Dinastia do Terror

*Dawn* is one of those 1950's westerns that were a variation on the Earp/Holliday story (e.g. *Warlock*). It works fairly well here. Grell Wade (Rory Calhoun) is a former Southern gentleman turned consumptive gunman and gambler who heads for the healthier climate of Colorado after standing with lawman brothers in their showdown against a family of cowboy outlaws. But of course in westerns no gunslinger is allowed to quit without at least one more fight, and that's the making of the story line here. Along the way, Wade meets his "fallen woman" with the heart of gold (Piper Laurie), a shady businessman and saloon owner (David Brian) and vengeful cowboys (Lee Van Cleef, Alex Nichol). Good supporting roles for Roy Roberts, Edgar Buchanan, James Millican, and others make this an entirely enjoyable little horse opera. A bit slow at times, but definitely a must-see for western fans and those who like their Rory Calhoun straight-up.

Not bad little movie, shows up on TCM every so often. And darned if Rory Calhoun doesn't look exactly like GEORGE CLOONEY at times, or is it vice versa? Anyway, interesting turn on the gunfighter trying to go straight story with an appealing Piper Laurie and mean gambling hall owner David Brian. They play cards and throw dice for the girl, with fortunes going back and forth. Edgar Buchanan plays a nervous sheriff and not the usual dimwit he's known for and Alex Nicol chews the furniture as the edgy slinger waiting to gun down Calhoun. But then comes the typical Hollywood ending where none of the characters show even a lick of common sense. Sorry to see that ending, this isn't a half bad film until the last five minutes, and then it's Universal Studios back lot fireworks. Too bad.

Its a Western so enjoy the saloon, whiskey, women, gambling, horses, railroad with a mix of good and bad guys thrown and we are off. The actors take it seriously and the saloon girl has a draw on you that adds to the fixation of the whole thing. I had deja vu with flashbacks to the O.K. Corral storyline and lets face it all Westerns are basically the same except for the unique story and glimpses they give of the Wild West by gone days. Notice to that being quick on the draw was no myth and stop and think how many months or years in practice it must take to reach the lethal draw stage. Of course the exception to this was Wild Bill Hickok who they claim wielded pistols so well they became part of his hands and his hands operated at lightning speed. He was a natural. Enjoy some familiar faces and also note that the gambling reached into the tens of thousands of dollars. Back then, you could buy a nice spread and retire even with hired help and minimum effort and still have left over. These boys were betting it like it wasn't. One wonders what is the point to keep playing, get drunk, carry a gun, watch back etc after you have won that much? Lets ride

Enjoyable taut minor and nicely done Western has loner gunfighter Brett Wade (Rory Calhoun) as starring . At the beginning after a poker game , he joins forces with Marshal Harry McNair (James Millican) , both of whom fight shoulder to shoulder in a wild stand-up gunfight against Old Man Ferris (Stanley Andrews) and family (Lee Van Cleef , Skip Homeier , Richard Garland) . He is wounded and the doctor (Roy Roberts) finds him signs of tuberculosis. En route to Colorado by stagecoach he meets other passengers as Rannah Hayes (Piper Laurie) and Jimmy Rapp (Alex Nicol) . Brett arrives in Socorro where Sheriff Couthen (Edgar Buchanan) fears another gun-play . Meanwhile , Brett tries to get out of his previous life while helping a young woman from a life as one of Dick Braden's (David Brian) saloon girls.Brett stops in Socorro, New Mexico along with Ferris gunfighter Jimmy Rapp. LAST OF THE FRONTIER GAMBLERS! The Story of THE NOTORIOUS BRETT WADE LAST OF THE FRONTIER GAMBLERS! He lived on borrowed time...borrowed kisses...and a way with a six-gun that was all his life.

