I’ve seen dogs that wouldn’t claim you for a son, Tate
Today on the Classic Movie Reviews Podcast, we are taking on the Film-Noir western Blood on the Moon (1948). This movie has a shamefully low rating of 6.9 on iMDB.com[1]. On rottentomatoes.com, it doesn’t have a Tomatometer score and only has 52[2] percent audience approval. Jez, it has Robert Mitchum, Robert Preston, and Charles McGraw in it. It is also a western and a noir. That alone should be worth 75 percent. It’s a good oater with Film-Noir elements. That should be good for another 10 percent.
A 1948 Variety review stated:
Blood on the Moon is a terse, tightly-drawn western drama. There’s none of the formula approach to its story telling. Picture captures the crisp style used by Luke Short in writing his western novels…Picture’s pace has a false sense of leisureliness that points up several tough moments of action. There is a deadly knock-down and drag-out fist fight between Mitchum and Preston; a long chase across snow-covered mountains and the climax gun battle between Preston’s henchmen and Mitchum, Brennan and Bel Geddes that are loaded with suspense wallop.[3]
The fight between Mitchum and Preston is one of the most realistic fight scenes ever filmed. There were no John Wayne single punch knock-outs, which I maintain is responsible for a generation of people being beaten in fights after throwing one punch and stopping.
Actors – Blood on the Moon (1948)
Returning
The coolest guy in Film-Noir, Robert Mitchum played the lead, Jim Garry. Mitchum was first covered in the Film-Noir Out of the Past (1947).
Barbara Bel Geddes played Amy Lufton, the tough yet tinder daughter of struggling cattle herder John Lufton (Tom Tully). I believe she was also the style model for Joey (Michele Carey) from El Dorado (1967), which incidentally also starred Robert Mitchum.
Frank Faylen, who usually had bit roles, was featured as dirty dealing Department of the Interior Indian Agent Jake Pindalest. Faylen was first discussed in 99 River Street (1953).
Tom Tully played John Lufton, a cattle herder under threat from bad men. Tully was covered as the first Captain in The Caine Mutiny (1954).
The granite jawed Charles McGraw played Milo Sweet, one of the settlers fighting the cattle herders. McGraw was briefly covered in the Film-Noir Brute Force (1947).
Walter Brennan was cast as Kris Barden, another fighting settler. Brenned was first covered in The Buccaneer (1938).
New
Robert Preston played bad guy leader Tate Riling. Preston was born in Massachusetts in 1918. Preston grew up in Los Angles and was musically inclined. He took an interest in acting while in high school. He joined the Pasadena Playhouse and was discovered by a talent scout during one of the productions.
His first movie came out in 1938. He was very good as the bad guy in Union Pacific (1939) and as one of the brothers in Beau Geste (1939). He was also very good in North West Mounted Police (1940) and Wake Island (1942).
Preston was called to serve in World War II in the 9th Air Force as an Intelligence Officer. He returned in 1946. One great post-war film was the Western Film-Noir Blood on the Moon (1948), where he was again the bad guy. Newly married and with roles being scares, Preston moved to New York. In 1957, he took the role of Professor Harold Hill in the stage production of ‘The Music Man.’ He received a Tony award for this play. After a second Tony award, the film roles came flying back in.
Films during this time included The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960), The Music Man (1962), How the West Was Won (1962), All the Way Home (1963), Junior Bonner (1972), that horrible Lucile Ball Mame (1974), Semi-Tough (1977), S.O.B. (1981), Victor Victoria (1982) where he received an Oscar nomination, and of course, The Last Starfighter (1984). He died in 1987 from lung cancer.
Phyllis Thaxter played homely sister Carol Lufton. Thaxter was born in Maine in 1919. Her father was a supreme court judge for the state, and her mother was a former Shakespearean actress. She was educated at Montreal’s St. Genevieve School and in Portland, Maine’s Deering High School. Phyllis joined the Montreal Repertory Theatre. In 1939, at the age of 17, she made her Broadway debut.
