''Apache War Smoke'' is a 1952 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Harold F. Kress Harold Frank Kress (June 26, 1913 – September 18, 1999) was an American film editor with more than fifty feature film credits; he also directed several feature films in the early 1950s. He won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for '' How ...

and starring

Gilbert Roland Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994), known professionally as Gilbert Roland, was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice no ...

Glenda Farrell Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress. Farrell personified the smart and sassy, wisecracking blonde of the Classical Hollywood films. Farrell's career spanned more than 50 years, appearing in numerous Broadwa ...

, and Robert Horton. The film is based on the 1939 short story "Stage Station" by

Ernest Haycox Ernest James Haycox (October 1, 1899 – October 13, 1950) was an American writer of Western fiction. Biography Haycox was born in Portland, Oregon, to William James Haycox and the former Martha Burghardt on October 1, 1899.Corning, Howard M. (1 ...

. It was released by

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

on September 25, 1952. An outlaw murders several

Apaches The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño and ...

and flees to a

stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

station with the tribe in hot pursuit.

Plot

Tom Herrera ( Robert Horton) the head of a stagecoach station in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

prepares to defend against an attack by an Apache party, seeking revenge for the killing of several Indians by an outlaw. When a stagecoach arrives at the station with passengers Nancy Dekker (

Barbara Ruick Barbara Ruick (December 23, 1930 – March 3, 1974) was an American actress and singer. Early years Ruick was the daughter of actors Lurene Tuttle and Melville Ruick, and grew up acting out scenes with dolls, employing her mother as an ...

) Cyril R. Snowden (

Gene Lockhart Edwin Eugene Lockhart (July 18, 1891 – March 31, 1957)"Gene Lockhart"
''The ...

) Lorraine Sayburn and Fanny Webson (

) they are stranded at the station with Tom and his outlaw father Peso Herrera (

). Peso is the most wanted outlaw in the country and is after the gold contained in the casket of the stagecoach. Tom knowing about his father's intention takes his guns away as a precaution. As the Apaches begin their attack, suspicion is immediately cast on Peso as the reason for the Apaches attack. Tom and Fanny defend Peso when others in the station suggest Peso be turned over to the Indians to end the conflict quickly. Tom eventually wins the argument and Peso stays in the station. However, with the help of Fanny, who gives her guns to Peso, he holds up Tom and the others and demands that they hand over the gold. Tom shoots the gun out of his father's hand. Despite the robbery attempt Tom continues to believe that his father is not responsible for the Indians attack. A fierce battle begins with the Indians and those trapped inside the station. During the fighting, an Indians emissary tries to negotiate the surrender of the murderer, but Tom again refuses to turn his father over and the fighting resumes. During the battle, Peso knocks out Pike Curtis (

Myron Healey Myron Daniel Healey (June 8, 1923 – December 21, 2005) was an American actor. He began his career in Hollywood, California during the early 1940s and eventually made hundreds of appearances in movies and on television during a career sp ...

) who Peso knows is the killer and turns him over to the Indians. With all doubt about his father removed Tom stays behind with Nancy while the stagecoach leaves for San Francisco. Later, Madre informs Tom that the gold is not as safe as he thinks because the young boy assigned to guard the gold is actually another one of Peso's sons.

Cast

as Peso Herrera *

as Fanny Webson * Robert Horton as Tom Herrera *

Robert Blake Robert Blake may refer to: Sportspeople * Bob Blake (American football) (1885–1962), American football player * Robbie Blake (born 1976), English footballer * Bob Blake (ice hockey) (1914–2008), American ice hockey player * Rob Blake (born 19 ...

as Luis Herrera *

as Nancy Dekker *

Gene Lockhart Edwin Eugene Lockhart (July 18, 1891 – March 31, 1957)"Gene Lockhart"
''The ...

as Cyril R. Snowden *

Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...

as Ed Cotten *Patricia Tiernan as Lorraine Sayburn *

Hank Worden Hank Worden (born Norton Earl Worden; July 23, 1901 – December 6, 1992) was an American cowboy-turned-character actor who appeared in many Westerns, including many John Ford films such as ''The Searchers'' and the TV series ''The Lone Ra ...

as Amber *

as Pike Curtis

Production

Some of the scenes from the 1942 MGM film ''

Apache Trail The Apache Trail in Arizona was a stagecoach trail that ran through the Superstition Mountains. It was named the Apache Trail after the Apache Indians who originally used this trail to move through the Superstition Mountains. The historic A ...

'', which was also based on Ernest Haycox's short story, were used in this movie. Many of the film's exteriors were shot on location in

Soledad Canyon Soledad Canyon is a long narrow canyon/valley located in Los Angeles County, California between the cities of Palmdale and Santa Clarita. It is a part of the Santa Clara River Valley, and extends from the top of Soledad Pass to the open plain of ...

near

Santa Clarita, California Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17th ...

Box office

According to MGM records the movie earned $577,000 in the US and Canada and $220,000 elsewhere, making a profit of $121,000.

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 0044369 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1952 films 1950s English-language films American Western (genre) films 1952 Western (genre) films American black-and-white films Films directed by Harold F. Kress 1950s American films