Terra Selvagem

This little-seen quasi-Western from 1950 stars McDonald Carey as Jim Bowie helping his friends, the Indians, from an army of marauding white men out to steal Indian land for its silver. The action is set well before the Civil War, so it is improper to call this a Western, although on the meager budget this was shot on, there are plenty of classic Western outfits on display throughout. Carey is at his prime here, and makes for a virile and resourceful Bowie. An absolutely stunning and very youthful Maureen O'Hara is his feisty love interest, who initially is all for white folks taking over Indian land. She wears some silly outfits that look like they came from a Roy Rogers flick, but she also gets to wear at least one formal dress that shows off her distinctive assets. She also gets to put on quite a brogue, enough so that you might think you're watching THE QUIET MAN from time to time. All in all, a fun "B" flick of a type now long forgotten.

Famous frontiersman Jim Bowie is sent by President Andrew Jackson to make sure the terms of a treaty with the Comanche is being carried out. But another emissary has been bushwacked and the Comanches never got the new treaty. It's up to Jim with his trusty knife to investigate what's going on. Nefarious villains are after the silver that's on the Comanche land.

Of all the American frontier characters in our history, Jim Bowie has had the biggest whitewash. In real life this man was a slavetrader, a land swindler and all around frontier scoundrel. The knife he is credited with inventing was made probably to his specifications, but by someone else. He had a certain amount of charm as MacDonald Carey plays him here with, but definitely was not of good character.

Andy Jackson might have bought a slave or three for the Hermitage from Jim Bowie, but never would have sent him on a diplomatic mission. And the Comanches who were not a blip on the American frontier radar yet, would not have made a deal with Jackson if they heard anything about what happened to the Cherokee.

Maureen O'Hara got to create another redheaded spitfire character that she was doing in picture after picture at this point of her career. Will Geer as the other Jackson emissary probably has the best part in this film.

Average Hollywood western which has absolutely nothing to do with reality. But the kiddies might like it.

George Sherman was definitely a western maker, though he has not made only this, he had a very prolific filmography. But westerns were a domain where he was very gifted. This one makes no exception, but the plot brings nothing really new, except terrific natural settings. I was lucky enough to see it is a awesome LBX frame and not in a f...pan and f...scan copy. Yes, a good western, full of charm and fifties atmosphere. Dana Andrews rarely played in westerns; we especially remember him in OXBOW INCIDENT. This western was curiously not produced by Universal Studios for which George Sherman made so many of his westerns: BATTLE AT APACHE PASS, COMANCHE TERRITORY, LAST OF THE FAST GUNS...

Okay he passed away bout 6 months before I got hooked on days freshmen year in college. But they had flashbacks in late 1994. And well later on..

Movie fairly standard western , with absurd Iron Eyes Cody at the beginning (he's Italian not Native America ) Only seen him in one movie (Ernest goes to Camp) and 1 ad everyone makes fun of.... Still a good actor can fool everyone... Like Scotty. James wasn't Scottish. But ye would never know it

Maureen's Irish accent , which I've never heard before shows up here now and then. Was refreshing to hear and some singing to boot. Pretty much a family western with arrows falling oddly from the sky. (did an airplane drop them ) lol oh well if you are stuck inside the house from Covid-19 why not. Trying not to watch that many serious movies at the moment. :)

Quality: 4/10 Entertainment: 8/10 Re-Playable: 5/10 cause Jim Bowie is portrayed here so I bumped it up further slightly.

A handsome, good-humoured Technicolor western about Jim Bowie, this time played by a laconic Macdonald Carey aided by wily old chum Will Geer.

Feisty, buckskin-wearing female lead Maureen O'Hara later recalled it as "a fairly decent western and the film in which I mastered the American bullwhip. By the time the picture was over, I could snap a gigarette out of someone's mouth".