THE WALKING HILLS
US, 1949, 78 minutes, Black and white.
Randolph Scott, Ella Raines, William Bishop, Edgar Buchanan, Arthur Kennedy, John Ireland, Jerome Courtland, Josh White.
Directed by John Sturges.
In 1948, John Huston made The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. In 1949, there was a drama with Glenn Ford and Ida Lupino, Lust for Gold. 1949 also saw this film, again a drama about searching for gold.
The title refers to the sand dunes in Death Valley and their continuing shifting with the winds. A young man says that he saw signs of wagons in the dunes and members of the card game decide that they will secretly go out to search for wagons that were carrying gold lost in the 19th century.
The group is led by Randolph Scott, appearing in what could be called a contemporary western rather than period films, of which made several in 1949. Ella Raines plays his former girlfriend, works in the town and sees a season of the boyfriend, Dave, William Bishop, who is being pursued by a detective, John Ireland. Also in the group is Arthur Kennedy as well as Josh White, the blues singer who has several songs during the film.
The film shows the struggle to find the gold under the sand, the struggles amongst the group themselves, the fact of the detective and the young man who thinks he is being pursued as well is the older man who is actually being pursued.
The main feature of the film is the fierce sandstorm which runs for several minutes, spectacular in its way, involving the audience in the difficulties of the gold seekers.
The film is one of the earliest from director John Sturges who, after a number of short films, made Bad Day at Black Rock and then went on to significant westerns like The Gunfight at the OK Corral and, then, The Magnificent Seven.
1. A contemporary western of the 1940s? The Mexican- American border? The film shot in Death Valley? Streets, shops, hotels, card games? The scene moving out into the border desert, the sand dunes, the search for gold, difficulties with the horses, the sandstorm? Musical score?
2. The title, describing the hills and the wind blowing them into different shapes, burying all traces?
3. The opening, the detective, talking with the man who commissioned him, trying to ignore him – and the later interventions as he used mirror and sun to convey messages? The arrival of Dave, looking in the window at Christie, the response, his going through the Mexican border? The card game? His becoming involved?
4. The members of the game, Jim and his leadership, Josh and his singing? The other men, Johnny and his telling the story, the old man and his memories, telling the story of the lost gold?
5. The decision to go, immediately, secretly, packing up, finding the site, Christy and her joining them?
6. The men amongst themselves, suspicions, arguments, work, Sentry?
7. The detective, his antagonism, signalling his employer, the clashes and fights, the fight with Johnny, Johnny and his injuries, the decision not to go for a doctor? His talking to Jim, thinking he was being pursued, not wanting any help? His death?
8. Dave, working, the flashbacks of his story, the card game, the shooting? His escape? Pursued? Love for Christy? Involved in the digging, the clashes? His finally going to surrender himself?
9. Christie, tough, rodeo riding, with Jim, their break, with Dave, talking with him? Pleading for Johnny and the doctor? The horses?
10. The Indian, with the horses, waiting for Jim’s signal?
11. The wind storm, the sand, everyone trying to cope, the horses? The impact of the storm scene?
12. The aftermath, the old man and his lies, finding a bag of money, Dave giving himself up, the detective going back to work, Jim and Christie going back to
town?
13. A variation on the lust for gold?