Her first film was Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944). Except for a few roles, she was cast as background wives and other hidden characters. Some of the films are Bewitched (1945), Week-End at the Waldorf (1945), The Sea of Grass (1947), Tenth Avenue Angel (1948), Film-Noir Act of Violence (1949), Film-Noir The Breaking Point (1950), Come Fill the Cup (1951), and Springfield Rifle (1952).
She contracted infantile paralysis, aka polio, on a family visit. She recovered, but her film contract was voided. She worked extensively on television and occasionally made a film. Her last film role was a Ma Kent in Superman (1978), you know, the good one with Christopher Reeves. She continued on television until 1992. She died in 2012.
Bits
Harry Carey Jr. and Hal Taliaferro were uncredited as cowboys. Iron Eyes Cody played Toma. Cody is the single tear Indian from the 1970s littering commercials.
Story – Blood on the Moon (1948)
Super mellow cowboy Jim Garry (Robert Mitchum) is making his way over the mountain in a cold rain. He settles in for the night and builds a campfire and shelter so he can dry out. Out of the dark, he hears stampeding cattle. He climbs up a small tree and misses getting trampled.
He drops down to survey the damage. All of his gear is destroyed. A rider that was driving the herd comes in and draws a rifle on Garry. The rider questions Garry and then takes him back to camp. As they ride in, all the other men pull rifles. John Lufton (Tom Tully) is the leader of the cattle herders. He questions Garry and is very suspicious. Garry says he is from Texas and heading for Sundust. Garry says he doesn’t know anyone in the town. They replace his gear and feed him. Lufton says he has been supplying cattle for the Indians on the reservation. Since the new agent, Jake Pindalest (Frank Faylen) has arrived, he has rejected Lufton beef. Lufton has been ordered to remove his cattle from reservation land. The old land where he used to graze his cattle has been settled by latter arriving homesteaders. They are organized and resisting his move across the river and off Indian land. The settlers are led by Tate Riling (Robert Preston), who has been hiring gunmen. Lufton tells Garry that he must work for him or “drift.”
In the morning, Garry says he will be drifting. Lufton asks Garry to drop a note at his house for the women folks. When Garry gets to the river, he is opened up on by someone with a rifle. He slowly gets the advantage and finds that he has been fired upon by wildcat Amy Lufton (Barbara Bel Geddes), one of Tom Lufton’s two daughters. She is decked out in buckskins and a leather hat tilted on the bun of the head. He leaves her in the river with her boot heel shot off. The only wound was to pride.
At the house, he meets the other Lufton daughter, Carol Lufton (Phyllis Thaxter). Gary gives her the note, and it says that her father will be bringing the herd across at Rocky Ford that night. As he gets ready to leave, Amy is there, and she opens fire on Garry. A ranch hand disarms Amy, and Garry rides out.
It is nighttime when he enters the town. Milo Sweet (Charles McGraw) and another man watch Garry come into town. I just assumed Sweet was a hired gun, but he turned out to be a settler. He wore a bear-skin coat and had a scruffy beard. This trope has been used a lot for bad guys; see The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), for example. Anyway, Sweet thinks Garry is working for Lufton. Tate Riling is out of town, so Sweet jumps into action. They plan on pretending that another man is Riling.
Garry makes his way into the bar, and the homesteaders are waiting at the back table. He asks the bartender for Riling and is sent to their table. He tells the imposter he wants to talk to him about a riding job. When the man stands up Garry grabs a hostage and back out of the saloon. Sweet is in the street and begins shooting at him. Garry runs into the alley, and suddenly a female horse rider throws a rock through the window in the back of the saloon. Garry sees her face, and it is Carol Lufton. I am not sure this could be caught without rewind. Anyway, Sweet and the others continue shooting down the alley. Garry makes it to the street, and by now Riling has returned. He sees that the man they are chasing is Garry and tells his ‘gang that couldn’t shot straight’ that Garry is his friend and the man he hired. Ops sorry!
