Review: Apache

Burt Lancaster is the blue-eyed Apache Indian warrior Massai (!), who is destined to be a loner, at war with the oppressive white man, but also not fitting in with other Indian tribes. After capture and thrown on a train with other captured apaches, Massai escapes, with determined (but not brutal) John McIntire on his tail, along with his Indian tracker Charles Bronson. Jean Peters is Massai’s squaw, daughter of duplicitous chief Paul Guilfoyle. Morris Ankrum excels briefly, as a Cherokee Massai meets on the run, who has settled rather nicely into white society and informs Massai that the Apache can do it too.

 

Watchable, typically muscular, but minor league Robert Aldrich (“The Dirty Dozen”, “Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte”) film from 1954 offers up fine work by an admittedly miscast Lancaster (blue-eyed and constantly baring those big pearly whites, but as robust-and also deadly serious- as ever) and the always professional McIntire. A young Charles Bronson makes for a surprisingly convincing, stone-faced Indian too. Unfortunately a slow pace, and confused optimistic ending (not Aldrich’s idea) pretty much dulls the edge. Some good action, when it arrives, though. Apparently based on fact, the screenplay is by James R. Webb (“Cape Fear”, “Trapeze” with Lancaster, and the all-star “How the West Was Won”), from the novel by Paul I. Wellman (“The Comancheros” and the interesting Western version of Othello, “Jubal”).

 

Rating: C+