Directed by Fred F. Sears
Starring Bill Williams, Richard Jaeckel, Alex Montoya, Movita, Adelle August, Tex Ritter, Ray Corrigan, Ray Teal, Don C. Harvey, James Griffith
I’m on a bit of a Fred F. Sears kick these days, and I’m preparing a post on his Apache Ambush (1955). Turns out it’s on Encore Westerns this Saturday, February 7 at 10:50AM.
Thanks for the tip, Blake.
I wish I had access to these kinds of TV channels.
I don’t get it either. And while I surely wish I did, it would turn me into such a slug — so it’s for the best that I just tell other people to watch it.
I do have the channel and it’s wonderful to watch these movies without commercials – what I generally do is record it to my DVR – this way whenever I’m in the mood I select one of the movies to watch – this weekend it’s either going to be one of two I have never seen Backlash – Widmark/Donna Reed or The Raw Edge with Calhoun/Cordray (if memory serves). Nice way to make it though a snowstorm.
check youtube movie is posted get a downloader as well to watch later
I made it a Western double feature last night. First APACHE AMBUSH, at first I didn’t recall it, then realized I saw it about a year or so ago. Didn’t remember it till the sappy scene where the crowd mills around aimlessly saying Elmer Fudd like: “I just don’t understand it. We looked everywhere and we just can’t find it.” Or words to that effect, the same exact recording of that line is repeated several times. I just remember thinking that scene was ridiculous the first time I saw it, and my opinion is only confirmed after a 2nd viewing. Also then remembered the end scenes with Richard Jaeckel, he was good in this movie. He usually plays a bad guy, I’ve seen him as good guy too, anyway in this one he’s mainly a stubborn angry sort of baddish guy. Forrest Lewis, who I always think of as Peevy in the TV version of my favorite radio show, THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE, played Jaeckel’s father and was quite good in a dramatic role for a change. Our favorite, James Griffith was an excellent Abraham Lincoln in at the beginning of the movie. But he didn’t last long as he was going to Ford’s Theater right after the scene he was in.
It was a nice little cheapie movie that would have improved in color as there were many outdoor scenes with great scenery everywhere. Also noted numerous stock footage scenes of cattle and buffalo stampedes perhaps from the 1930’s, maybe that’s why they chose b/w to match up with the stock film. But it was a good little western, have no overwhelming complaints other than I’ve certainly seen better westerns.
Then I saw “Young Jesse James”. If I thought APACHE AMBUSH was a cheapie, YOUNG JESSE JAMES was an ultra cheapie but it had a good if not overly dramatic story. It was filled with mostly bad actors reciting their lines EXCEPT Willard Parker as Cole Younger was excellent, you believed he was real. Also Merry Anders as Belle Starr was very attractive in her role, believable and alluring to boot. Ray Strickland in the title role was the weakest point. I thought he over-acted and played the sensitive bit to the point of being sickening. It was another real b/w cheapie but a passable enough western for the few good actors that were in it. (Personally I’ve seen plenty of TV westerns that far exceeded this thing.) Watch it if you want, or spend an hour with a b/w Gunsmoke or Rawhide and you’ll wind up happier.
All this talk recently of Columbia programmers and Fred F sears,
lead me to run a double bill the other night.
I agree with Johnny APACHE AMBUSH is OK,nothing more.
Never seen YOUNG JESSE JAMES but would sure like too,.
My Columbia Rory Calhoun double bill comprised firstly UTAH BLAINE,
directed by Sears. It’s one of his better Westerns a solid oater with
Rory pitched against nasty Ray Teal and his crew. Susan Cummings
was good as well,I wish she had made more Westerns.
This was Rory’s only film for Sam Katzman BTW.
Much better was THE DOMINO KID directed by Ray Nazarro a triumph
of style over content if ever there was one!
It’s the sort of film where in a somewhat leisurely first five minutes we
get two great shootouts. Very arty camera angles and direction and
a whole host of great Western character actors in tiny roles,including
James Griffith. Recommended.
I like western double feature nights. The westerns are usually fairly short so it’s easy to get 2 in a night.
Your Rory Calhoun double feature sounds good, I may duplicate your film choices next time I have a western movie night. You’ve inspired me to see Rory, especially now that as of a couple weeks ago I finished up with the last episode of THE TEXAN tv series weekly viewing. I miss Rory and a double feature would be just the thing.