Quand les tambours s'arrêteront

Original title: Apache Drums

1951
Approved
1h 16m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

988

YOUR RATING

Coleen Gray and Stephen McNally in Quand les tambours s'arrêteront (1951)

A gambler is thrown out of a western town, but returns when the town is suddenly threatened by a band of marauding Apaches.

Play trailer2:14

1 Video

8 Photos

Action Adventure Drama Western

A gambler is thrown out of a western town, but returns when the town is suddenly threatened by a band of marauding Apaches.A gambler is thrown out of a western town, but returns when the town is suddenly threatened by a band of marauding Apaches.A gambler is thrown out of a western town, but returns when the town is suddenly threatened by a band of marauding Apaches.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

988

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 2:14

Trailer

Photos7

Top cast41

Edit

Stephen McNally

Sam Leeds

Coleen Gray

Sally

Willard Parker

Mayor Joe Madden

Arthur Shields

Rev. Griffin

James Griffith

Lt. Glidden

Armando Silvestre

Pedro-Peter

Georgia Backus

Mrs. Keon

Clarence Muse

Jehu

Ruthelma Stevens

Betty Careless

James Best

Bert Keon

Chinto Guzman

Chacho

Ray Bennett

Mr. Keon

Gertrude Astor

Townswoman
(uncredited)

Hal Bokar

Townsman
(uncredited)

Bill Clark

Townsman
(uncredited)

Noreen Corcoran

Child
(uncredited)

Mason Alan Dinehart

Child
(uncredited)

Steve Dunhill

Bob, a Townsman
(uncredited)

Director
- Hugo Fregonese
Writers
- David Chandler
- Harry Brown
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

‘Snow White’ Stars Test Their Wits

Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, and director Marc Webb take our Ultimate Disney Quiz.

Watch now

9:57

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
The "Apache" Indians are actually lifeguards from the beach at Santa Monica, California, painted with full body paint and made up to look like Apaches. Director Hugo Fregonese and producer Val Lewton wanted the Apaches to do a lot of leaping from high windows, off of roofs, etc., and the film's budget precluded hiring stuntmen to play the Apaches. They decided to hire the lifeguards because of their athleticism and, more importantly, the fact that they didn't have to get stuntmen's pay.

Goofs
The Apache are shown beating the drums with their hands, whereas they and all Native Americans used sticks or drum beaters.

Quotes
Rev. Griffin: If I live to bury Joe Madden, I'll say only four words over his grave: This was a man.

Connections
Featured in Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows (2007)

User reviews23

Featured review

7/10

The church siege at Spanish Boot

I saw this film years ago on television when I was a kid. I remembered it vividly and I've not written any review of it as I wanted to see it fresh before doing so. Now thanks to YouTube I have seen it and it is as good as I remember it.

Stephen McNally stars as a roguish gambler who kills someone accusing him of cheating. That's all mayor, veterinarian, and blacksmith Willard Parker needs to throw McNally out of town. In fact an attack of Puritanism has swept the town of Spanish Boot and the saloon has closed down and the girls ordered to leave. But when McNally goes after them he finds them massacred by the Apaches.

Two hundred strong under Vittorio and they've crossed the Mexican border and wreaking general mayhem in Arizona. The town bands together and takes refuge in a church which does have good walls, but also windows to high up to shoot from, but great for the Apache to scale.

Though both McNally and Parker act real juvenile at the beginning both are goofy over Coleen Gray in the end they both step to the plate.

Apache Drums was the last film of Val Lewton, his only western, but it has its moments of horror and suspense so associated with Lewton. It's not a film for the faint of heart, but I recommend it highly for western fans and Lewton fans.