''Apache Drums'' is a 1951 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Hugo Fregonese Hugo Geronimo Fregonese (8 April 1908 – 11 January 1987) was an Argentine film director and screenwriter who worked both in Hollywood and his home country during the Golden Age of Argentine cinema, classical era of Argentine cinema.''Cine Na ...

and produced by

Val Lewton Val Lewton (May 7, 1904 – March 14, 1951) was a Russian-American novelist, film producer, and screenwriter best known for a string of low-budget horror films he produced for RKO Pictures in the 1940s. His son, also named Val Lewton, was a pai ...

. The drama features

Stephen McNally Stephen McNally (born Horace Vincent McNally; July 29, 1911 – June 4, 1994) was an American actor remembered mostly for his appearances in many Westerns and action films. His dark features often cast him as hard-hearted characters, crimina ...

Coleen Gray Coleen Gray (born Doris Jensen; October 23, 1922 – August 3, 2015) was an American actress. She was best known for her roles in the films '' Nightmare Alley'' (1947), '' Red River'' (1948), and Stanley Kubrick's '' The Killing'' (1956). ...

, and Willard Parker. The film was based on an original story: ''Stand at Spanish Boot'', by Harry Brown. ''Apache Drums'' was the last film Val Lewton produced before his death.

Plot

A notorious gambler is thrown out of a small town named Spanish Boot, but he quickly returns when he discovers the town is threatened by the

Mescalero Apaches Mescalero or Mescalero Apache () is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan–speaking Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation, located in south-central New Mexico. In ...

led by Chief Victorio.

Cast

as Sam Leeds *

as Sally * Willard Parker as Joe Madden *

Arthur Shields Arthur Shields (15 February 1896 – 27 April 1970) was an Irish actor on television, stage and film. Early years Born in Portobello, Dublin into a family who were members of the Church of Ireland, Shields started acting in the Abbey Theatre w ...

as Reverend Griffin *

James Griffith James Jeffrey Griffith (February 13, 1916 – September 17, 1993) was an American character actor, musician and screenwriter. Early life and career Born in Los Angeles, California and raised in San Pedro, Griffith was the eldest of two born t ...

as Lt. Glidden *

Armando Silvestre Armando Enrique Ricardo Silvestre Carrascosa (January 28, 1926 – June 2, 2024) was an American and Mexican actor. Life and career Silvestre was born on January 28, 1926, in San Diego, California, but was raised in Tijuana, Mexico. He dropped ...

as Pedro-Peter * Georgia Backus as Mrs. Keon *

Clarence Muse Clarence Muse (October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, singer, and composer. He was the first African American to appear in a starring role in a major studio film, 1929's '' Hearts in Dixie''. ...

as Jehu *

Ruthelma Stevens Ruthelma Stevens (1903–1984) was an American film actress. Stevens's mother was Mrs. Beatrice Stevens. Stevens's film debut came in ''Life Begins''. She was signed to a long-term contract after acting on the Broadway stage. Broadway plays in ...

as Betty Careless *

James Best Jewel Franklin Guy (July 26, 1926 – April 6, 2015), known professionally as James Best, was an American television, film, stage, and voice actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician. Duri ...

as Bert Keon * Chinto Guzman as Chacho * Ray Bennett as Mr. Keon

Production

Val Lewton wrote a script for a story about the American Revolution, ''Ticonderoga'', and sent it to various studios including Universal. Universal liked the script and signed Lewton to develop it. The studio decided not to make that film but assigned Lewton to ''Apache Drums'' instead. The film was based on a story called ''Siege at Spanish Boot'' which had been bought by Universal in May 1950. It was known during production as ''War Dance''. The film was shot in Apple Valley and the Mojave Desert in California. In contrast with his experiences at Paramount and RKO, Lewton enjoyed working at Universal. The studio wanted to make more films with Lewton and he was interested but instead he accepted an offer to work for

Stanley Kramer Stanley Earl Kramer (September 29, 1913February 19, 2001) was an American film director and producer, responsible for making many of Hollywood's most famous " message films" (he called his movies ''heavy dramas'') and a liberal movie icon.

just before his death of a heart attack in 1951.

Reception

Box Office

The film was successful at the box office.

Reviews

When the film was released ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' gave the film a mixed review and wrote, "''Apache Drums'' is tense and exciting fare when its green and red-painted Indians, yelping and keening, ride to attack or literally bite the dust with authentic thuds. When it is loquaciously appraising its principals, it is, to quote one of them, 'kind of dull and tame.'" Recently, film critic Dennis Schwartz reviewed the film favorably, writing, "It's the kind of effective kickass B western where the cavalry comes in the nick of time to rescue the white folks from the attacking Indians. Director Hugo Fregonese (''Untamed Frontier'') gives a nod to Lewton's eye for detail and shadowy photography...David Chandler turns in a crisp screenplay that's always tense and filled with exciting action sequences except when he keeps things too chatty, which tamps down the narrative with a dull soap opera romantic feud...Pretty darn good stuff for such a modest western, showing that it takes all kinds to be brave and that the worst situation might bring out the best in a man." '' Time Out Londons review was also complimentary, writing, "Beautifully staged by Fregonese, especially the climactic attack on the church where the survivors make their stand, with painted Apaches erupting through the high windows like demons from hell. Val Lewton's last production, it is full of touches instantly recognisable from his RKO series: the subtle ambivalence undermining attitudes and ethical principles, the generous stance against racism, the concern for childhood (the gambler distracts the frightened kids with an exhibition of

sleight of hand Sleight of hand (also known as prestidigitation or ''legerdemain'' () comprises fine motor skills used by performing artists in different art forms to entertain or manipulate. It is closely associated with close-up magic, card magic, card fl ...

), the love of traditional songs (the kids led into a chorus of '

Oranges and Lemons "Oranges and Lemons" is a traditional English nursery rhyme, folksong, and singing game which refers to the bells of several churches, all within or close to the City of London. It is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index as No 13190. The earliest ...

'; the minister countering the Apache chanting by launching into ' The Men of Harlech')."''Time Out London''
Film review. Last accessed: February 11, 2011

References

External links

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Apache Drums
at Letterbox DVD {{DEFAULTSORT:Apache Drums 1951 films 1950s historical films 1951 Western (genre) films American historical films American Western (genre) films Western (genre) cavalry films Apache Wars films 1950s English-language films Films based on American novels Films based on Western (genre) novels Films directed by Hugo Fregonese Films produced by Val Lewton Films set in the 1880s Films shot in California Universal Pictures films Films scored by Hans J. Salter 1950s American films English-language Western (genre) films English-language historical films