Garry and Riling rode together two years prior. Riling gets Garry a room, and the bartender gives Riling the note on the rock. After he reads it, he says they are going out because he knows where Lufton is crossing. They go to Garry’s room, and before long, Indian agent Jake Pindalest comes in. They go over the deal, and they are squeezing Lufton between the Army on the Indian Reservation and the homesteaders in the town. Pindalest gives Riling money and leaves. Riling figures to buy Lufton’s cattle at a discount when he can’t get them moved. They need Garry to do the buying. Pindalest will buy them for the Indians at full price once Riling has them. He tells Garry that he will be paid $10,000 for the work.
In the morning, Amy and Carol ride out to look for their father and the cattle. In a good example of the Bechdel–Wallace test, the two ladies talk about the cattle crossing[4]. When they get to the river, no one has crossed at Rocky Ford. Riling and his men are there waiting. Amy chews out Garry. She also chews out Kris Barden (Walter Brennan). Garry tells Amy he never read the note, and Riling knows the truth. Joe Shotten (Clifton Young) and Frank Reardon (Tom Tyler) are gunmen hired by Riling.
Since Lufton has the cattle across, Riling has to make a new plan. He rides along to a small house. Waiting there for him is his lover, Carol Lufton. She apologizes for giving bad intel about the crossing. Riling tells her he is doing it for her, so they will have money. He asks Carol to let him know where the herd is and promises to not hurt her dad.
Lufton and his crew are trying to move the cattle to a location where they can be scattered. Amy comes out, and Lufton now thinks Garry read the note. Riling and his men come riding in at full speed and scatter the herd back across the river. In the following gun battle, Kris Barden’s son is killed.
Lufton doesn’t have enough time left to get the cattle back across before the Army is due to seize them. Garry saw the killing and is not happy about being a hired gunman. Garry goes to Barden’s farm to tell him that he says his son killed. Bardon gets snotty with Garry for being a hired gun. Barden has lost his whole family and doesn’t know why he would keep farming.
Garry rides into town at the same time Amy and Tom Lofton come in with Barden’s son. Shotten and Reardon, the two hired killers, come forward with the intention of killing Lofton. Garry beats down Shotten and faces off against Reardon in the street. Reardon decides not to fight and rides out of town. Amy tells him thanks and is glad that he is riding on or, as they say in this movie, drift.
Garry rides towards the town of Commissary. Late at night, he stops in a small Mexican bar for a drink. Barden is in there drinking. Barden says he is not looking for Garry and goes outside. Riling and Readon ride up. He talks to Barden about getting revenge for his son. Barden wants to leave the country and no longer cares about the cattle. Riling talks to Garry like they are still friends. Garry tells Riling that he is running out because of the hired guns. Riling says he needs Garry to pay Lufton. Garry gives him a rundown on his problems. Tricking the homesteaders into fighting, making love to a woman so she will betray her father, hired gunmen, and Reardon waiting outside to back shoot him if he does rejoin. Garry says, “I’ve seen dogs that wouldn’t claim you for a son, Tate,” and they get to fighting.
As I said before, it is the most realistic movie fight ever. There is panting and pauses and general bad technique. Reardon jumps in, but Garry drives him away, fanning his pistol. Garry’s hand is cut during the fight. Reardon is standing by, but he can’t see who to shoot in the dark. Garry finally beats Riling down. Reardon gets ready to shoot Garry when he is shot in the back, by surprise, Bardon. Bardon tells Garry to get out. When Garry asks why Bardon says he always wanted to shoot one of them and Reardon was the handiest.
Garry rides to Lufton’s ranch to see him. The hired hand orders him off, but Amy comes out and invites him in so she can tend his wounded hand. She looks much more feminine in a dress as she washes and bandages his hand. Lufton comes in, and the tone is a little more hostile. Garry tells Riling’s plan. Garry begins to drift, but Amy stops him and makes him tell his plan. Lufton calls him a gunman, and Garry leaves over Amy’s protest. She rides after him wearing a dress. Pretty impressive.
