Smoke in the Wind

The War Between the States has just ended as the action in this work begins, following five Union soldiers as they return to their homes in the Ozarks of northern Arkansas, matter-of-factly planning a resumption of their pre-War existences. However, many residents from the village of Winslow and its surrounding region are averse to offering a helping hand to Yankees, Arkansas having been a member of the Confederacy. Nonetheless, some Winslow citizens are working to close the nation's divisiveness and it is to them that the returning veterans must look for support. Ongoing animosity between both factions in a recent war provides interesting material for a film; unfortunately, this one is not composed well with a result that it fails to develop interest for viewers. Veteran director of Westerns Joe Kane is called from retirement as an attempt to rescue this faltering production, but he is not enough to offset a stale script and a great deal of deficient acting. Although it should properly be designated as a Southern rather than as a Western, some old hands of the latter genre are present, including Walter Brennan in his last feature film outing, John Russell, Myron Healey, and Dan White, each of whom plays creditably, although unavailingly, given the screenplay shortcomings. Locals, along with stuntmen, fill many of the parts, while members of a remarkable quartet comprised of the lead females either are barely able to read their lines or overact to an absurd extent, sure signs of too few takes and a lack of direction. Cinematographer Mario Tosi creates a visually sensuous environment, one that correctly utilizes natural light; the sound mixing, however, is eccentric. The Ozark location is extraordinarily beautiful, and Tosi takes full advantage of its luxuriance so that in each scene, notwithstanding the action's failure to consistently draw in the viewer, there remains much to enjoy in the pictoral sense; 'tis less than providential that for Kane's swan song, the landscape steals the show.

Smoke In The Wind a film located in the post Civil War Ozark Mountains in Arkansas is known as the last film of Walter Brennan. Brennan died before it was released. I suspect it played mostly in red state areas. When I was doing my weekend warrior thing and did summer camp in the south I was always interested in the number of films like this played there and would never be seen in a place like New York City.

It concerns the Mondier family who went with Union when most of their neighbors were Confederates. Now John Russell is bringing back his two boys John Ashley and Billy Hughes, but they face trouble from the neighbors who look on them as scalawags, the term used for those who stayed loyal to the USA. Of course the Ozarks were not an area of plantations so these people were not slaveholders. Still one did not turn against one's state. Myron Healey is leading a band of Confederates who are mortal enemies of the Mondiers.

Brennan plays the philosophical old storekeeper, a role hearkening back to his Oscar nominated performance in Sergeant York. I'm sure Brennan must have longed to be doing scenes with old friend Gary Cooper. Most of the cast is made up of locals and their performances aren't even at high school level. The contrast just makes the Hollywood folks look even better, even in a bad film.

I will say the location cinematography of the Ozarks is nice. But it can't make up for the rest of the film.

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