Backlash
Tags: revenge, violence

Plot synopsis:
Jim Slater (Richard Widmark) meets Karyl Orton (Donna Reed) in Gila Valley, Arizona. She thinks that he is searching for a gold cache believed to hidden somewhere in the valley. When a man with a rifle starts shooting at him, Jim wonders if she can be trusted. After Jim kills his foe, he discovers the dead man was a deputy sheriff from Silver City. He takes the body there.
When Sheriff J. C. Marson (Edward Platt) questions him, Jim reveals that he is after the person responsible for his father's death. Jim's father and four other men were besieged and killed by Apaches. Jim believes there was a sixth man who got away and could have gone for help, but instead decided he wanted the gold they found all to himself. Marston reveals that one of the men was the brother of the dead deputy. There are two other brothers, who will want revenge. When Jim refuses to leave town, Marston suggests he go see Sergeant George Lake (Barton MacLane) in Tucson. Lake led the detail that found the massacre victims.
Jim takes his advice, but finds Lake and his men under siege at an isolated trading post. Lake tells Karyl that only three of the bodies could be identified. While there, Karyl stakes her claim to the gold; her husband was another victim of Gila Valley. Lake and Jim sneak out that night and stampede the Apaches' horses, allowing the party to escape. Lake, however, is mortally wounded. Before he dies, he reveals they found a horse bearing the brand of Carson's outfit in Texas.
When Jim returns to Tucson, he encounters Karyl in a hotel, being forced upstairs by a stranger. Karyl calls him by name, whereupon the stranger draws his gun. Jim kills him and wounds another man gunning for him, though he himself is shot in the shoulder. Afterward, Karyl reveals that the dead man is Jeff Welker (Robert J. Wilke) and the survivor his brother Tony (Harry Morgan). Jim slaps her. She tracks him down, tends to his wound, and offers to trade information. Jim kisses her.
When the pair reach their destination, Major Carson (Roy Roberts) tries to recruit Jim against Bonniwell (John McIntire), who has organized the local bandits. Jim is not interested in the upcoming range war, though he does learn that Bonniwell arrived in the region with $60,000, the same amount as the missing gold. One of Carson's gunmen, Johnny Cool (William Campbell), informs Bonniwell of Carson's plans.
Bonniwell gathers his men in town, guns down Sheriff Olson (Robert Foulk) when he tries to keep the peace, and prepares an ambush. He finds Jim locked in the jail. He lets the prisoner out when he learns who he is, then reveals that he is Jim's father, whom Jim had not seen since he was a child. The gold came, not from mining, but via robbery. The others forced Bonniwell out, only to run afoul of the Apaches, leaving him to collect the gold. Disillusioned, Jim wants nothing to do with his father.
Karyl pleads with Jim to leave now, but he wants to warn Carson. When he tries to fire a warning shot, he discovers that Bonniwell gave him back an unloaded gun. Bonniwell chases his son with a knife, but Jim manages to wrestle a gun from one of the bandits and fire. Alerted, Carson has his men surround the town, whereupon the bandits panic and flee. Bonniwell offers to step out of hiding and draw to see which Slater is faster, but he treacherously already has his gun in his hand. Fortunately, Carson's men ride in and fatally shoot him just before Jim steps out in the open.

Review: Donna Reed comes upon Richard Widmark at a place called Gila Valley where five men were massacred by Indians and one man escaped with $60,000.00.
Three of the five men were identified, but none of the deceased is either Widmark's father or Reed's husband.
But both seek and find support and comfort in the other.Backlash as a previous reviewer remarked is almost like a detective story set in the west.
The two who stand out and steal the film from the stars are William Campbell as a punk gunfighter and John McIntire as the amoral outlaw leader in whose hands Widmark and Reed fall into at the end of their odyssey.No studio backlots for this western, good location photography and a very nice plot distinguish this film.
Given the pedigree of its makers--director John Sturges, producer Aaron Rosenberg, screenwriter Borden Chase and novelist Frank Gruber--one would have expected BACKLASH to be a bit grander in scale and offer more memorable action scenes.
Richard Widmark plays Jim Slater, a Texan looking to uncover information about his father's death, particularly the identity of the man who left his father and four other men to die at the hands of an Apache war party in a remote place called Gila Valley.
The missing sixth man left with $60,000 in gold, ostensibly from a mine, which means that relatives of the other dead men, including a pretty widow and the notorious Welker brothers, are gunning for the same man, but with an eye towards retrieving the gold.
Eventually, Slater finds his man, only to learn a shocking secret he wasn't prepared for, propelling the drama to a whole new stage and a violent confrontation with oedipal overtones.Much of the film is spent simply tracking down people who may or may not have known the dead men or the elusive sixth man.
