The Hallelujah Trail

This has always been one of my favourite films. But it really is such a mess.

The acting is so wonderfully over the top. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves sending up every possible western myth!

The stunning look of the film, which must have been breathtaking in UltraPanavision 70mm, the beautiful rousing score a cast of thousands and a script that is truly awful!

All these elements just don't come together but the individual scenes often do.

I am lucky enough to own the original 1960s sountrack album and theater progam. The theater program is in the Cinerama aspect ratio!

It is one of those big,long, brassy 60s comedies that are very hit and miss. But somehow despite the concoction not quite coming off I just find myself giggling all the way through.

Whether it is Burt Lancaster being gruff, or the achingly beautiful Lee Reemick being difficult or Martin Landau being not quite as silly as he looks this film remains one in my guilty pleasure collection!

The Hallelujah Trail is a spoof of the type of epic Western epitomized by such movies as Cimarron (1960) and How the West Was Won (1962).

The miners, headquartered in Denver, are threatened by thirst. The town's whiskey stocks, for what is expected to be a long, cold winter, are dangerously low. A wagon train of teamsters, led by Brian Keith, is hired to deliver more whiskey. The temperance ladies, led by Lee Remick, are trying to stop the whiskey. The Native Americans, a key figure among whom we will get to shortly, are trying to steal the whiskey. The cavalry, led by Burt Lancaster as assisted by Jim Hutton, is trying to maintain order. This leads to what is recorded, in the annals of the comedy West, as the Battle of...well, that would be giving too much plot away.

There are three memorable performances, all in supporting roles. One comes from the unseen narrator, who helps to chronicle events with his resonant voice and his, uh, uh, special...insight. Another comes from Martin Landau (Crimes and Misdemeanors, the TV series Mission Impossible). Landau plays Walks Stooped Over, a Native American who, from his role in peace negotiations, also goes by the name Symbol of Good Faith. Then we get to the sterling performance, which should have drawn an Oscar nomination. It comes from Donald Pleasance (James Garner's nearly blind POW buddy in The Great Escape). Pleasance plays Oracle, a visionary Denverite who is able to foresee the future, except that he first requires, uh, uh, lubrication.

I can think of only two other movies of approximately the same genre. At the head of the class, of course, is It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). The other is the Japanese movie, Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald (1997). Okay, maybe three other movies. The extra one being Airplane! (1980). That should give you an idea.

The women took a stand in the film, so I'm making my little mark by writing a brief review.

First, if you like gritty westerns with drama and hangings, then don't bother. Next, if you're in a hurry or tired, wait until you're not. I almost deleted it because the marching band at the fort caught me on a migraine day. Instead, I kept it and waited till a rainy evening with no other plans. Perfect! I rarely laugh out loud when watching a film alone, but I laughed, hit rewind, and laughed again!!

Lancaster and Remick, with palpable chemistry, head a terrific cast that all looked liked they were having a blast! Yes, it was 30 minutes too long. During the sandstorm, go make popcorn. During the champagne bottles exploding everywhere scenes, go clean up the snacks. Other than that, don't watch this if you don't like satire, romance, and screwball westerns meant to bring women as well as men into the theater or, in modern times, to the TV screen.

I hope this review reaches at least one viewer who will then stand with me:)

Amusing take off on cavalry-and Indian movies in which a rambunctious temperance leader called Template (Lee Remick) out to stop cavalry-guarded cargo commanded by a stiff colonel called Thaddeus (Burt Lancaster) and an officer named Slater (Jim Hutton) en route to thirsting Denver miners led by Oraculo (Donald Pleasence) and an old man (Dub Taylor) . As a wagon train heads for Denver with a cargo of whiskey for the miners being attacked by Indians led by Chief Walks-Stooped-Over (Martin Landau) , then chaos and wreak havoc ensue .

Overlong but fun Western parody in which satire goes on and on the same premise . This wacky spoof is packed with mayhem , lots of silly laughters and great entertainment and fun . Most of the laughs and sight gags galore work acceptably well ; humor is also bold and intelligent with a myriad of imaginative sketches . Demystified as well as amiable Western was one of a group of diverse characters changed the concept of this particular genre each bent on disproving a popular myth , yet tinged with humor , spoof and combining with anti-heroes , crazy Indians and many other things . John Gay's screenplay besides having more than its fair scraps of funny lines ,throws up rich personages . The formula deals to enhance the comics observations of the western originated on the decade 60 , being continued by the following filmmakers : Andrew McLagen and Burt Kennedy with ¨Support your local gunfighter (one of his better spoof Western)¨ , ¨Support your local sheriff¨ (his highpoint) , ¨Dirty Dingus Mcgee¨ and director Michael Gordon with ¨Texas across the river¨ ; a bit later on , Mel Brooks directed the indispensable ¨Blazing saddles¨ , a surrealist , extreme and gross-out spoof with the ordinary bunch of loonies and loopies . The picture is wonderfully amused and enjoyable with Burt Lancaster as a tough but agreeable officer , Pamela Tiffin as his rebel young daughter and Martin Landau steals the show as a deadpan but hilarious Indian . Special mention to Dub Taylor as the old brawler clearly relishing his comic relief . Colorful cinematography filmed in Ultra Panavision 70 , being rightly shot by excellent cameraman Robert Surtees , super-productions's usual . Jolly and enjoyable musical score by Elmer Berstein , in his ordinary style .

This very funny though lumbering motion picture was well produced and directed by John Sturges . He began his directing career at Columbia Pictures, where from 1946-49 he he worked on "12-day wonders" ("B" pictures shot on a 12-day schedule). From there he moved on to MGM where he filmed more "B" pictures, albeit on a larger budget . He established an independent production company in 1959, releasing through United Artists. From 1960-67 he worked under contract for United Artists. His first major hit was the western Dog Day at Black Rock (1955) , which he shot in just three weeks, wrapping up virtually every scene in a single take . He specialized in robust action pictures, particularly westerns. He excelled at bringing to life tautly written stories about tough characters facing difficult circumstances . Throughout his career he regularly alternated hits with misses . He has also been criticized for his lack of stylistic trademarks , though his best films remain exciting to watch . Sturges was expert on all kind of genres , but especially warlike such as : ¨Great Escape¨, ¨Ice Station Zebra¨ and ¨Eagle has landed¨ and Western such as ¨Last train of Gun Hill¨, ¨Magnificent Seven¨, ¨Backlash¨, ¨Law and Jake Webb¨, ¨Joe Kidd¨ and Chino¨, among others . This high-level and Western parody will appeal to Burt Lancaster and Lee Remick fans .

This movie has always been a mystery to me. I loved it and chuckled to myself all the way through it, however, for some reason I have never been able to explain,it just does not work like it should.

Great cast from top to bottom, good charaterization and many good scenes and some others that just don't quite work. I love it anyway and watch my copy at least twice a year.