New Mexico (1951)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Recently, I saw an Off Broadway production of the 1969 Tony nominated play "Indians", an analogy of what was going on at the time in the Vietnam War and the white man's involvement in the displacement of natives and the unkept promises by the government in protecting them. It is ironic that a week later that I pulled out this film from a box set of public domain westerns and found a plot line similar, although this incident took place some 30 years ago. But the basic story is still the same, one culture's inhumanity towards another, and one decent white man's efforts to right the wrong perpetuated by his own people. While the natives are presented fairly for a change for the most part, there's still the nagging feeling that the writers had to include a few savage references simply for shock value, and some of those moments are cringe worthy.This film starts off with President Abraham Lincoln creating a treaty with the Acoma tribe and the betrayal of that treaty after Lincoln's assassination. Chief Ted de Corsia vows vengeance, and Lew Ayres, an army officer who witnessed the treaty being agreed upon, decides to fight for the rights of the natives, even after de Corsia murders the colonel who stopped them from rightfully claiming what was theirs. But first, he must bring de Corsia and the others to justice, along with prejudiced judge Lloyd Corrigan. Walter Greaza and Raymond Burr represent the cruel white men whose ambition it seems was not only settling the land but destroying human beings they cruelly treated like savages. Certainly, the natives seek revenge, but it's not difficult to understand why they did what they felt they had to do. When they do, you can guarantee that those who feel their wrath won't get a painless death.It's nice to see a western where more than just one side is presented, even if much of it seems fictional. Hans Conreid, of all people, is Abraham Lincoln here, and is completely unrecognizable, no traces of Dr. T or his vast array of oddball characters. There are moments that will make you cringe at the cruelties of the white men, particularly when one of Ayres' men takes it upon himself to kill a young native boy right in front of his brother. This leads the surviving son of chief de Corsia to discover early in life the meantime if true hatred, intending to venge his brother's death just like his father would There's little unnecessary comedy relief here (even with the presence of Andy Devine who has one rather offensive quip), and the presence of Marilyn Maxwell as a traveling actress seems superfluous, even if she is accompanied by the lovable character actress Verna Felton. This is a nice attempt to present natives beyond the usual stereotypes even though it's obvious that important facts have been altered or changed to make this cinematic.

I doubt whether the opening scene could have possibly taken place in history. The Civil War ended on April 9th, 1865, and President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated five days later on the 14th. That wouldn't have given him any time at all to head out to New Mexico and back, and it's not likely he would have done so with the war on. I guess we're not supposed to think about things like that.Following Lincoln's assassination, the peace treaty offered War Chief Acoma by the President is abrogated, and Territorial Judge Verne Wilcox (Lloyd Corrigan) is only too happy to enforce a seizure of Indian land under the direction of Colonel McComb. If you notice the sign indicating the Foreclosure Sale on Indian property, it was ordered for September 11th, so the Indians in a way had their own 9/11.I don't believe I've seen Lew Ayres in a Western before; he was generally competent here in his role as Captain Hunt, attempting to balance his military duty with a personal conviction toward treating the Indian fairly. He had a few resolute confrontations with Acoma (Ted de Corsia), then followed his orders to bring Acoma to justice following an uprising by the tribes. Curiously, there was no mention of the specific Indian tribes involved in the conflict, though my judgment says it was probably Apache.There were some interesting cast choices for this picture, with Marilyn Maxwell in a non-romantic lead, (unusual for this type of picture), heading West to promote her singing career with her manager (Verna Felton). She does a lively tune around the campfire later in the story. Andy Devine's on hand as Sergeant Garrity, and Jeff Corey appears virtually unrecognizable as cavalry scout Coyote. The most unusual appearance in the picture is that of Richard Burr, he's the skunk that killed Acoma's older son as the boys were attempting to run away from the cavalry party. Oh yes, can't forget Hans Conreid (also unrecognizable) as Lincoln in the opening sequence.Andy Devine's role isn't played for the comic relief he usually provides, though he did have a funny line while on the trail for Acoma - "I wonder if it's too late to join the Navy". As clever as that might have been, he later delivered that terrible clunker calling little Charley an Indian giver. Was that really necessary?

As a young boy in 1952, I went to visit Acoma, a Native American village, near Albuquerque, New Mexico together with my parents and uncle. The scenery was so impressive that it remains alive in my mind , and I remember the houses where to reach the upper floor you had to go through an external ladder. So it was a deception to see this film where such a beautiful scenery is wasted. The DVD I purchased is in black and white, but I read in the IMDb it was made in Ansco Color. I wonder what happened. The story is interesting, about a truce made with the Chief Acoma, which is broken . Lew Ayres is an army captain on a mission to capture Acoma. Marylin Maxwell is Cherry, who joins them against all logic and even provides some musical numbers!!! She is not a bad actress, but here her character does not work. The script is good, but could have been brought to the screen in a much better way. Overall, frustrating, considering what it could have been.

The movie centers on a strong clear plot structure strongly defined in the beginning. The story progresses to a seige, where pure character takes over the plot as the main element that defines the fine quality of this movie. For some reason I did not know at the time, I loved this movie as a child. Later in theater I learned the quality aspects that New Mexico writers and actors used. I wish it was available in DVD or VHS.