They Rode West — Robert Francis 1930-1955

They Rode West (aka The Wood Hawk and White Feather) (1954) (Columbia Pictures) This film is not available on DVD, but bootleg copies may be available.

Production Dates: Nov. 17, 1953-Dec. 7, 1953. Los Angeles opening: Nov. 10, 1954. Locations: (Interiors) Columbia Pictures, Hollywood, Calif.; (Exteriors) Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, California https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corriganville_Movie_Ranch; http://movielocationsplus.com/corrigan/ftapache.htm; Burro Flats, Simi Hills, Calif.; Iverson Ranch, 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, Calif.

Release Date: Nov. 1954

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4271/They-Rode-West/ provides Overview: Full Credits, Full Synopsis, Notes, http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4271/They-Rode-West/notes.html Screenplay Info, Original Print Info, Genre, Key Words, User Reviews, Other Reviews, Articles (Money, Awards), http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4271/They-Rode-West/articles.html Quotes, Trivia, Home Video Reviews, Miscellaneous Notes, Alternate Versions, Theatrical Aspect Ratio, Video, Fan Sites

Credits: Lewis J. Rachmil, Producer; Phil Karlson, Director; Charles Lawton, Jr., Director of Photography; DeVallon Scott and Frank S. Nugent based on a story by Leo Kacher, Screenwriter…. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4271/They-Rode-West/full-credits.html

Cast: Robert Francis, Dr. Allen Steward; Donna Reed, Laurie MacKaye; May Wynn, Manyi-ten; Phil Carey, Captain Peter Blake; Jack Kelly, Lt. Raymond…. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4271/They-Rode-West/full-credits.html

Full Synopsis: In removing a Comanche arrow from an officer's leg, Fort McCullough's drunken Dr. Gibson severs his patient's femoral artery. Capt. Peter Blake (Phil Carey) watches the young man die and then attacks the doctor, calling him a "murdering butcher." Later, Col. Ethan Walters, commander of the post, complains in a letter to the U.S. Surgeon General that the last three medical officers assigned to the fort have been alcoholic incompetents. Some time later, a train arrives from the East, carrying the colonel's wife, Martha Walters, her pretty and flirtatious niece, Laurie MacKaye (Donna Reed), and the fort's new surgeon, Dr. Allen Seward (Robert Francis)….http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4271/They-Rode-West/full-synopsis.html

Notes: They Rode West is noteworthy as one of several Westerns during the 1950s which attempted to offer a more complex representation of Native Americans. Such films in fact date back to the silent era, but Delmer Daves’ Broken Arrow (1950) in particular revitalized that effort. While West still constructs an opposition between the warlike Comanche and the peaceful Kiowa, the main thrust of Leo Katcher’s story and Frank S. Nugent’s and DeVallon Scott’s screenplay is the juxtaposition of the compassion and the need for mutual dialogue represented by Dr. Seward (Francis) and the mistrust and over-reliance on combat by Peter Blake (Phil Carey).

Woodhawk or The Wood Hawk was the title of Leo Katcher’s original screen story. According to a June 1954 Daily Variety news item, Columbia changed the title from White Feather after the MPAA gave title priority to Panoramic Productions which released a film titled White Feather in 1955. “Wood Hawk” is a reference to the nickname that Seward earns for supposedly “betraying his own kind.”

A Nov. 4, 1952, Daily Variety news item announced Columbia was seeking James Stewart for the leading role and Vincent Sherman was slated to produce the film. Had Stewart made the film, he would have been reunited with Reed, his co-star in It’s a Wonderful Life.

They Rode West reunited Francis and Wynn, as well as Francis and Reed who performed with Francis in his screen test for The Caine Mutiny in March 1953.

May Wynn met her future husband, Jack Kelly (in a secondary role) while making this film.

Besides The Caine Mutiny, Columbia’s other Big Movie of 1953 was From Here to Eternity which opened in August of that year, a few weeks after The Caine Mutiny went into general release. Donna Reed played the prostitute/dance hall hostess, Alma/Lorene, in Eternity. She and the film garnered excellent reviews, and she received the Best Supporting Actress Award for the film and the film itself was named Best Film of 1953 by the Academy in March 1954. Under contract to Columbia, Reed hoped her performance in Eternity would lead to more ambitious roles, and she balked when studio head Harry Cohn offered her a part in a B-quickie instead. In retaliation for her refusal, Cohn assigned her to three B Westerns that are not without merit: Gun Fury (1954) with Tab Hunter, Three Hours to Kill (1954), and They Rode West (1954). After a loan out to Metro for The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954), Reed got released from her contract at Columbia; she made her next few films at Paramount and Universal. Reed went on to have a bigger career in television with “The Donna Reed Show.”

