UNTAMED FRONTIER
US, 1952, 78 minutes, Colour.
Joseph Cotten, Shelley Winters, Scott Brady, Susan Ball, Minor Watson, Lee van Cleef, Fess Parker.
Directed by Hugo Fregonese.
Untamed Frontier is one of the many small-budget westerns made by Universal Studios in the first half of the 1950s. The themes are the familiar ones of cattle barons and the settlers trying to get land and passageway through the huge holdings of the barons. There is an emotional plot where the extravagant son of the landowner is charged with murder and marries a witness to save himself from prosecution. There is a confrontation with his cousin, the sturdy hard worker on the ranch. The townspeople are against the landowners as are the incoming settlers. There are various shoot-outs – and a change of heart on the part of the hero who lets the settlers in.
Joseph Cotten is sturdy and stern as the upright worker. Shelley Winters, who had appeared in some strong films like A Double Life and A Place in the Sun, also made many programmers like this. Lee van Cleef can be seen as one of the villains.
Direction is by Argentinian Hugo Fregonese who made a number of films at this time including Decameron Nights.
1.Popular style of western? Brief? Small-budget?
2.The locations, the open plains, the cattle-ranching? The town? The musical score?
3.Familiarity of the plot: the land barons, their arrogance, their wide spreads, the threat from the settlers, refusing to give passage to government lands? The rustlers? The stampedes? The confrontations, shoot-outs? The entry of the settlers? The background of the open range wars?
4.Kirk Denbow, the upright hero, working for his Uncle Matt? Supporting him? Rescuing Glenn? The situation of the shooting, his trying to buy off Jane? His not being told the true motives for the marriage? His discovery, apology? The attraction towards Jane? The threat of Glenn? Jane feeling there was a barrier between them? The challenge to his authority? The shoot-outs, the death of his cousin and uncle? Free to marry, free to own the cattle, free to change decisions?
5.Matt Denbow, stern, unrelenting? His property? The clash with people in the town, the newspapers? Glenn and his wilfulness, with the women, Lottie and her love for him? His attraction towards Jane, the dance? The shooting and his killing? The arrest, the plan for his marrying? Feting Jane and buying the dresses? The paper’s revelation, the wedding? His attitude towards Jane, leaving her? The relationship with Lottie? Being rescued by Kirk? His father disowning him? His friends plotting against him – and his being shot?
6.Jane, her work at the bar, her falling in love with Glenn, at the dance? The shooting? Her honesty, not being able to be bought? The marriage, the dresses, her happiness, discovering the truth? Her strong stances, the clash with Kirk, standing up to Matt Denbow and defying him? The clashes with Glenn? Her work on the ranch, her knowledge from her family, the farm in Ohio, settlers? Her defence of the settlers and their rights? The attraction towards Kirk, keeping a distance? The shootings – and the happy ending?
7.Lottie, love for Glenn, taking his opponent’s gun, Glenn and the shooting? Her hold over Glenn? The clash with Jane?
8.Glenn’s friends, the group, the cattle rustling? Dave Chittun, sinister, shooting Glenn?
9.The comeuppance for the Denbows, the shooting of Glenn, the shooting of Matt? The place of Camilla Denbow, love for her son, her husband? Standing for what was right?
10.Popular themes of the open range, the settlers, the gunfighters and the clashes?
