Harrison's Reports (1961)

March 18, 1961 HARRISON'S REPORTS 43 A definite asset is the camera work: — The Iroquois nation, 6,000 strong, has fled to Canada following the massacre of General Custer's command at the Little Big Horn. Robert Ryan, near' ing the end of his enlistment in the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, is ordered to take two men, pre ceed to the Iroquois encampment, and tell their chief, Michael Pate, they are welcome in Canada and will receive the Queen's help and protection, but that they must keep the peace. Otherwise they will be driven back across the border to face avenging United States cavalrymen. Ryan accomplishes his suicide mission. He tells Four Horns the Iroquois must not fire a single shot in anger. An Indian-hating American rancher, John Dehner, with three renegade American plainsmen whom he hired, Jack Creley, Scott Peters and Richard Alden, come to Canada in search of horses Dehner says Indians stole from him. Encoun' tering a small Iroquois village, they slaughter its inhabitants, including the infant daughter of Teresa Stratas, a young white woman, whom they take with them. The rancher recognized her as a girl stolen by Indians from her white parents, his neighbors, five years earlier. Ryan and his fellow troopers, Torin Thatcher and Burt Metcalfe, find and disarm the four white, who angrily protest Ryan's declaration that they will be taken to the proper authorities to stand trial for murder. The Iroquois are determined the whites shall die and would fkill them now but finally agree to keep Four Horns' promise. During the trek the renegades escape, taking the girl as hostage. The troopers pursue and find them. The renegades fire on the troopers whose arms they had stolen. To save the life of Ryan, who had befriended her, the girl intercepts Dehner's shotgun blast at the trooper, and is mortally wounded. The Indians stampede a band of horses whose engulfing rush sweeps the mounted renegades over a precipice and to their death on the rocks below. Pate grimly points out to Ryan that his warriers did not fire a single shot in disposing of the murdering whites. Ryan, Thatcher and Metcalfe proceed on their journey to rejoin their company. It was produced by Herman E. Welber and written and directed by Burt Kennedy. General audiences. "Ole Rex" with Billy Hughes, William Foster and Robert Hinkle (Universal'lnt'l, May; time 40 mm.) Good. A boy and a dog and some of their problems are spotlighted in this interesting Eastman Color featurette that can easily round out the program. Made in the colorful outdoors with a cast of amateurs, it is a simple story of a boy, Billy Hughes, who runs away with the dog which his father won't allow him to keep. The film's highlight is an unusual battle between a dog, Rex, and a large number of rattlesnakes Despite the reptiles, it is a pleasant entry for family or youngster consumption. The acting is fair and the direction and production show promise. The lensing is good: — Billy Hughes, son of an itinerant oil field worker and widower, finds Rex shortly after the dog has been bitten by a rattler, and with prayer and loving care nurses the dog back to health. Once Rex is well again, however, Chris's father reminds his son that their bargain when the boy befriended the dog was that once it was well the dog would be sent away. The son is disconsolate and runs away. But like any boy with a dog as his pal, it is more a lark on this soft summer day, and they pause first to capture fish from the river, and to rest and to play. When the father realizes that his son is missing he enlists the aid of fellow oil field workers and the sheriff and a searching party on horseback is formed. But the boy and his dog have roamed far. The trail is picked up, and the father is aware that his son is heading for a canyon teeming with rattlesnake lairs. Distant screams confirm the searching party's fears and they rush into the canyon to find the boy hysterical with fear and a sprained ankle as the dog engages in battle with the rattlesnakes. It is a harrowing finish to an afternoon's adventure as boy, dog and father are reunited, and Hughes can keep the dog. It was produced, written and directed by Robert Hinkle, who also plays the part of the sheriff. Based on a story idea by Jack Specht. Family. "Konga" with Michael Gough, Margo Johns and Jess Conrad (American-Int'l, March; time 90 min.) Good. A small chimpanzee turns into a killergorilla when a mentally disturbed botanist, Michael Gough, experiments with the animal. The scientist decides to use the beast's enormous strength to further his own position and to remove those who would oppose him. The British-made picture is well-mounted, the use of Eastman Color adds to the overall value, and the technical and special effects are good. The cast is relatively unknown here, but it performs well while the direction is efficient. The title and other facets of the story and presentation lend themselves to selling and exploitation which could increase box-office returns considerably. It starts off at a pedestrian pace and picks up speed as it nears a climax. The trick photography, called SpectaMation, is impressive: — Botany scientist Michael Gough returns to England from a stay in Africa with a small chimpanzee named Konga and some mysterious plants which eat meat and which are to give him special extracts to make Konga grow. He is welcomed by his housekeeper and assistant Margo Johns. His experiments are successful and the chimpanzee becomes a grown gorilla when given the proper stimulants. Resuming his former position as a college professor, Gough is attracted to student Claire Gordon, who is fascinated by his knowledge. Her boy friend, Jess Conrad, objects, to no avail. Meanwhile the dean, Austin Trevor, objects to Gough 's seeking public recognition in the press and he threatens to fire him. Gough sends the gorilla to kill him. Also murdered are an Indian professor who is close to success in the same experiment as well as Conrad. A disgusted and jealous Johns injects Konga with a giant dose of the stimulant and the animal sets the lab on fire, killing Johns. Konga scoops up Gough and marches toward the heart of London. Troops shoot him and he throws Gough to his death, following which he falls to the ground and shrinks to his original size. It was produced by Herman Cohen and directed by John Lemont, with the story and screenplay by Aben Kandel and Cohen. General audiences.