The Animals

A revenge tale set in the West.

It would be a ridiculously horrible movie on its own. Keenan Wynn and the other four "savage men" are just the same annoying Hollywood stereotypes we see in most movies, laughing while they kill. For some reason, they even kill a pretty woman when they claim they want women for other reasons, so don't look for "motivation" in this movie.

For whatever reason, they don't kill the other pretty women, but rape her. Of course she goes for revenge with the help of Henry Silva, and since this is the seventies, Silva has to be a Native American in order to be anything but a slob.

What saves this movie, somewhat, is the comic relief from a posse led by John Anderson, who is always a step behind the heroic pair. The rest is pretty much fast forward formula.

I've never understood why well established pros like Keenan Wynn and Henry Silva would have accepted the script of this Dick Bakalyan low budget western that looks more like a porn western or why the late actress-model Michele Carey, who worked with Elvis, John Wayne and Ben Gazzara, would agree to play a gang rape victim in a sick, brutal piece of junk. Wynn looked like he really enjoyed playing a sadistic killer and rapist. Sometimes I wonder if actors are genuinely embarrassed by some of the films they make. Silva, an engaging actor, plays a rare good guy who helps Michele get revenge. A really unpleasant movie that has numerous titles.

This would-be "with-it" revenge story in Western garb is notable only for having a female protagonist thus anticipating the cult item HANNIE CAULDER (1971). Still, Michele Carey's terrible central performance and her squeaky voice basically sink the film entirely as she projects little emotional scars from her ordeal; in fact, she seems to get back into a happy mood way too soon after her rape! The sadistic cast of characters are led by notorious bandit Keenan Wynn and Henry Silva is surprisingly cast as the Apache good guy who helps Carey carry out her retribution (interestingly, he had previously appeared in a similar - and much superior - tale, THE BRAVADOS [1958]). Another nail in the film's coffin is the sheer poverty of the direction which generates no suspense whatsoever as Silva and Carey are merely seen to effortlessly stumble upon each of the rapists' new hideout, kill them off without much ado and exit the scene; add to that the puerile fast-cutting technique employed intermittently which grows tiresome before too long. The trebly ironic ending, then, is a valiant attempt at resurrecting the movie but by then it is too late and only a fairly decent score saves the whole thing from a BOMB rating.

Henry Silva has been a long time favorite actor for years. I first saw him in an exceptional film called 'Johnny Cool.' In this western, originally called " Five Savage Men ", now entitled " The Animals " offering he plays Chatto a well known Apache warrior who comes across a motley group of bandits who have robbed a stage, murdered it's passengers and kidnapped a schoolteacher. Having had their way with the hapless school ma-rm, the gang splits up and go their separate way. Helped to recover by our Hero (Its nice to see Silva as the good guy), Alice McAndrew(Michele Carey) sets out to exact revenge against the five men. With an experienced Lawman Allan Pierce (John Anderson) and posse hot on their trail, the gang led by Pudge Elliott (Keenan Wynn) each take different trails. This movie plot is not unique as later mirrored by the succeeding film Hannie Caulder. What is unusual is that despite his commanding presence, Silva as Chato is seen as restrained in his role and the movie is hampered by the snail pace directing of Ron Joy. Still, it's a rather dramatic change to see a gun-toting female seeking violent revenge on her attackers. In addition, the formula of Whites against Indians does put a damper on the outcome and experienced audiences will guess the ending. ***

A young lady is manhandled after a stagecoach robbery in Arizona and left for dead (Carey), but a solitary Apache patiently sees to her restoration (Silva). They eventually team-up to pursue justice. John Anderson plays the righteous lawman that heads the posse while Keenan Wynn is on hand as the leader of the thug scum.

"The Animals" (1970), also known as "Five Savage Men," is an obscure 'B' Western that was the blueprint for "Hannie Caulder" (1971) and "I Spit on Your Grave" (1978). Michele was 27 during shooting and one of the most beautiful women on earth at the time. You might remember her from "El Dorado" (1966), "Live a Little, Love a Little" (1968) and "Dirty Dingus Magee" (1970).

The score was written by Rupert Holmes, known for his hit "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)." It starts out dubious because it's mod-ish and seemingly unfitting for a movie that takes place in the Old West, but other Westerns had already set this precedent in the 60s. Thankfully, the music improves with some parts featuring notable percussive pieces and others that are moving.

Most of the reviews are pretty low, but I'm sure this is due to the lousy first impression of the score and other technical deficiencies of what is likely the only print available. Sure, it's low budget and reminiscent in tone of the contemporaneous "Cry Blood, Apache," but it's superior to that barbaric and dismal revenge yarn.

For instance, it's more than just a brutal crime/revenge flick as the center of the story focuses on a noble 'savage' who contrasts the five Caucasian savages from the first act. He develops a successful cross-cultural relationship with the white woman back when it was socially unacceptable on either side. For anyone who argues that this is unrealistic, Apache men back then were people just like you and me today. They weren't all cookie-cutter. One or two here and there were more individualistic compared to the typical brave and could even be viewed as outcasts. That seems to be the case here.

The last act switches to the expected vengeance à la "Hang 'Em High" (1968), but the climax is surprising, offering a lesson on how even a noble individual can grossly misjudge another person (or people) & situation, and actually commit a crime. That's why the bible advises not judging until enough accurate info is acquired to make a just assessment; and, even then, you have to be careful.

There are unexpected creative bits as well, like the well-done Apache stare-down sequence and the fistfight over the saloon lass in the street.

I also disagree that "The Animals" can be written off as a rip-off of Spaghetti Westerns. It's an American production shot completely in Arizona and I could cite numerous American Westerns as influential. Don't think for a second that Sergio Leone's "Man With No Name" trilogy was wholly original. For instance, Ennio Morricone's score for "A Fistful of Dollars" features a moving piece glaringly inspired by Dimitri Tiomkin's outstanding "El Degüello" from "Rio Bravo" (1959).

Lastly, unlike the typical Italian Western caricatures, this flick provides actual characters. The core relationship is actually touching and so the flick scores well in the human interest department.

The film runs 1 hour, 26 minutes, and was shot in Arizona, e.g. Saguaro National Park, Old Tucson, Sonoran Desert, Sierrita Mountains and Santa Cruz River.

GRADE: B.