INSP TV is adding The High Chaparral to its stable of shows, and kicking things off with a marathon on September 15. This has me thinking about Cameron Mitchell, who played Buck Cannon throughout the show’s run.
Mitchell had a pretty incredible career, beginning with offers to pitch for the major leagues — which he turned down to pursue acting — and serving as an Air Force bombardier in World War II. He played Happy Loman in Death Of A Salesman both on Broadway and film. Then there’s his film credits: John Ford’s They Were Expendable (1945), Command Decision (1947), House Of Bamboo (1955), Monkey On My Back (1957). Ride In The Whirlwind (1966, a great film) — even the voice of Christ in The Robe (1953).
He was very visible in 50s Westerns, too. Man In The Saddle (1951), Powder River (1953), Garden Of Evil (1954) and Tension At Table Rock (1956, above with Richard Egan), to name a few. Then came a busy period in Europe that resulted in Mario Bava’s Blood And Black Lace (1964), Minnesota Clay (1964) and Knives Of The Avenger (1966), among others.
But it’s probably The High Chaparral (1967-1971) for which he’s best known.
He did some really terrible horror films in the 70s and 80s — The Toolbox Murders (1978) is atrocious — and he worked steadily on TV. (Name a show, and there’s a good chance he was on it at least once.) What always struck me was that he never seemed to walk through a part. He was too professional for that, the perfect example of a working actor. And while it sometimes seems beside the point, he was good. And quite often, as in Ride In The Whirlwind or The High Chaparral, he was excellent.
Just recently got done watching the whole series, one odd thing, the character of the son of John Cannon (Leif Erickson) disappears the last year of the show. He was in it all up until then. They make one mention that he’s gone off to college, after than he’s never heard or spoken of again. Typical of the way TV treated regular characters who for one reason or another left the series. Cameron Mitchell certainly was good in High Chaparral, always sincere and real in his role, even when he was hamming it up being frequently rowdy and funny. He sort of played the irresponsible brother who was more interested in fun than John. I saw him not too long ago in Brava’s Blood & Black Lace, he had the starring hero’s role in that odd film. And you do spot him in his younger days in westerns of the ’50’s. He was also in a McMillan & Wife, I think.
Nice post! Love seeing the positive comments on one of my favorite TV Westerns today. There’s a nice post over at the blog Noir & Chick Flicks which includes a commercial for the September 15th marathon.
Mitchell was great on the show as the irrespressible Uncle Buck, a good counterpoint to his ultra-serious brother, Big John.
Best wishes,
Laura
PS Yes, I can spell, that should say irrepressible above! (Grin)
Laura
Off topic: I see Amazon.de has the Randolph Scott film FIGHTING MAN OF THE PLAINS available on DVD region 2. Anyone know anything about it?
I did finally get the color “Fighting Man…” in. I checked it, it is from a film print, the movie on DVD is pretty dark, it’s also kind of green which you can correct with your color hue control, the opening credits look great, I think they look better than the movie. But it is nice to see it in color, you will have to turn up the brightness too. It’s not the answer to a prayer, but it is nice in color.
Mike,
There is a LOT about FIGHTING MAN OF THE PLAINS at the tail end
of the epic Rory Calhoun thread.
It is being released in Germany on Monday (20th) and there are screen
grabs on Amazon.de and on the website of the company releasing it.
Sadly it is the black and white version but the screengrabs look pretty
good.See the Rory thread for more info.
Cover art looks pretty good too. They say it is the uncut version and
DVD includes a trailer too!
Beware though; Amazon.de has the reputedly dreadful Spanish version
listed so please check before making a purchase.
Has anyone out there noticed that Amazon USA has a sale on the
MGM MODs at the moment;$10.99 a title.
Also the recent Fox MODs are also offered at this reduced price;no
doubt because of all the bad press they have received
Titles that I can recommend as far as picture quality goes;also the
films are good too!
FORT DEFIANCE
FORT YUMA
WAR PAINT
SOUTHWEST PASSAGE
WAR DRUMS
THE BRASS LEGEND
TOP GUN
THE IRON SHERIFF
All the above are 4 x 3
The following are all widescreen presentations:
QUINCANNON FRONTIER SCOUT
ROBBERS ROOST
THE BROKEN STAR
FORT BOWIE
FORT MASSACRE
There are of course other Westerns in the series but these are the
ones I have seen and think are pretty darn good.
ROBBERS ROOST in particular is a lovely transfer.
I would say with MGM/FOX going down the bargain basement route
does this bode well for future releases?
I think most of us agree that this is what they should have charged
for them in the first place!
Nice post – good to see Mitchell getting some love, and THE HIGH CHAPARRAL is a good series. He’s also good as Clark Gable’s hotheaded brother in THE TALL MEN, one of my favorite 50s westerns.
I agree with Jeff about THE TALL MEN. Both this one and GARDEN OF EVIL rank high for me among 50s Westerns. Cameron Mitchell was very good through this whole Fox period, and remained good later even when many of the movies were so much less.
Still, it is perhaps in the later RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND that Mitchell gave his best performance, so Toby, thanks for good words for that–one of the relatively rare exceptional Westerns in that traumatic mid-60s period, as Monte Hellman’s THE SHOOTING, which he shot back to back with WHIRLWIND, also is.
And, Cameron in HOMBRE was a good role. He did very well in that film and certainly made the viewer believe he was a burned-out small-town sheriff who was fed up. That film is a great film and part of the credit should go to Cameron Mitchell.