Le colline bruciano

As his nicely self-depreciating autobiography suggests Tab Hunter was a slightly more complex and perhaps a somewhat less malleable young actor than maybe his studio would have liked him to be. For starters he was gay and was, to all accounts, comfortable with it, determined to have a private life as well as a public one. He was an early victim of the gossip columnists but he learned to live with it and if he never became a star of the first rank, was seldom out of work.

This formulaic western was designed as a vehicle for him and his attractive persona is one reason why it is so watchable. There is nothing particularly original about it and it may come as something of a surprise that it was written by Irving Wallace from a novel by Louis L'Amour. Hunter is the young rancher looking to revenge the murder of his brother, (by dastardly Skip Homeier who likes shooting men in the back). Other villains include Claude Akins and Earl Holliman and the romantic interest is provided by an inadequate but young Natalie Wood. Hunter and Ted McCord's cinema-scope photography ensure it is always easy on the eye.

Soon after his brother has been shot to death, handsome Tab Hunter (as Trace Jordan) arrives in the western town of "Esperanza". Along with Mr. Hunter, we quickly learn the man responsible for murdering brother is young cigar-stomping Skip Homeier (as Jack Sutton). As it turns out, Mr. Homeier and his gang have run the sheriff out of town; they also shoot anyone who tries to stake a claim in the area. Hunter is advised to leave town immediately, but refuses. With his muscular frame and quick draw, Hunter easily infiltrates the Sutton ranch, to demand justice.

Wounded in a shoot-out, Hunter barely escapes from the ranch. He collapses near the home of sexy sheepherder Natalie Wood (as Maria Colton). Taunted by the "Sutton Gang" due to her mixed heritage (English father, Mexican mother) and preference for dresses that accentuate her beautifully-shaped breasts, Ms. Wood hides Hunter from Homeier, and nurses him back to health. Hunter and Wood are mutually attracted to each other. Hunter hopes to report Homeier and his gang to the United States Cavalry at nearby Fort Stockwell. Will he get there?

Warner Bros. must have known putting popular but unproven Hunter in this high-budgeted CinemaScope western would be a gamble - but, it pays off. He always fit the genre like a glove, and it's too bad a long string of Hunter westerns wasn't forthcoming. Hunter's greatest asset, herein, isn't really his handsomeness; rather, it's that he adds a muscular athleticism to the usual western antics. As you'll plainly see, there was no need to fear Hunter would snap a girdle, or slip a toupee. Trying on a Spanish accent, Wood is tightly outfitted, and highly arousing.

Homeier turns in a wonderfully nasty supporting performance. Mixed-raced "Indian" tracker Eduard Franz (as Jacob Lantz), limping liquor-soaked Earl Holliman (as Mort Bayliss), and foreman Claude Akins (as Ben Hindeman) lead a strong supporting cast. With sexless romance and Spanish stereotypes, writer Louis L'Amour (book) and Irving Wallace (script) break no new ground, but you know how these western stories go. Director Stuart Heisler corrals the young stars well; he left feature films for dependable work on episodic western television.

******** The Burning Hills (8/23/56) Stuart Heisler ~ Tab Hunter, Natalie Wood, Skip Homeier, Earl Holliman

Louis L'Amour wrote well-structured western stories that were very entertaining. Usually, there's a hero who never goes out of his way to hurt anyone. And the force(s) of villainy are clearly defined. But Hollywood wanted to pair Natalie Wood and Tab Hunter, so the love story in this film includes some amorous un-L'Amourous scenes to cater to young viewers.

The first couple of scenes establish who our hero is (Tab Hunter as Trace Jordan) and how bad the villains are. Natalie plays Maria, a strong-willed young woman who is also victimized by the gang of gunslingers who enforce the evil dictates of one Joe Sutton (Ray Teal). After Trace attempts to bring the bad guys to justice, they chase him over the countryside. Maria tries to help him.

Members of the gang include Claude Akins, who also appeared in "The Sea Chase" with Tab Hunter in 1955. One of the orneriest gang members is played by Earl Holliman. After this film, he would appear consecutively in "Giant", "The Rainmaker" and "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral". Talk about being in the right places at the right time.

Unfortunately, certain scenes are marred by some very corny lines. The result is a great L'Amour story burdened by Hollywood "enhancements". You can judge for yourself if Natalie Wood's accent is horrible or not. She surely took a lot of criticism for Maria's accent in "West Side Story", which would follow in five years.

Bubblegum western marketed at the time as if it were "Rebel Without a Cause" on the range (one of the tag lines read: "People would say, 'But they're only kids!'"). Half-breed girl (Natalie Wood, heavily pancaked and miscast, but still not bad) shelters a cowboy (Tab Hunter) embroiled in a vengeful feud with a scurrilous gang. Good, trashy fun; supporting cast including Earl Holliman and Claude Akins is solid, direction by Stuart Heisler fast-paced. The screenplay adaptation (by Irving Wallace, of all people) slants Louis L'Amour's story in favor of showcasing the teen heartthrobs of the day, but it has good action scenes and a satisfying wrap-up. **1/2 from ****

Both Tab Hunter and Skip Homeier put in excellent performances in this film. Both are well-cast for the roles they play - Tab, the "good guy" and Skip, the "bad, ruthless killer." The final fight scene between Tab Hunter and Skip Homeier is one of the best I have seen staged in a western. The final outcome was in no way predictable. The movie stands up well after 40 years.