Nice Western with thrills , noisy action, shoot'em up , a highly commendable musical score and intriguing ending . Bursting with attractive characters, interesting sub-plots , symbols , and with very decent filmmaking and interpretation . Paramount Universal movie with great main and support cast, being well produced and efficiently directed. A charming Western that works efficiently within its own rather derivative limits . It is an usual Western of the Fifities with echoes of the classics as ¨High Noon¨ , ¨Duel at O.K. Corral¨ or ¨Shane¨ . Rory Calhoun gives a nice acting as a gunfighter in a town caught in a feud and pursued by avengeful pistoleros .Tall and handsome, Rory is extremely adequate playing Brett Wade, a gambler, gunslinger, and classical pianist , diagnosed with tuberculosis, who has in mind saving a waif-with-a-past girl . Before becoming an actor he worked as a boxer, a lumberjack, a truck driver and a cowpuncher. Rory benefited from a screen test at 20th Century-Fox, arranged for him by Sue Carol, a Hollywood agent and the wife of actor Alan Ladd, who is said to have spotted Calhoun while he was riding a horse in a Los Angeles park. He debuted on screen in Something for the Boys (1944), with Carmen Miranda, billed as "Frank McCown". David O. Selznick changed his name to Rory Calhoun, and after playing small parts for a while, he graduated to starring in western films, including Río sin retorno (1954) with Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum. Calhoun's better-known pictures include Cómo casarse con un millonario (1953) with Lauren Bacall, Monroe and Betty Grable, and Con una canción en mi corazón (1952) with Susan Hayward. From 1959 to 1960 he starred in the CBS television series The Texan (1958). More than two decades later he returned to CBS for five years as Judge Judson Tyler on the daytime serial Capitolio (1982). His final appearance, 70 years old but handsome as ever, was as Ernest Tucker in Pure Country (1992). Rory played a lot of Western such as : Ride Out for Revenge , Domino Kid , The Hired Gun , Utah Blaine , A bullet is waiting, Thunder in Carolina , Dawn in Socorro , The Yellow Tomahawk , and River with no return with Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum . The film ¨ Dawn at Socorro¨ is really buoyed by several familar faces in the supporting cast such as Edgar Buchanan Alex Nicol , Kathleen Hughes Mara Corday , Lee Van Cleef Roy Roberts , James Millican, Stanley Andrews, Richard Garland and Skip Homeier , Lee Marvin-lookalike , as his ordinary role as a nasty gunman.

Furthermore, it contains a colorful and glimmer cinematography , as the brilliant colour cinematography by expert cameraman Carl E. Guthrie by Jack Arnold in his best foray into the Western genre. As well as evocative and thrilling musical score by Frank Skinner and Herman Stein ,though uncredited The movie was a collaboration between independent producer William Alland and Universal Pictures , supported by the prestigious craftsman fimmaker Sherman . The motion picture was compellingly made by George Sherman . Entertainment , atmosphere , action and excitement surge along with the tale under the hand of filmmaker George Sherman , who is clearly more at home with the thrilling scenes than somewhat excessively talking storyline . Sherman made reliable low-budget fares for Columbia between 1945-48, then moved on to do the same at Universal for another eight years . Sherman specialized almost exclusively in "B" westerns there , including the "Three Musketeers" series, which featured a young John Wayne. George directed lots of Westerns as ¨The Last of the Fast Guns¨ , ¨The Lone Hand¨, ¨Santa Fe stampede¨ , ¨Red skin¨ , ¨Chief Crazy Horse¨ ¨Calamity Jane¨, ¨Relentless¨ , ¨Comanche Territory¨ , ¨Dawn at Socorro¨, ¨Border River¨ and many others . He also made occasional forays into action and horror themes, often achieving a sense of style over substance . The only "A"-grade films to his credit were two westerns starring John Wayne: ¨Comancheros¨ (1961) (as producer) and ¨The big Jack¨ (1971) . His last films were realized in Spain as "Find That Girl" , ¨The new Cinderella¨ and ¨Joaquin Murrieta¨. Rating : 6.5/10 . Acceptable and passable . Well worth watching. Agreeable Western that will appeal to enthusiasts.

Rory Calhoun is a world weary and consumptive gunfighter who just would like to hang up his six shooter, but a whole passel of enemies he's made over the years just won't let him quit. A little bit of Gunfight at the OK Corral and The Gunfighter tossed together.

After a shootout in one town he arrives by stage to Socorro where Sheriff Edgar Buchanan wants to get him out of town before any more blood is spilled on his turf. But Calhoun lingers and lingers, impressed by the beauty of Piper Laurie who he's ridden to town with on the stage.

It's a good B western, directed by a veteran of that genre, George Sherman. Sherman keeps the action going at a good clip and the cast knows their way around a western set.

Dawn at Socorro was probably a B feature that didn't bore too many people who went to see the A picture from Universal it was playing with.