The Jackals

"Yellow Sky" (1948) was one of the better American westerns of its era. It was also one of Gregory Peck's better starring roles. So, it's a tall order to try to remake the picture, though "The Jackals" does a better job than I expected--especially since it mostly stars folks you probably won't recognize. Aside from Vincent Price (who should not have been listed first in the billing), the rest are actors we probably wouldn't recognize here in the States.

The film begins with seven crooks robbing the bank in the style of the old west--though of course it's South Africa. One is killed in the process and the others beat it across the desert--most likely to die of thirst. However, when they've given up all hope, they happen upon a ghost town that is populated by an old man (Price) and his pretty daughter. These two are not friendly towards the crooks though they do help them find water. Before leaving this little oasis, however, the crooks realize that there MUST be something keeping these two here--and that something is gold. Much of the rest of the film consists of a game of cat and mouse and unless something rather miraculous happens, the granddaughter and grandpa are doomed.

The best thing about "The Jackals" is that instead of setting the film in the same locale as the original, this time it's South Africa. Considering that they, too, had gold fever and there are potentially dangerous natives, it works well. The second best thing is the acting. Very competent and well done all around. Of course, I'd recommend the original first--but this little South African/Australian production has every reason to be proud of this effort--even if the accents were all wrong!

My main reason for seeing The Jackals was Vincent Price. And while he has given better performances before, he still gives amusement and sometimes creepiness to the role of the grizzled grandfather figure. Other redeeming qualities are the final gunfight, the most exciting and original of the fight scenes in the film, Diana Ivarson's beauty and the striking photography and scenery. There are however major debits with The Jackals, which I think outweigh the good things. The rest of the cast(particularly from tall and ruggedly handsome Robert Gunnar), and actually Ivarson is the same, are very stiff and do nothing with their cardboard characters, who are to me little more than Western cliché bookends. The violence is more at home in a network television programme from the mid-1960s, while the story is overall dull and bland as well as playing it far too safe. The dialogue, of which is very faithful to Yellow Sky, word-for-word often actually, because of the blandness of the pacing and story seemed very wordy and stilted here. While the score is really out-of-place, it is difficult to take seriously a jazzy xylophone-like score that adds nothing to the mood in a Western. Overall, has some bright spots like Price and the scenery but because of the story, the rest of the acting and the music especially The Jackals did little for me. 4/10 Bethany Cox

In what is probably the only entry in the category of 'voortrekker' westerns, Vincent Price plays a gold miner whose haul is the target of five bank robbers. Love interest is provided by the oddly effective Diana Ivarson (who apparently never made another film) as Price's granddaughter. It's all enjoyable if somewhat disconcerting due to the British and Afrikaaner accents of the leading players who are also decked out in typical 'western' garb. A fun diversion.

In rugged South Africa, scavengers arrive from a US-styled western. The group's laconic leader is tall Robert Gunner (as Roger "Stretch" Hawkins). Mr. Gunner has a great name for westerns. He and his men find local blonde Diana Ivarson (as Wilhemina "Willie" Decker) attractive. She has a natural sway in her hips. Gunner kisses Ms. Ivarson roughly and you know they are falling in love. Her grandfather is prospector Vincent Price (as Oupa Decker). He is amusing. This is an anachronistic and unnecessary re-make of "Yellow Sky" (1948), which was an adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" (1623).

*** The Jackals (11/67) Robert D. Webb ~ Robert Gunner, Diana Ivarson, Vincent Price, Patrick Mynhardt

Remake of Yellow Sky set in South Africa. Vincent Price gets top billing as the only star in the movie, but his role is not the biggest. The plot is about seven bank robbers who happen upon a ghost town. The only people in the town are gold prospector Price and his daughter (Diana Ivarson). Vincent Price is generally worth recommending any movie for and he's the best thing about this one. Robert Gunner plays the Gregory Peck role from the original as the bandit who falls in love with the daughter. Gunner is OK but no Peck, to put it politely. Blonde beauty Ivarson makes for an unconvincing tomboy. Moving the setting to South Africa is the film's only original feature. I fail to see why they even bothered to do this as it adds nothing to an otherwise typical western. Dull movie.