Flechas incendiarias

The use of stock footage and uninspired acting and direction make this a very slow, routine western effort. Despite the cast (Hayden, Larson) this one is just too predictable to suffer through. And yet, in spite of it's failings, it often appears on TV while better efforts rot in a can somewhere. Go figure.

I enjoy Sterling Hayden and his gritty and realistic acting style. So, I thought I'd give this one a try even though both reviews for this on IMDb are really poor. I hoped they're wrong and it was worth my time.

Hayden plays a guy named Bart Laish. When the film begins, you learn that Bart is a deserter from the Cavalry and is hiding out west. However, as fate would have it, he comes upon a group of dying soldiers that were attacked by Indians. The dying leader just happens to be Bart's cousin and begs Bart to take his place and assume command of the rest of his outfit--which is a few miles away from this massacre! And, the deserter DOES!!! Later, after proving himself against wave after wave of faceless and stupid natives (who seem to just ride by hoping to get shot), all is forgiven with the US Cavalry and Bart is once again allowed to legally wear the uniform. Talk about impossible and ridiculous! In addition to a ridiculous plot and faceless Indians, it's also one of Hayden's relatively flat performances. I guess the other two were right after all....

By the way, in one scene it's supposed to be at night but it appears to be daylight! Huh?!

Army deserter Bart Laish (Sterling Hayden) is trying to escape pursuing soldiers and catch a wagon train to Oregon. After losing his pursuers, he encounters some destroyed wagons and an Army camp devastated by Indians. He is challenged by a dying former comrade if he still has some good in him. He decides to impersonate his dead comrade and save the wagon train from impending Indian attacks.

The story is simply written. It's broadly acted. It's redemption for the cowardly act of desertion. Indians are bad. It's a B-western. It does put in some good location shoots. The action is not the best but there is a good amount of it. There is a lot of riding horses and big landscapes. The fighting can be a bit old fashion. Bart's tactics are supposed to be superior but I don't see it. It's about half and half. It's fine for a B-western.

With the Indians about to attack a wagon train, deserter Bart Laish is torn between warning the cavalry or remaining on the run with many lives on his conscience - but then a daring though much more dangerous course occurs to him.

An efficiently made B-western finds Sterling Hayden looking broody and acting angsty and suitably conflicted over running for the hills or warning the wagon train of impending attack. It has a redemptive type of storyline and it's done well with plenty of skirmishes, well-staged action and exciting moments in the backdrop of great location. Of course, there's stock footage, a dummy thrown over the cliff and the formula is working like clockwork, however that's minor criticisms. Personally, I have always enjoyed this good b-western, which delivers that neat 80 min of action, but I also found the story quite thoughtful, and the acting - even Sterling Hayden who I'm not too keen on - quite satisfactory.

Arrow in the Dust is directed by Lesley Selander and adapted to screenplay by Don Martin from the L. L. Foreman novel. It stars Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Keith Larson, Tom Tully and Tudour Owen. Music is by Marlin Skiles and Technicolor cinematography by Ells W. Carter.

Bart Laish (Hayden) is an army deserter, a gambler and a killer, but soon he is going to get a shot at redemption...

It's all very formulaic in plotting, yet there's some thought gone into the screenplay, whilst Selander wastes no chances to keep things brisk by inserting another finely constructed action sequence. Laish (a typically robust Hayden) finds himself in command of a wagon train, with soldiers and civilians, all now looking to him to stave off the wave after wave of Indian attacks, which interestingly sees the Pawnee and the Apache teaming up.

Naturally there's trouble in the camp, not only via some suspicious business men whose motives will reveal a key narrative thrust, but also by way of Gray's Christella Burke. She wanders in from some Estée Lauder advertisement (we don't care, we love 50s Westerns!), and pulses quicken for protagonist and viewers alike. Thematically the narrative is honourable, with decent amounts of angst and tortured heroics. There's some nifty war tactics, plenty of splendid gun play, and of course there's a human redemptive beat pulsing away - just begging to be found?

There's the usual "B" Western issues, such as weakly choreographed fighting between man versus man, dummies being flung over cliffs, and some average acting in support slots (not Lee Van Cleef, though, who is pottering around with menace). However, the Burro Flats location filming is beautifully photographed - in sync with Skiles' genre compliant score, while Hayden does enjoyable stern backed machismo, which plays off of Gray's sensuality perfectly, and Tully does grizzle to actually provide the film's best performance.

One for fans of this era of Western genre film making. Not a waste of time. Good show. 6.5/10