Seis caballos negros

Six Black Horses is directed by Harry Keller and written by Burt Kennedy. It stars Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea and Joan O'Brien. Photography is by Maury Gertsman and the music scored by Joseph Gershenson. It's filmed in Eastmancolor and location for the shoot is St. George, Utah, USA. Plot sees Murphy and Duryea hired by O'Brien to take her across dangerous Indian country to her husband. But are ulterior motives at work?.

There's no getting away from it, this film has striking similarities to the far superior "Budd Boetticher/Randy Scott" movie, "Ride Lonesome". Also scripted by Burt Kennedy, the plot follows the same format and Kennedy even scripts some of the same dialogue. While the keen Western fan will note the name of Murphy's character, Ben Lane, was also used for a character in "Boetticher's Comanche Station". So far so regurgitated then, but although it goes without saying that to watch this piece in conjunction with "Ride Lonseome" is a futile exercise, this does have enough about it to warrant a viewing on its own terms one Sunday afternoon.

It's a professional and well put together movie, Murphy and Duryea (the latter owning the film from the second he turns up on his horse, shotgun in hands) aren't asked to extend themselves but still make an engaging duo (see also their pairing in "James Stewart" starrer "Night Passage 1957"). While O'Brien ("The Comancheros") is gorgeous and does a nice line in sultry devious. Editor turned director Keller does a competent job, his action construction solid if somewhat hamstrung by the odd daft moment involving the Coyoteros Indians. Stunt work is very good and Gershenson's ("No Name on the Bullet/Lonely Are the Brave") score is brisk and tonally correct. Bonus here is the location scenery, beautifully realised by Gertsman's ("Cattle Drive 1951") photography, the St. George craggy hills form an imposing backdrop as the protagonist's journey grows more perilous and their emotional states come under scrutiny.

Enjoyable with genuine moments of quality, even if it's ultimately the second cousin to a far better movie. 6.5/10

For two-thirds of this film I thought it was pretty good, but I ended up feeling that it had disappointed.

It did seem improbable that a very attractive woman would risk a very dangerous journey with two wanderers she didn't know, but that's Hollywood for you. It seemed a very foolhardy way of seeking revenge, and, like another reviewer, I couldn't work out what she was trying to achieve by building up the fire so that it smoked. And from her knowing smirk it was she who had loosened a horse's shoe to delay the journey. And she chose a darned funny time to try to get her revenge, during the fight in the old mission, when the trio was already out-numbered.

A nod of approval to the script-writer for putting into context the $1,000 that Kelly was offering to Ben and to Frank - three or four years' pay. But a big frown for the improbable long-distance effectiveness of Ben's revolver. (I wonder what Audie Murphy, with his WWII experience of fire-arms, thought of that.) I'm not sure what was achieved by including the dog, except to show that Ben was kind to ill-treated animals. During the chases, it looked fixed improbably securely to the pack-horse saddle.

And the ending was an anti-climax.

One of a series of interesting westerns Audie Murphy made for Universal in the 50s and 60s. As in all of these oaters, many veteran performers turn up in various roles. This one is no exception.

Dan Duryea appears in one of his patented good bad guy roles as a character called, now get this, Frank Jesse. At the beginning Murphy is almost strung up for hoss stealin' by veterans Roy Barcroft and Bob Steele. What makes this scene unique is that they attempt to hang him from a wagon tongue, a method that I haven't seen employed before or since. Also, Republic serial veterans George (Commando Cody) Wallace and stuntman Dale Van Sickel turn up briefly as various bad guys.

The story is basically two drifters (Murphy and Duryea) hired by a mysterious and gorgeous blond (Joan O'Brien), to escort her across Apache territory to meet up with her long lost husband. There are the expected Indian attacks and of course, the final showdown between Murphy and Duryea.

The film is a good western competently handled. But what I still can't figure out is who the Joan O'Brien character is trying to signal during the trek across Apache country.

I gave it an 8 for what it represents... Audy Murphy in a Saturday night shoot em up. Reminds me of my youth. Just a fun movie all around.

What I noticed first about this movie is the colors. I don't know whether it is because the Eastmancolor print aged in odd ways, whether the colors around St. George in Utah are actually those colors, or some combination of the two, but the distant hills that vary from periwinkle to lavender, the bright orange dirt and the varying blues of the sky (indicating to my mind that time passed between the two shots, despite the in-movie continuity) are startling.

It starts when Audie Murphy cuts out what he thinks is a wild horse; his own had died some time earlier. Soon enough, he is being hanged for horse rustling, only to be rescued by Dan Duryea, playing one of his quixotic gunfighters. The two of them are hired by Joan O'Brien to get them to her husband, through warring Apaches.

In other words, it's plot 2: the Anabasis, getting from point A to point B. It's also got a script by Burt Kennedy, filled with exciting situations, dark humor and homely phrases. Good pictures, good stories, good actors.