BLACK HORSE CANYON

US, 1954, 81 minutes, Colour.
Joel McCrea?, Mari Blanchard.
Directed by Jesse Hibbs.

Black Horse Canyon is one of the many Universal-International? westerns of the '50s. B-budget, with regular stars (the equivalent of later television series) and made as supporting features, they nevertheless captured the essence of westerns - and seemed much more entertaining and relevant than so many of the more serious dramas of the time. Joel McCrea? is at home in this kind of western. Mari Blanchard was one of the starlets at Universal at the time. There is beautiful colour photography, excellent scenes of horses - and a fairly gentle western. Direction is by Jesse Hibbs, the director of many such films in the '50s, especially with Audie Murphy.

1. An entertaining western of the '50s? The continued impact of the western? The American heritage, the opening up of the West, horses, the personalities, the clashes, the making of themselves?

2. Colour photography, scenery, action? Musical score?

3. The use of western conventions? The material seen a hundred times before - but how well presented in this case?

4. The basic plot: the older man and the bonding with the younger man, the father figure, the son figure - and the quality of relationships in the West? Their wanting to make something of themselves? The work with the horses? The encounter with Jennings and his violence and harshness? With Aldis and helping her? The clashes, the love, the images of men and women in the West? The taming of the horse, of the land?

5. Joel McCrea? as Rock? His bonding with Ti? Making his decisions for him, bringing him up? Hopes as he got older? The seeking out of the stallion, the mares? Skill in rounding them up? The encounter with Jennings and the violence? The sheriff's benevolence? Aldis' help? The rounding up of the stallion? The sabotage by Jennings? The breaking-in of the horse? Ti falling in love, Rock's seeming to betray him? Their joining together to fight Jennings? The happy ending and marriage?

6. Aldis as a strong heroine of the West? Determination. ownership of the horse, joining forces. spurning Jennings, attracted to Rock. kindly towards TI? Doc and her friends? The sheriff? The household? Participation in the capture of the horse, climbing the cliff, lassoing etc.? The need for help? Ti's making a fool of himself? The happy ending and romance?

7. Ti as the young man of the West, inexperienced, standing on his own feet, attracted towards Aldis, making a fool of himself? Bond with Rock - wanting to assert himself? on guard. the violence of Jennings, trying to break in the horse. showing off? The fall? The fight - and the reconciliation? Juanita paying court to him?

8. Jennings and his group as typical villains.