The McMasters

This obscure and downbeat Western deals with Benjie (Brock Peters who was introduced in the classic film To Kill a Mockingbird), a black man who fought in the Civil War in the Union side, he goes back to the southern town of Ironside, his return is not exactly a welcome one. The villagers are already uptight about the color of his skin...but the fact that he fought for the Union Army and still wears his uniform is all that is needed for hatred and violence to be fanned by an ex-Confederate soldier named Colby (Jack Palance of City slickers) . Benjie's one true friend results to be Neal McMasters (Burl Ives of The cat on the hot tin roof), the rancher who raised Benjie and is now offering him a half-share in the McMasters land. As Benjie attempts to make his new home, he helps some starving Indians and finds himself the owner of an Indian woman (Nancy Kwan of The World of Suzie Wong) who eventually becomes his wife. He also uses Indians to help with the round-up. But things go wrong, enemies come gunning for him and his Indian wife. Events come to a violent turn when Colby's hatred launches a reign of anger that brings vengeance and destruction. He bought white man's land and a red man's squaw! No black man has enough money to buy himself out of the trouble he's in now!. In 1865 there was nothing more dangerous than a black man living with a red woman on white man's land!.After the wedding... they were given a real fine reception.

A depressing and disagreeable Western about an unusual white-black-red triangle in the phenomenon of social prejudice. The main subject matter of the film is the envy and vendetta that emerge from the citizens when a black Civil War veteran becomes co-owner of the southern McMasters ranch. Furthermore, concerning the incensed local Confederate veterans and their confrontation with the good black ex-soldier and his Indian companions. Main interpretations are acceptable, Brock Peters as the unfortunate black man who seeks peace and justice, the always great Burl Ives as fatty owner and the Hong Kong-born Nancy Kwan as the distraught Indian. They're very well accompanied by a good cast with plenty of familiar faces, such as: David Carradine, Jack Palance, John Carradine, L. Q. Jones, R. G. Armstrong, Alan Vint, Dane Clark, among others.

The motion picture was mediocrely directed by Alf Kjellin (1920-1988). He was an Swedish director who even collaborated with the prestigious Ingmar Bergman, Erland Josephson, Vilgot Sjöman in their local country with films as The Pleasure Garden and Siska. He emigrated to USA where made a few movies as Midas Run, The McMasters, but finally working on television as episode director of popular series, such as: Mannix, Hotel, Dynasty, Planet of the Apes, Barnaby Jones, The Walton, The Fantastic Journey, Gunsmoke, Little House on the Prairie, Columbo, Hawai 5-0. And usually playing secondary roles, and being most familiar to modern audiences as the Russian paratroop commander in Ice Polar Station Zebra (1968). Rating: 4.5/10. This average picture is only for hardcore Western aficionados and completists.

The title for this flick is a connotation, and the McMasters is a riveting Western if I ever saw one! Wow hard core to say the least, but the film was professional from Cast Extras to the Director of this post civil war drama. This Western would be way out in outer space by today's standards for "Political Correctness". I respect the harsh intones that are portrayed for record of what some men really were like at that time. Nudity and worse are part of the action, not to mention language that is intolerable in today's public. Barbarism is pervasive throughout this action packed thriller. Jack Palance as always performed wonderfully, but Burl Ives's immortal abilities carries this movie in support of Brock Peters. Actions and words in this movie shook and shocked me, but not by the actions and words in of themselves, but by the ingenious ways in which they were introduced into this masterpiece. The quality technicalities of this film on DVD were good, color, etc.

'The McMasters' is yet another film that stands as a testament to the changing values of North American society: another case of "There's no way that could have been made today".

Brock Peters plays Benji, a former slave and Civil War veteran who is adopted by kindly-old-white-man Burl Ives ('Mcmasters'), and given title to the old man's farm. Conflict with the racist locals, led by the chilling Jack Palance as Kolby, ensues, leading to a violent conclusion.

To me the film was almost painfully riveting, and frank in its depictions of violence and racism.The violence in today's action films is highly stylized, and almost glamorous by comparison: today's post-Star-Wars escapist fare has no place for the smallest depiction or frank discussion of racism. I found myself getting involved with the characters, cheering them on and yelling advice to the screen. I also loved the western/blacksploitation angle of the film, even though the "showdown" plot is pretty standard western fare.

The film seems old-fashioned when viewed today: does that mean that society has progressed, or regressed since 1969? You be the judge.

The McMasters is a serious western that does deal with serious issues that may not be appropriate for kids. Set after the Civil War, an African American named Benji is shunned by the townsfolk of Ironside for not only the color of his skin, but because he was part of the Union Army. However, one man, Neal McMasters (played by the legendary Burl Ives), a rancher, is the only man who gives him respect, even to the point where he makes Benji his partner and offers him 50% of the ranch. However, after Benji helps a starving tribe of Indians, which leads to one of the females becoming his wife, it would spark violence by the hands of Colby, an ex-Confederate soldier.

This is a western that is not for kids or those who are easily offended by scenes of prejudice, as the film tackles this subject. Burl Ives does a good job in his role of Neil McMasters, and story is good. This is one I recommend checking out, but only when the kids are in bed.

It seems that there were two ending versions for this movie. I was unlucky because I saw the smooth version, not the harsh one, as I expected to, especially for this period, early seventies, not for the squeamish. This western is gritty and brutal, I agree, and Jack Palance provides a performance close to the one he had in Mike Winner's CHATO'SLAND; a former Civil War officer who, once back home after the war, lead a posse against the hero. Brock Peters pulls here one of his best performances ever, so Burl Ives.