The Last Hunt

In 1883, in South Dakota, the former buffalo hunter Sandy McKenzie (Stewart Granger) is tired of hunting the animals. He is approached by Charlie Gilson (Robert Taylor), a man that feels pleasure in killing buffalo and Indians, who proposes a high salary to him to hunt buffalo for him. They associate to each other and hire the skilled skinner Woodfoot (Lloyd Nolan) and the half-breed Jimmy O'Brien (Russ Tamblyn) to help them.

When a group of Indians steal their horses, Charlie hunts them down and kills them in their camp. Charlie finds a gorgeous Indian girl (Debra Paget) with a baby boy and he brings her to his camp to be his woman. However, Sandy and she are attracted to each other but they fear Charlie. Along the days, the tension between them increases until the day Charlie kills a white buffalo that is sacred for the Indians.

"The Last Hunt" is a gritty and brutal western in a period when the Old West is ending. Robert Taylor and Stewart Granger have great performances and Debra Paget is in top of her beauty and responsible for an increasing tension between the two lead characters.

The cruel scenes where the buffalo are killed by marksmen are for real and part of the reduction of the herd planned by the government of USA. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Última Caçada" ("The Last Hunt")

Pretty good Western set in the early 1880s , this is the story of one of the last buffalo hunts in the Northwest and Badlands National Park, Interior , South Dakota , by that time stayed survivors 3000 buffalo , only . Sandy McKinzie (Stewart Granger) is an ex-hunting buffalo and nowadays a tired rancher , he has a casual meeting with veteran hunter Charlie (Robert Taylor) , and both of whom join forces to hunt Buffalo . After that , Charley murders an Indian raiding party , and takes an Indian girl (Debra Paget , Anne Bancroft was injured on her horse , then was replaced by Paget) as his own ; then , both hunters fall out over the rescued young squaw . Meanwhile , lots of buffalo get killed one way and another . And Charlie kills a fair few Indians , too . When personalities crash , Charlie seeks vengeance on fellow buffalo hunter Sandy . As tension and subsequent confrontation develops between the two hunters till a surprising and icy ending .

Very good Western starring an excellent Robert Taylor as a revenger as well as seedy Buffalo hunter who gains his his identity killing both , Buffalo and Indians . Spectacular and breathtaking scenes when there happen the buffalo stampedes . It is an exciting Western/drama that holds you interest from start to finish and right through to the intriguing as well as frozen climax . The flick displays a deep denounce about senseless acts of murders as Buffalo as Indians . The buffalo scenes were real-life attempts at keeping the animals controlled . US government marksmen actually shot and killed buffalo during production as part of a scheduled herd-thinning . Interesting and thought-provoking screenplay based on the novel by Milton Lott . The plot is quite grim by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Western standards , though it results to be entertaining . In film premiere failed at box office and it was panned by critics and lukewarm reception by public ; however , nowadays reviewers carried a detailed reappraisal of the movie . The cast is frankly well . Robert Taylor is solid , if a bit stolid . Stewart is acceptable , as usual , and gorgeous Debra Paget as a young Naive squaw . The support cast is fine , as Russ Tamblyn as a young Indian who looks to be throughly enjoying himself and special mention for Lloyd Nolan as an old cripple called Woodfoot , an upright and honorable old man.

Colorful cinematography by Russell Harlan shot in National Parks such as Custer National Park, Badlands National Park, Interior, Sand Sylvan Park South Dakota, among others . Thrilling as well as evocative Original Music by Daniele Amfitheatrof . Directed and screen-played in magnificent style by Richard Brooks (Elmer Gantry, In cold blood, Lord Jim) who subsequently directed other good Westerns titled ¨Bite the bullet¨ with Gene Hackman and Candice Bergen and the ¨Professionals¨ with various tough stars as Burt Lancaster , Lee Marvin , Jack Palance and Robert Ryan . ¨The last hunt¨ is an authentic must see , not to be missed for buffs of the genre . A successful movie because of its awesome acting , dialog , score are world class.

An intellectual western,focusing on the characters's psychology and well played by Granger and Taylor,with good support from Paget and Tamblyn. It denounces the buffalos slaughter which starved the Indians and lead to their defeat.Taylor's character is a racist,and one of his mates says that it's because he looks like the Indians he hates:he kills the buffalos,he beats women,and he blows his nose with his hands .Another one points out that when you begin to kill,you find pleasure and you are not able to stop anymore.

Not only Richard Brooks denounces the genocide,but he also shows how the White men killed the Indian culture and religion:the white buffalo is a good example.And the ending,with a last picture that packs a real wallop -it could be the picture of a horror movie- ,looks like a divine intervention.

Have no illusions, this IS a morality story. Granger is the troubled ex-buffalo hunter, tempted back to the plains one more time by kill-crazed Taylor. Granger can see the end is near, and feels deeply for the cost of the hunt-on the herds, the Indians and the land itself. Taylor, on the other hand admittedly equates killing buffalo, or Indians to 'being with a woman.' While Granger's role of the tortured hunter is superb, it's Taylor who steals the show, as the demented, immoral 'everyman' out for the fast buck and the goodtimes. There's not a lot of bang-bang here, but the story moves along quickly, and we are treated to a fine character performance by Nolan. The theme of this story is just as poignant today, as in the 1800s-man's relationship to the land and what's on it, and racism. Considering when this was made, the Censors must have been wringing their hankies during the scenes in the 'bawdy house', Taylor's relationship with the squaw, and much of the dialogue. Although downbeat, this is truly a great western picture.

I had watched several days film shooting of this movie that summer,the end result was just two scenes in the movie. The location was Sylvan Lake in the Black Hills. Bring the wagon,stop the wagon etc . So this Dakota youth looked forward to seeing the movie and was not disappointed. The local buffalo herd was being culled so the shooting scenes were for real. (yes Doris, animals were hurt during filming) I think the ending was copied by Jack Nicholson in the Shining? A great western/social comment from the 50's. This should be in the same class as High Noon for real western drama or used as a social statement like Blackboard Jungle or Rebel Without A Cause was for 50's youth.