DRAGOON WELLS MASSACRE

US, 1957, 88 minutes, Colour.
Dennis O’ Keefe, Barry Sullivan, Mona Freeman, Katie Jurado, Sebastian Cabot, Jack Elam.
Directed by Harold Schuster.

Dragoon Wells Massacre is a standard western of the 1950s, the kind that was made frequently at Universal Studios and was part of a double bill.

This film shows a group stranded in the Arizona Desert, pursued by renegade Apaches. A gunrunner is with them. The focus is on a cavalry leader, played by Dennis O’ Keefe, and two thieves played by Barry Sullivan and Jack Elam (Jack Elam having a much more sympathetic role in this film). Mona Freeman is not the sweet little miss stranded in the desert. She is quite fiery, prejudiced, flirtatious. Katie Jurado also appears as a Mexican woman. Sebastian Cabot is the villain.

Harold Schuster edited the classic Sunrise and made a number of genre films including Wings of the Morning and My Friend Flicka before moving into television.

1.The popularity of this kind of western? In the 50s? Now?

2.Arizona locations, the desert, the mountains? The Roger Wagner Chorale and the musical score?

3.The title, the clash between Indians and whites? Prejudice? Gunrunners? Sellers of whiskey? Renegade Indians? The forts?

4.The group of characters: the variation on Stage Coach – Captain Riordan, his being wounded in the Indian attack, his leadership? Link and Tioga, prisoners, going before the hanging judge? Ann and Phillip, travelling to the east? Mara Fay and her travelling in the west? Jonah as the gunrunner? The marshal, the sheriff? The Indian guide? The interaction between them? How well delineated were their characters?

5.The Indians, the raids, their being shot? Yellow Cloud as chief, wanting the guns, letting Jonah live? The stalking of the group? The pursuits, deaths?

6.The massacre of the soldiers? Captain Riordan and his relationship with Ann? Her travelling with Phillip to the east? His seeing how self-centred she was? His leadership qualities?

7.Link, sardonic, gambler, winning? His telling Ann the truth? His going out but being captured by the Indians? The bargain for his life?

8.Ann and Phillip, Phillip seeing through her, her wanting a wealthy husband, flirting with Link, discussions with Riordan, the fights with Mara? Her prejudice against the Indians? Her having to learn?

9.Tioga, considering himself ugly, his stories about himself? The rescue of the little girl, his wanting to give the gift to Ann, her misunderstanding, saving the little girl from the Indian, his being misjudged? His death, the gift? A sympathetic character?

10.The marshal, the death of the Indian guide, the others? Anger?

11.Jonah, Indian trader, hiding the guns, killing one of the group? His being forced to drink the whiskey to save the water? His going to the Indians, the guns, his being shot by Link?

12.The fort, the dead men? The diversion for the Indians, the escape? Safety?

13.The popular ingredients for this kind of western?