That night they make camp and Amy won’t leave. She even rolls cigarettes for the wounded Garry. Finally, he kisses her and says he will keep doing it unless she leaves. She says she doesn’t want more, but she won’t leave. Amy tells Garry he is a good man that has made mistakes.
The plan is in operation. When Carol finds out about Amy and Garry, she is really mad. Finally, she realizes her sister is in love with Garry. She projects all her issues and feelings onto Amy.
Garry rides onto the reservation and goes to Pindalest’s office. He tells Pindalest that they need more money for the deal. Pindalest will have to go to Sundust with Garry to get the extra money. They pack and head out. Garry asks Pindalest to call off the Army.
Carol goes to see Riling. She rats Garry out for being at the Lufton’s. She then asks if the plan was true and if he loved her. He is not very committal. She slaps him and leaves. Sweet sees her leaving and reports to Riling that Garry is heading for the reservation.
Garry and Pindalest have camped for the night. In the morning, Garry tells Pindalest that he is a prisoner. Garry says Lufton is rounding up the cattle now. Riling, Shotten, and Sweet begin searching for Garry and Pindalest. An Indian, Toma (Iron Eyes Cody) spots Garry’s camp. Garry ties up Pindalest and heads for another camp. Riling and crew run into Toma. Will the help of Toma, they begin tracking Garry. The trail is easy to follow through the deep snow. When the snow starts blowing hard, Garry stops to make a camp.
In the morning, he is awoken by his horse and Toma attacks, stabbing Garry with a knife. Garry manages to beat down Toma. He escapes as Riling shots at him. Riling frees Pindalest and sends Toma back to get the Army.
Carol has cried herself to sleep at the table. Amy comes down and is very kind. Carol is now rooting for her father. Kris Barden rides up and tells Amy that Garry is at his cabin and that he is wounded. Amy puts on her fighting buckskins and goes to tend Garry. He is badly hurt from being stabbed. He tries to get Amy to leave because he knows Riling and company are coming.
Bardon tries to send Amy for help, but it is too late Riling and his gang arrive. Bardon opens up from inside, and Amy runs back inside. They break the glass to shoot through. Why don’t they just shoot it out? Garry wants to turn himself over to Riling, but Amy and Bardon won’t let him go. They take time out of the gunfight to say they love each other without saying the words.
Night falls, and no help has come. Garry pulls himself out of bed and says he is going to attack the three men who are outside in the dark. He has Bardon fire at the men knowing that when they fire back, they will be night blinded. The plan works, and Garry makes it to the corral unseen.
The first man he comes upon is Pindalest. Garry sneaks up behind him and clubs him a couple of times with his gun. He then goes behind Shotten. Shotten hears him coming, but Garry is too fast for him. Riling begins calling out to the other men. Garry waits while Riling moves towards him. Garry announces himself and the two men step out and fire. Riling is hit, and as he slowly dies, he tells Garry that he always had a conscience.
Amy and Bardon come out and find Garry okay. Lufton and some of the men from both sides arrive. They arrest Pindalest. Bardon takes the men inside for a drink. Tom and Garry apologize to each other for being stubborn. Amy says there will be two stubborn men in the family now. They happily go inside to drink.
Summary – Blood on the Moon (1948)
The film is a beautifully shot Film-Noir, and if you are not careful you will find yourself admiring the shadows and angles or horses moving over new-fallen snow. What really pushes this movie into the noir category is the moral ambiguity of the bad guy, Riling, played masterfully by Robert Preston. While the male leads went on to have amazing careers, Barbara Bel Geddes was fired from RKO after the new owner, Howard Hughes though she wasn’t sexy enough. Phyllis Thaxter was dumped from her contracts after she became ill. That’s just wrong.
World-Famous Short Summary – a couple of buddies, a pair of sisters, and everything falls apart
Beware the moors
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040175/
[2] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blood_on_the_moon
[3] https://variety.com/1947/film/reviews/blood-on-the-moon-1200415883/
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test
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