As such, it pales next to other works by the same creators, most notably the trio of Anthony Mann-directed westerns produced by Rosenberg and written by Chase, WINCHESTER '73, BEND OF THE RIVER and THE FAR COUNTRY, which placed their heroes in far more complex moral dilemmas.Nonetheless, BACKLASH is blessed with a great cast of tough guys acting hard and drawing guns at the drop of a chair.
Wilke, old hands at this kind of thing, play the ill-fated Welker brothers who have a propensity for forcing the widow, played by Donna Reed, to sit down and have whiskey with them.
Onetime gangster heavy Barton MacLane appears in a sympathetic role as a grizzled army sergeant whom Widmark seeks information from and winds up assisting in a fight with Apaches.
Roy Roberts turns up as a powerful rancher seeking to wage a defensive range war against the mysterious Frank Bonniwell who turned up out of the blue with $60,000 to buy up land and equipment only to start rustling other ranchers' cattle.
John McIntire plays Bonniwell, adding to the actor's rogues' gallery of memorable bad guys (see also WINCHESTER '73 and THE FAR COUNTRY).
Donna Reed is quite good as the opportunistic widow who can't quite determine if she's more loyal to Slater or the gold.Trivia Note: William Campbell's character name, Johnny Cool, was the name of a 1963 crime thriller starring Henry Silva as the title character.
Silva had earlier appeared in another tough 1950s western, THE TALL T (1957), in which Skip Homeier played an outlaw character named Billy Jack, which was later the name of a 1971 counterculture hit starring Tom Laughlin..
Anyone else but Richard Widmark, and BACKLASH might have been a forgettable, hollow mystery set in the old West.
As it is, Widmark and a dark-tressed, feisty Donna Reed give this slight tale some real impact as two people searching for lost loved ones, Reed her husband and Widmark his father.
The truths Widmark and Reed must face by the climax are tough to take, but these two prove tougher than they might at first appear.
The entertaining story is a typical one by the great western-writer Borden Chase: plenty of twists of the plot, of surprises, of double-crossing, of complicated kinship relations between the many characters.
Richard Widmark is a great actor in every role: either as the good guy (here), or as the villain (in many other movies).
Donna seems even more beautiful and appealing in "Backlash" than in the Capra's movie (in fact she's really gorgeous).
Is she so good to be able to improve her looks, depending on her role?Predictably enough, "Backlash" oozes amiable cliches and naive flaws, which, however, almost increase the pleasure of us old western-movies-fans.
And we have the usual geographical oddities of old classic westerns: the guys just cross a mountain and they pass from Arizona to Texas!I like "Backlash" and I recommend it: see the movie, relax and have a good time..
John Sturges was at his best in the fifties (Black Rock, OK Corral, Fort Bravo) and no more proof of that than "Backlash".
The love relationship between Widmark and Donna Reed is well built, and the scene where Donna takes of her shirt to help the wounded Widmark is very, very sexy.
Richard Widmark, (Jim Slater) played the role of a young man who was a gunslinger and had reason to believe his father was killed up North while he hit it rich in a gold discovery.
Donna Reed, (Karyl Orton) is also searching in this same town of Silver Creek for the killer of her husband.
However, when Karyl and Jim meet up with each other they fight like cats and dogs and Karyl many times attempts to kill Jim. John McIntire, (Jim Bonniwell) and Barton McLane, (Sgt. George Lake) give great supporting roles along with great photography and a very good story with many twists and turns.
This is an outstanding movie, particularly for Westerns filmed in this period, which included the mid-50's.Widmark and Reed give excellent performances, as usual for both, and the remaining cast, particularly William Campbell and John McIntyre, do as well.Campbell's brash "young gun" is a bit overdone, but that was a trait which was a virtual necessity from this type character in films 50 years ago.
The only other aspect which detracted a bit from the story was Donna Reed's appearance.
Traveling by horseback in remote, dusty areas, she looked like she might be dressed for a "Western night" sorority party, with makeup perfect and hair well-coiffed, perhaps by her sorority sisters, if not at the campus beauty parlor.But again, this was an element of 1950's pictures, and didn't detract from the story.
Here, there was more plot, drama, good acting, and realistic dealing with the plot's events than your likely to find in the usual 10-15 Westerns, combined..
Backlash (1956) is directed by John Sturges and adapted by Borden Chase from the novel written by Frank Gruber.
It stars Richard Widmark, Donna Reed, John McIntire & William Campbell.
It's shot in Technicolor by Irving Glassberg on location in Tuscon, Arizona.1870 Arizona, and Jim Slater (Widmark) is searching for the truth about what happened to his father during the Apache ambush at Gila Valley.
