I agree. I enjoyed this movie as well. Great story line, great action at the end.
But I think that the casting was a little off.
Ty Power is great, but his role as a semi-cowardly stagecoach hand just does not fit him. And Hayward is so wooden in this picture, she kept pulling me out of the film with her stunted acting. And Hugh Marlowe, a great supporting actor in the 1950’s and great as a gruff short-tempered kind-of-guy is just plain not convincing as a wild west outlaw.
However, Jack Elam and Edgar Buchanan were perfect for their roles. They’re so much fun to watch on screen. George Tobias was good as well.
The action in Rawhide was superb. I’ve never seen such brutality portrayed in a film from 1951. I was pretty amazed. The beatings looked like something from a 1960’s Spaghetti Western. Wow! Nice job Mr. Hathaway.
Question: Does Rawhide strike anyone else a little Noirish? Not a lot, but perhaps a bit?? It does me anyway…
The only story oddity I find is the whole steal-a-knife-and-try-to-tunnel-thru-a-brick-wall premise. WTH?! If I had had that big knife I would have had Miss Holt distract a bad guy in the bunkroom and then I’d cut his throat and take his firearm and blast it out with the bad guys. Of course that would’ve made for a shorter film. ;)
Overall, an enjoyable film. Worthy of repeated viewings.
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Jason_Radley
11 years ago
I thought Hayward and Power were fine, but I'm less sure about Marlowe. I understand that he's supposed to be playing someone of gentlemanly stock, but when he's not slapping somebody about, he's just too damn urbane and sympathetic.
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rickbernardo
10 years ago
Marlowe gave me the impression he was like from some rich Confederate family who lost it all in the Civil War and he took to thievery & fraud, probably got imprisoned at one time and came out a lot harder & more ambitious than when he went in, so he's Jekyl & Hyde type. We don't have much background on the characters in this movie, which is part of its appeal. Why was the Dean Jagger character such a hopeless guy, a drinker and a coward? Why was Elam so evil? We don't get the usual "I was whipped by father and abandoned by my mother" trash.
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Fourdot
10 years ago
I'm [sort of ] watching this movie right now.
Just finished a scene where several stagecoach travelers are talking about Marlowe's character.They say he was a big banker who married a Creole gal [New Orleans]and caught her with another man and killed them both.I'd say that's pretty good background info.
eldo77
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Wuchak (8075)
2 years ago
If I had had that big knife I would have had Miss Holt distract a bad guy in the bunkroom and then I’d cut his throat and take his firearm and blast it out with the bad guys.
You act like it's an easy thing killin' a man and, worse, slitting his throat. Maybe for a hardened criminal or soldier, but not for Way Station assistant Tom Owens (Power). Hence their best option to survive was to escape their one-room prison and flee to the hills until the outlaws left.
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