Arrowhead (1953)

Sadly Over-hyped

People are voting emotionally.

As Good As It Gets

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

There's plenty of action in this one, but there's a lot of talk too. Basically, the movie is an anti-Apache harangue, complete with a large cast, actual location filming in Technicolor, and plenty of action. Maybe too much action. Maybe too much talk too. Certainly the movie would benefit from astute cutting but what to cut is the problem. Cutting Katy Jurado's scenes is the obvious method of attack, but she is not in the movie all that much anyway. Mary Sinclair could also go, but she has only one or two brief scenes. Throwing them away, is not going to make any difference. Besides, Mary Sinclair was actually a prolific TV actress who made only two movies (the other, playing herself briefly in 1974's Alice Goodbody), so it would be a shame to cut her brief role in Arrowhead. And it would also be difficult to cut Jack Palance's footage as just about all of it is essential to the plot. So the scissors would have to be sharpened for Charlton Heston. Although he's the good guy (the character was actually based on a real army scout named Al Seiber) and he's always in the right, this role is actually a bit of a liability as he often tends to rub the audience – as well the people on the screen – the wrong way! Available on an excellent Paramount DVD.

The fact that this movie has someone like Charlton Heston means that it's probably going to be at least an average movie. As usual he doesn't disappoint as he puts in a pretty good performance as a frontier scout named "Ed Bannon" who has grown to know--and hate--the Apaches. So when an Apache warrior named "Toriano" (Jack Palance) returns from the East at the same time the Apaches begin to assemble in large numbers to supposedly be transported to a reservation, Ed Bannon becomes highly suspicious. At any rate, rather than give away the entire story I will just say that this film manages to maintain interest for the most part. One thing I didn't like were the broad stereotypes made by Ed Bannon which supposedly enabled him to know exactly what Toriano would do next. Only in Hollywood. Likewise, I didn't particularly care for the limited role of "Nita" (Katy Jurado) and the way her character ended. That said, I consider this to be only slightly above average but worth a look for those who enjoy a good Western movie.

Arrowhead is one of that batch of films that Charlton Heston did between his two DeMille pictures, some good, some mediocre. Arrowhead kind of falls between both categories.It is one of the most uncompromising films in terms of the place of the American Indian. It's point is that the more we get rid of, the more room for the whites. So either pack 'em off to reservations or kill them. At least Charlton Heston's character feels that way.Now there apparently is some justification for Heston's feelings at least as far as this group of Apaches are concerned. He was raised among them and knows them well. And knows that the young warrior prince. Jack Palance, is not going to go quietly off to a reservation.None of which is really explored in the finished product. I have the feeling the editors left a lot of this film on the cutting room floor. Also Heston's relationship with Katy Jurado who acts as a spy while living without benefit of clergy with him is similarly untouched. But for that I blame the Code. What there is is quite daring for its time.The ending is kind of silly also. When he has the drop on Palance, Palance asks Heston why he doesn't shoot him. Good question Jack, I can't figure it out either. More I won't say.The film was shot on location in Texas and done very well. Palance, fresh off the acclaim he received from Shane, has the best role in the film. This is also an early film for Brian Keith and he acquits himself well as a young cavalry officer.But Arrowhead could have been a whole lot better.

Any film with Jack Palance as the villain is intense and strong... This great actor is unique and classic in this respect! His order to his braves: 'There will be no more fighting until Bannon has met Toriano!,' marks a summary of the entire motion picture: Toriano against Bannon!But who are these two men?Ed Bannon (Charlton Heston) is the Chief of Scouts for U.S armed forces fighting Apaches in the post Civil War... He despises Apaches: 'Anything Toriano for, I'm against!'Toriano (Jack Palance) is the son of the Old Apache Chief Chattez (Frank Dekova). He rejects permanent confinement and refuses to accept how his warriors are gathered like cattle in their reservation...Apache Wars were among the fiercest fought on the frontier... The U.S government attempted to limit their territories and movements...In the film we learn that an Indian cannot touch, harm or kill a man if he comes unarmed into their encampment; an Apache leader can be mystified through the Great Spirit by ritual drum beat; when an Indian and a white man are blood brothers, the only way to break the bound was for one of the two to die— This explains why Toriano and Bannon assigned the time and place to meet in a single combat to death at the end of the picture...The pretty Katy Jurado is Bannon's lover, a young girl, half Indian, half Mexican, who admires Toriano as a true leader...Wanting to serve him, she keeps an eye on Bannon, spying all his moves...Shot in Technicolor, with good directing and strong supporting cast (Brian Keith in his film debut), "Arrowhead," overcomes as a good-looking Western by the excellent acting of its stars...