This brings him into contact with strong willed Karyl Orton (Reed), who courtesy of her missing husband also has an interest in the events of that raid.
Glassberg's cinematography is first class, really vibrant and bursting out from the screen as they nicely film it on location of where the story is set.
Widmark is excellent as the tough as nails hero and Reed looks stunning whilst neatly essaying a prickly femme fatale type.
McIntire gives another classy supporting turn and Campbell is enjoyably OTT as hothead gunslinger Johnny Cool.The principals have all done far better work in the genre, but this is a nice change of pace for all of them.
She travels on horse-back...I would like to submit the fact that Donna Reed never wore a dress in the movie Backlash.
As a matter of fact in the early part of the movie she was in slightly tight trousers and for the remainder of the movie she was in culottes.She did use her blouse to dress Richard Widmark's wound earlier and one must wonder where she got a blouse to wear for the rest of the movie.
She did so very well in this movie even though she only contributed a blouse from her saddle bag to dress Richard Widmarks wound.
Was the scene where she dressed Widmark's wound believable?
You put the beautiful Donna Reed in a movie and leave out her sexiness and you have committed the most grievous of sins.
In fact, every relationship in this less than epic oater develops with with an expedition better suited to humor an audience than to lasso them into believability.A sample: The scene where Widmark takes the dead deputy into Silver City is ridiculous.
Next thing you know, Widmark and Reed are ordered out of town.
What does not make sense here is that Platt is demanding accountability from Widmark and Reed, but none from aggrieved brothers of the dead deputy.
And, while I did enjoy it, I was far from excited about BACKLASH--mostly because the writing, at times, seemed trite.The film begins with Richard Widmark in the western desert.
A dark-haired Donna Reed approaches him and soon appears to set him up to be killed.
A bit later in the film, the same thing happens again--at which point Widmark smacks her across the face.
Who this was and what exactly happened to his father and Reed's husband (who were in the group massacred) is the theme of the film.
An interesting concept.Overall, the acting is very good and the people in the film give it their best.
Again this week on AMC and while watching it i noticed chairs around the fireplace Donna Reed sat in one....in scene where confrontation where Slater learns about his father...Any ways i was taken back with the fact that a chair would get my attention as i have a similer chair..Why am i bringing this to IMDb attention?Thought i'd seek some advise from persons in props department or advise on companies that supply props like the furniture used in "Back Lash".
I will not take the time to list all of the Sturges movies I like, but I am particularly fond of his westerns.
The movie stars (the underrated, in my opinion) Richard Widmark, joined by Donna Reed.
I will not give too much away regarding the plot (no spoilers here), and will only say that the story revolves around Widmark searching for the man who left a group of men stranded.
In fact, the premise, and suspense that stems from it, has caused some reviewers to classify this film as a "psychological western." This subgenre is known for building slow burning suspense, relying more on tension rather than scenes of action (the original 3:10 to Yuma is a good example).
It's a lean, action-packed gem of a western with excellent pacing, an exciting story, and great acting.
Five or six men who discovered gold at Gila Valley in Arizona were attacked by Apaches and massacred.
Jim Slater (Richard Widmark), whose father may have died at Gila Valley, is searching for one survivor who deserted the rest, taking all of the sixty thousand dollars in gold.
A sole woman, Karyl Orton (Donna Reed) rides into his camp, and Slater offers her a cup of coffee.
They exchange a few words; Slater tells her he does not care about the gold, but rather the identities of the dead men.
Orton is searching for her missing husband, and unlike Slater, the gold.
Marson identifies the dead man as Tom Welker, who lost a brother at Gila Valley.
Before Slater leaves the sheriff provides the name of Sergeant George Lake to help him on his search.
Before he dies he provides a couple of clues to Slater, especially one that leads to the Carson ranch.Meanwhile, in Tucson the two surviving Welker brothers, who would like to get their hands on the Gila Valley gold, try to put the pressure on Karyl Orton, who ended up in a saloon.
We learn that Slater never knew his father, who deserted his family and who may indeed be alive after all.
At the Carson ranch there are tidings of an impending range war that will involve both Major Carson (Roy Roberts) and his adversary, shadowy Jim Bonniwell (John McIntire).
Slater also discovers from Carson the fourth name of those killed in the Apache massacre at Gila Valley.
Slater begins to connect the new facts: It is nearly certain that his father is alive after all, and was in fact the sixth man, the Gila Valley deserter, Jim Bonniwell.
In the meantime we have an interesting character, a scene-stealer if there ever was one, psychotic gunslinger Johnny Cool (William Campbell).
