 9098

Director Nathan Juran’s enjoyable, good little 1953 Western movie Tumbleweed stars Audie Murphy as Jim Harvey, who is taken on as the protector of a wagon train going to California when he leaves while it is attacked by Native Americans and the settlers are almost all wiped out.

Murphy is on fine form as he escapes the town jail and sets out to show that he is not a coward and was not deserting when the train was under attack. [He was off trying to talk the Yaqui Indian chief Aguila (Ralph Moody) into backing off.]

It is neatly scripted by John Meredyth Lucas from the 1937 novel Three Were Renegades by Kenneth Perkins, while Ross Hunter’s production, Bernard Herzbrun’s art direction and Russell Metty’s Technicolor photography also help to ensure a superior movie.

There is a very good support cast too: Lori Nelson Chill Wills, Roy Roberts, Russell Johnson, K T Stevens, Madge Meredith, Lee Van Cleef, I Stanford Jolley, Ross Elliott, Ralph Moody, Eugene Iglesias, Phil Chambers, Lyle Talbot, King Donovan and Harry Harvey.

Tumbleweed is directed by Nathan Juran, runs 79 minutes, is made by Universal International Pictures, released by Universal, is written by John Meredyth Lucas, based on the novel Three Were Renegades by Kenneth Perkins, is shot in Technicolor by Russell Metty, is produced by Ross Hunter, is scored by Milton Rosen and Herman Stein, and is designed by Bernard Herzbrun and Richard H Riedel.

To explain the title, Tumbleweed is the name of the horse Murphy acquires half way.

The novel had previously been used for Relentless (1948).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9098

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