New Mexico

Too many broken promises to the Indians, and prisoners gunned down at the orders of cavalry colonel Walter Greaza. Indian chief Ted de Corsia tells Captain Lew Ayres their friendship ended. After his men kill Greaves, it's up to Ayres to make peace or die trying.

United Artists had done its share of B westerns, of course, but the times were changing, and they were upgrading into the Shaky A western, with a fine cast including Marilyn Maxwell, Andy Devine and Jeff Corey. More, they were handling a real theme here, the theme of revenge and its futility, and doing so rather brutally and cinematically. Unhappily, the print was rather muddy, but director Irving Reis was clearly a man who was scheduled to go places. He had started out directing RKO B movies, but had had a hit with THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER; the movie after this would be the well regarded THE FOUR-POSTER. Alas, he would die in 1953 at the age of 47.

Although this film is entitled New Mexico, it certainly might have taken place in any part of our Southwest. It begins with the totally ridiculous premise that Abraham Lincoln took time out in the middle of the Civil War to visit New Mexico territory and make promises to Indian chief Ted DeCorsia that the US government would be feeding the Indians. That was really too much to swallow, anyone who has even a rudimentary knowledge of American history knows that Lincoln never got beyond 50 miles of the White House during his term of office. So when the film began with Hans Conreid as Lincoln getting out of that stagecoach I figured this one would be one ridiculous film.

It turned out to be a film that was not half bad, but could have used a lot of improvement including cutting those first six or seven minutes and some other premise used to show the disappointment of the Indians in the white man's failed promises.

In that meeting with Conreid and DeCorsia is Captain Lew Ayres who wants peaceful relations and is a man of some honor. But an ambitious colonel played by Walter Greaza and a corrupt judge played by Lloyd Corrigan turn the promises of Lincoln into dust. When Greaza is murdered by the Indians, Ayres has to go in pursuit of DeCorsia.

Circumstance places Ayres and his men along with saloon entertainer Marilyn Maxwell and Corrigan at an old mission built on a hillside where they hold off the attacking Indians. One of the troops, Raymond Burr, shoots down a young child who is DeCorsia's son giving him and additional reason to hate the army.

Jeff Corey who was having blacklist troubles got to appear in this film as a cavalry Indian scout. That this was an independent film is significant because Corey could not get work at a major studio.

New Mexico which was an independent film released by United Artists is too low budget and its characters not sufficiently developed which would have made a much better film. It was a sincere effort and no one in the cast need be ashamed of their work here.

The movie centers on a strong clear plot structure strongly defined in the beginning. The story progresses to a seige, where pure character takes over the plot as the main element that defines the fine quality of this movie. For some reason I did not know at the time, I loved this movie as a child. Later in theater I learned the quality aspects that New Mexico writers and actors used. I wish it was available in DVD or VHS.

Cavalry Captain Hunt (Lee Ayres) is trying to promote good relations with the Indian chief Acoma. But Hunt's superiors in the military insist on pursuing policies that will provoke a conflict, and Chief Acoma is not willing to let himself be insulted, not when two of his braves get shot ...

Which means the Cavalry and injuns clash, hence there's some good action sequences, which comes after much build-up. The action scenes are well-staged and frantic. There's plenty of mountain climbing, grit and the plot is loaded with enough drama and action to keep things interesting. Lee Ayres delivers a good performance as the captain who is struggling to keep his superiors from showing injustice to the Indians. Nice opening with Abe Lincoln and the chief signing a treaty. The locations are breathtaking. The ending is quite surprising- doesn't end as one would expect. Similar elements were later repeated 1953's excellent the Last of the Comanches such the hidden guns, the Indian leading Marilyn Maxwell to water.

"New Mexico" is a definite western of the 1950s. Up until the 1950s, most westerns either never mentioned the natives or they were shown as mindless savages. However, in the 50s, filmmakers began showing them more sympathetically...no longer killers, but people.

The film begins with a prologue with President Lincoln visiting the west in 1860 (I am pretty sure this never occurred) and affirming his commitment to the natives. Then the film skips ahead a few years.... Lincoln is dead* and it's back to the same place out west. However, instead of honoring the President's commitments, the new cavalry leader deliberately stirs up the Indians by his insensitive actions. Soon, the natives attack...killing him and leaving Captain Hunt (Lew Ayers) in charge. Hunt is determined to find the Indian leader and come up with some compromise....but as the story progresses it's obvious this is not gonna happen.

This is a decent film but I am sure some will hate the ending, which is very dark and unusual. I didn't mind it, as I must have seen 302,003 other westerns over the years....and at least this made "New Mexico" different. Not a brilliant film....but worth your time....as well as being unusual since you'd never expect Lew Ayers in a western.

*To show that Lincoln was killed, you see a closeup of a firing revolver. While mistakes with guns are common, I was surprised with this one because John Wilkes Booth's weapon was a tiny Derringer....which looks absolutely nothing like a revolver. A bit sloppy...but no major deal.