THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF KIOWA JONES

US, 1966, 100 minutes. Colour.
Robert Horton, Diane Baker, Sal Mineo, Nehemiah Persoff, Gary Merrill, Robert H. Harris, Royal Dano.
Directed by Alex March.

The Dangerous Days of Kiowa Jones is a brief, effective western. It has conventional action material, a young man by circumstances taking two criminals to justice. He is beset by the expected difficulties and is helped by the leading lady, Diane Baker, in a very good strong and unglamorous role. The film is interested in character study and shows the effect of the situation on the two leading characters as well as on the criminals, a psychotic killer played by Sal Mineo and a benign gypsy played very well by Nehemiah Persoff. An enjoyable and interesting western.

1. An effective western? Audience expectations of the West, action, adventure, heroes, villains, justice, law and order, dangers, violence?

2. The conventional outline of the plot: the young wanderer and his encounter with the sheriff and the criminals, his choice, his sense of justice taking him through difficulties, the encounters with bounty hunters, with vengeful families, with the difficulties of the terrain? The portraits of the people of the West? How well was the conventional material presented, with what depth?

3. Colour photography and the atmosphere of the West, studio sets for the camp sequences? Musical score, the title song?

4. Audience interest in and involvement with the characters? The expectations of the basic plot and of the success of the trek? The credibility of these characters in the West, the administration of justice, the dangers, greed? Guns and violence and inevitable death?

5. Kiowa Jones as hero - the introduction to him, the song during the credits, the dilemma with the handcuffed criminals and the sick marshal? His deciding to believe the marshal? His being deputised - but his not wanting the reward and his consistency in refusing the money? Why? His friendship with the marshal, helping him, the effect of the marshal's death? His interaction with the two criminals? Wilkes and his continual jibes, offering money, the ambush with the two bounty hunters and Jones' success? The encounter with Amilia and discussion, her return, the setting of the gypsy's leg? Her agreeing to take them in the wagon? The encounter with the vengeful family, the turning of the tables and the gypsy's continual help of Jones? The effect of killing the old man on Jones? His antagonism towards Wilkes, his despising Wilkes especially for using Amilia and then his wanting to kill his attackers? The encounter with the hangman? The final difficulties and reaching the goal? The discussions with Amilia,, sharing of their opinions, the rather formal proposal and the prospect of a happy ending and its credibility?


6. Amilia as heroine - wandering the West like Jones, the prim schoolteacher, resourceful, being handy with the gun, warding off the bounty hunters, returning and helping with the gypsy, the sharing of the experience with Jones? Her foolishness during the siege when Wilkes had the gun? Her acceptance of Jones' proposal?

7. Wilkes as the manic killer, the young gunman with the multiple killings? His attack on the marshal, trying to bribe Jones, his hoping to be rescued by the bounty men, the effect on him of almost being lynched, his attacking the hangman after listening to his story, the confrontation but his being thwarted by the gypsy? The prospect of the administration of justice? A detailed portrait of the nervy and psychotic killer?

8. The contrast with the gypsy and the emergence of his story, his hurting his leg, his helping Jones, his being shot by Wilkes? Poetic justice and his dying to save others?

9. The gallery of minor characters and the way these were drawn - the marshal and his sense of duty even to death. the bounty hunters and their relentlessness, the hangman and his long story about his machine and his pride in it, the father and the two sons with their vengeance and lynching?

10. Themes of violence, law and order, lynching?

11. Thews of relationships, shared experience, marriage?

12. A satisfying western, at entertainment level, with insight into the American heritage of the West?