THE BURNING HILLS
US, 1956, 88 minutes, Colour.
Natalie Wood, Tab Hunter, Earl Holliman, Claude Akins.
Directed by Stuart Heisler.
The Burning Hills is a pleasingly interesting western of the mid '50s. Directed by veteran Stuart Heisler, from a screenplay by Irving Wallace from a novel by Louis Lamour, it was an early Warner Bros. Cinemascope western. It also featured young stars Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood who also appeared in The Girl He Left Behind. Hunter was popular at Warner Bros. at this period (The Sea Chase, Damn Yankees) as was Natalie Wood (Rebel Without a Cause, The Searchers). Earl Holliman and Claude Akins have roles as villains. The film has a revenge theme, conventional enough but quite well done.
1. The popularity of westerns? The appeal? The successful use of conventions, mysterious killings, rich landowners, vengeance, Mexicans helping whites, violent confrontations?
2. The qualities of 50s production: Cinemascope, colour photography, use of locations? Action sequences? The musical score?
3. Louis L'Amour and the popularity of his westerns? Adaptation by Irving Wallace and his reputation as a writer?
4. The opening situation of the killing, the mystery, the vengeance of Trace Jordan, themes of greed and power. violence and sadism on the part of the Suttons, racism. law and justice?
5. Tab Hunter’s style as Trace Jordan? Strength, investigation in the town. reaction to his brother's death. the confrontation with Sutton and shooting him, surviving after being shot, being carried by his horse through the hills, the encounter with Maria and her help, her hiding him in the mine. the escape through the back of the mine, the camp and the concealing of tracks, the pursuit, the fight? the melodramatics of cliffs and river? His being vindicated? Hero? Western type?
6. The evil of the Suttons: their greed, wealthy cattlemen. coveting the land? The tough style of the men? The macho images? The tormenting of Maria in the town? Ben and his loyalty? accusations of being soft, his confronting Jack. his death? The group and their following the leader? Jack and his evil, malice, cruelty? Old Sutton and the shooting. surviving. his rage? The gang pursuing Trace and Maria? Their fights, tracking. drinking? Their prejudice towards the guide?
7. Jack as mean and violent, torturing, the confrontation after the poisoning, his death?
8. Maria, her parents, their deaths, her brother and her uncle, racial prejudice, tough and surviving, the sheep, helping Trace, hiding him in the mine, the abuse of the men, drugging the coffee, the truth and the escape, falling in love? A lively heroine?
9. The tracker Jacob Lantz and his mixed race? His being humiliated? His skill in tracking? His warning to Trace and not shooting him?
10. A picture of the West: reality, contrived? Human rights, law, justice? Heroism? The West and the American heritage?