Each Gallery devoted to Bob’s films includes, in general, images and text related to the pre-production period, candid photos made on location and during filming, scenes from the film, promotion and publicity materials, and the post-production period (publicity, opening events, personal appearance tours).

According to Bob’s sister, Lillian, he had curly blond hair as an infant and toddler. His hair turned darker as he grew up. Between the end of shooting The Caine Mutiny (Aug. 1953) and the start of shooting They Rode West (Nov. 17, 1953), Bob’s hair grew out, was curled and given blond highlights. These portrait photos probably were shot in Nov. and Dec. 1953. Production on The Bamboo Prison began in January and he had a military crew cut for that film. Several, if not all, of the photos were shot by Cronenweth and Lippman, Columbia Pictures photographers.

The cuff links Bob is wearing appear to be those given to him by his girl friend Dot Ross. when The Caine Mutiny shooting concluded. The cuff links depict the steel balls rolled in his palm by Captain Queeg when he was under stress.

The quarter on this photo must have been left on the copy machine when photo was scanned or copied.

This photo may have been made later than the Fall of 1953. The intensive, dramatic expression is unusual in Bob’s promotional photos, as is the somewhat oily hair.

Costume/wardrobe test photo and/or image for advertisements and promotional materials. Fall 1953,

Portrait in They Rode West costume. The flip side has a note indicating it was used by a publication following Bob’s death in “en accidente avaiacion.”

The following photographs were taken Fall 1953, on location. Exterior filming was done at Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, Calif. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corriganville_Movie_Ranch; http://movielocationsplus.com/corrigan/ftapache.htm; Burro Flats, Simi Hills, California; Iverson Ranch, 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California.

Dated 11-28-53. Shot on location Nov. 1953 by United Press.

Photo made at Burro Flats.

Bob with Charles Lawton, Jr., Director of Photography, They Rode West. On location Fall 1953.

Lawton began as assistant cameraman at First National in 1926, working under George J. Folsey. Briefly at Paramount, then joined MGM (1936-1943), within a year became full director of photography. At United Artists, 1944-1945, then spent the remainder of his career at Columbia (1945-1962). Acquired a reputation as the studio's foremost cinematographer of outdoor action subjects. Best remembered for his superior black and white photography (particularly the famous mirror scene) of The Lady from Shanghai (1947).

Bob with Phil Karlson, director of They Rode West, on location at Fort Apache, Corriganville, Fall 1953.

Phil Karlson (born Philip N. Karlstein; July 2, 1908–Dec. 12, 1982) was an American film director. Karlson directed 99 River Street, Kansas City Confidential and Hell's Island, all with actor John Payne, in the early 1950s. Other films include The Texas Rangers (1951), The Phenix City Story (1955), 5 Against the House (1955), Gunman's Walk (1958), The Young Doctors (1961) and Walking Tall (1973).

Promotional photo for They Rode West shot on location: Bob, Donna Reed, Phil Carey, May Wynn. Fall 1953.

Bob with Donna Reed, his They Rode West co-star. Photos for promotional materials. Fall 1953. She also appeared in Bob’s screen test for The Caine Mutiny.

Promotional materials for They Rode West. Produced by Columbia Pictures prior to release in Nov. 1954.

Snips and stills from They Rode West. Foreign language promotional materials explain Bob’s international fan base. Columbia was building global awareness and recognition of Bob.

Below: Hollywood Reporter, Oct. 15, 1954

Review of They Rode West, Hollywood Reporter, Oct. 15, 1954. This positive review is thorough and makes a case for They Rode West as an unusual sympathetic telling of Native American history with strong credit to all those involved.

Variety, Oct. 20, 1954

They Rode West received little critical attention during its initial release, but Variety said the film was “A cut above [the] standards of most such offerings” and praised the film’s “handsome color lensing.” The reviewer also singled out the performances of Donna Reed, Robert Francis, and May Wynn.

One of the first fan magazine stories about Bob. July 1954 issue of Movie Play was on newsstands in early June 1954, weeks ahead of release of The Caine Mutiny. Significant coverage of Bob in fan publications began in July and August 1954.

Promotional/personal appearance tours occupied Bob throughout 1954 and into 1955. The New England tour for They Rode West received extensive coverage in local newspapers. American Airlines.

The 15 cities/15 days tour of New England began in Springfield, Mass. Air Force personnel from Westover Air Base welcomed May Wynn and Bob.

See captions for identifications and credits with other photos.

Click on images below to enlarge. First and second photo in top row are not from “They Road West.” Photos five and six on second row are not “They Rode West.”

First photo below on top row is not “They Road West.” Fourth photo on second row is Bob and May Wynn on location for “The Caine Mutiny.”