The director must have been aware of Campbell's on-screen style, as the actor is third-billed, behind stars Widmark and Reed.
It is fine enough, however.Richard Widmark made his movie debut as Johnny Udo in "Kiss of Death" (1947).
Director John Sturges made "Backlash" with Richard Widmark, Donna Reed,and John McIntire after he helmed "The Walking Hills," "Escape from Fort Bravo," and "Bad Day at Black Rock." This Borden Chase scripted horse opera deals with a dark truth concealed about the past.
Wilke, Harry Morgan, William Campbell and John McIntire.
Incidentally, although this is a western set in the days of horses and stagecoaches, Donna Reed is pretty leathery herself, sauntering about with a quirt dangling from her wrist like an S&M, mistress.
Shoot-outs, Apaches on the warpath, and men talking tough to each other provide the bulk of the drama, but "Backlash" isn't in the same league with "The Walking Hills," "Escape from Fort Bravo," "Bad Day at Black Rock" and the later collaboration between Sturges and Widmark entitled "The Law and Jake Wade." Primarily, Sturges doesn't stage the action as distinctively as he did in either his previous or later westerns.In the first scene, Karyl Orton (Donna Reed of"From Here to Eternity") rides across Widmark slinging dirt around with a shovel at a set of adobe ruins in the wide open spaces.
Jim Slater (Richard Widmark of "Kiss of Death") scales the mountain, six-gun in fist, and gets the drop on the trigger-happy hombre.
Only after Slater searches him does he learn that his attacker was Silver City deputy sheriff Tom Welker (Regis Parton of "This Island Earth").
Initially, Slater thinks that Karyl set him up to be shot by the rifleman when she asked him to for her cigarettes.
The Sheriff of Silver City puts Karyl on the stage to Tucson and warns Slater that Tom Welker's brothers will come gunning for him.
"My father was killed at Gila Valley, and I'm going to find the man who murdered him."The trail that Slater rides to learn the ugly truth takes them into an Apache besieged trading post to ask a U.S. Cavalry Sergeant George Lake (Barton MacLane of "High Sierra") about the bodies since he was in charge of the burial detail.
Before he can get his information, our hero has to help Sgt. Lake distract the bloodthirsty Indian so that the people at the trading post can escape by the stagecoach while Slater and he keep the Indians busy by running off their horses.
Lake doesn't shed much light on the mystery before he dies from an Indian bullet, but he gives Slater a clue that takes him to Major Carson's ranch.
Meanwhile, a feud brewing between two ranchers, Jim Bonniwell (John McIntire of "Wagon Train") and another rancher Major Carson (Roy Roberts of "My Darling Clementine") and along the way Slater has to shoot it out with a decked out in leather hired pistolero, Johnny Cool (William Campbell of "Escape from Fort Bravo"), who is lightning fast on the draw.
Look closely and you will spot Maxwell Smart's superior (Edward Platt) from TV's "Get Smart" playing a sheriff wearing a Stetson and packing a six-gun.Although it's a taut western with a surprise ending, "Backlash" resembles Frank Gruber's 1952 novel "Fort Starvation" only in minor respects.
Indeed, our protagonist John Slater embarks on an inexorable quest to discover the identity of the sixth man He visits the massacre site and an unseen assassin shoots at him from afar.
Ultimately, Slater doesn't encounter the father that he neither knew and Susan isn't look for her husband as is Karyl..
This screenplay tosses in as many Western tropes as can fit in the running time: a man (that Hollywood invention, a gunfighter) ranging for revenge; a woman of ambiguous fidelity; a war between ranchers for control of a town; a flashy punk to challenge the gunfighter; gold; Apaches (much mentioned, not seen).Everyone except Widmark looks as if they are soaking up the local color at a dude ranch — most of the cast sport bandanas in a range of designer hues and tones around their necks and are attired in notably neat, clean clothes.
(Reed did come from Iowa; Widmark from Minnesota.) When things threaten to slow down or seem too absurd, there is another Hollywood invention — the fast-draw showdown.
There are four, or maybe five, including the not-quite-a-showdown at the end.A sign of how misguided this film is can be seen in its having the congenitally likable Harry Morgan as a badass dude (he gets plugged by the black leather-wearing flashy punk, who is named...Johnny Cool).Widmark does solid work, and has some snappy lines as the roving avenger.
Reed does the best she can, but at times seems to be thinking ahead to settling down in the suburbs as the wife of a pediatrician, which she would do a few years later on her own television show.The filmmakers may have been trying to have it both ways here: serving up slickly done clichés to satisfy the fan of Westerns while casting sideways winks to those who might be attuned to the camp aspects of the affair.