''Hawmps!'' is a 1976 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 ...
slapstick film
Slapstick films are comedy films using slapstick humor, a physical comedy that includes pratfalls, tripping, falling, practical jokes, and mistakes are highlighted over dialogue, plot and character development. The physical comedy in these films ...
about a
United States Cavalry
The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army by an act of Congress on 3 August 1861.Price (1883) p. 103, 104 This act converted the U.S. Army's two regiments of dragoons, one ...
experiment to introduce
camels into the service in the
western United States
The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the We ...
, specifically
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
.
The cast included
James Hampton,
Christopher Connelly
Christopher Connelly (September 8, 1941 – December 7, 1988) was an American actor, best known for his role as Norman Harrington in the successful prime time ABC soap opera '' Peyton Place''. He stayed with the series during its entire f ...
and
Slim Pickens
Louis Burton Lindley Jr. (June 29, 1919 – December 8, 1983), better known by his stage name Slim Pickens, was an American actor and rodeo performer. Starting off in the rodeo, Pickens transitioned to acting and appeared in dozens of movies and ...
.
It was written by William Bickley,
Joe Camp, and Michael Warren, directed by Joe Camp,
[ and produced by Mulberry Square Productions.
]
Plot
Howard Clemmons tells his grandchildren about his adventures as a young U.S. Cavalry Lieutenant in 1854. Clemmons had no seniority, power or talent for the army and was therefore chosen to lead an experimental project using camels
A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. ...
as cavalry mounts in the southwest U.S. Clemmons remembers arriving at Fort Val Verde, Texas, where Sgt. Uriah Tibbs is expecting Arabian horses. When Tibbs explains that he and his men competed for the privilege of being in the project, Clemmons declines to tell him the “Arabians” are actually camels. Clemmons then reports to the fort's commander, Col. Seymour Hawkins, who is more interested in his cannon practice than Clemmons's camel project. Later, Clemmons inspects the troops, including Nathaniel R. Higgins, who informs Clemmons that he re-enlisted so he could ride an Arabian horse. Although Clemmons wants to tell the men the truth, he is interrupted when a cook throws dishwater out the door and soaks him. When Clemmons and Tibbs later discuss the project at the saloon, they are accosted by Sgt. Naman Tucker, who is outraged his troopers did not receive the Arabian horses. A drunken Clemmons slides under the table as the two sergeants fight.
The next day, the camels arrive, but the troops ride their horses back to the fort in disgust, leaving Clemmons to deal with the camels. Hi Jolly
Hi Jolly or Hadji Ali ( ar, حاج علي, Ḥājj ʿAlī; tr, Hacı Ali), also known as Philip Tedro (born 'Ali al-Hajaya – December 16, 1902), was an Ottoman subject of Syrian and Greek parentage, and in 1856 became one of the first camel ...
, an Arab camel trainer, reports to Clemmons and as they herd camels through town, horses stampede in fright, ladies scream and dogs bark in fear. A wagon overturns, and a barrel splits open covering Col. Hawkins's daughter, Jennifer, in molasses. Hawkins berates Clemmons for the damage and plans to cancel the project, but Clemmons declares that the orders came from Jefferson Davis, the Secretary of War. That night, Jennifer sneaks into Clemmons's room, pours a small crock of molasses over his head, and declares them even before inviting him to afternoon tea. The next day, Hi Jolly gives his first lesson in camel care as Tucker rides up and insults Tibbs's men. Clemmons warns Tucker that if he insults the camel corps again, Clemmons will put him on report and transfer him into the camel project. To the cheers of Tibbs's men, Tucker apologizes and rides away. As Hi Jolly congratulates his comrade on raising the men's morale, Clemmons faints. Over time, the soldiers continue their camel training, but the lessons do not go well. When the men finally learn to mount the camels, the animals run wild, dumping them in the dirt and water troughs. That night, the men bet Tucker he cannot lasso a camel. When Tucker lands the rope around the camel's neck, the beast runs in panic, dragging Tucker behind. The next morning, the camel returns, still dragging Tucker, bleeding and bruised.
As weeks pass, the men become proficient with their camels and Clemmons romances Jennifer. He is ordered to capture a Native American renegade and Clemmons and his men pursue the outlaws, but they are thrown off their camels at a river. Later, Hi Jolly explains that camels are afraid of water; if Clemmons had dismounted and demonstrated the water was shallow, the camels would have crossed. That night, Jennifer takes a stroll with Clemmons, who tells her Col. Hawkins is cancelling the camel project. When Clemmons whines that he is a failure, Jennifer scolds him for being too cowardly to fight for his career.
The next morning, Clemmons proposes a 300-mile race to the town of Dos Rios between his camels and Tucker's horses. When Hawkins declines, Clemmons deceitfully claims that the camel experiment is the President's pet project. Sometime later, Hi Jolly is injured in a barroom brawl and cannot ride. Before the race, Jennifer gives Clemmons a thick book on camels and kisses him. Col. Hawkins fires a cannon and the race is on. Tucker's horses outpace Clemmons's camels, but within a few days, Clemmons's men catch up. However, Clemmons learns from Corporal Leroy that Tucker and his men are captured by an outlaw named Bad Jack Cutter at Dagger's Point. Clemmons insists on rescuing Tucker and his men. Along the way, Clemmons and Tibbs capture two other outlaws, steal their clothes and horses, then ride into town in disguise to meet Bad Jack, agreeing to join his gang. Later, they find Tucker and his men in jail and try to pull out the window bars using a horse. When the horse fails, a camel demolishes the entire jail. Tucker and his men run, leaving Tibbs and Clemmons to face the outlaws alone. A gunfight ensues but Clemmons's men ride in on camelback, rescuing their leaders, and ride off before the outlaws can get to their horses. That night, Clemmons discovers they have lost the camel carrying all but one of their water barrels. Although Clemmons believes they can find water in the mountains, Tibbs insists they follow the map to the next waterhole. After two days of riding, they discover the hole is dry, and they are out of water. Tibbs wants to ride back to a river, but Clemmons convinces Tibbs to let him try to reach the mountains, ordering Tibbs to head to the river if he does not return by sunset. Clemmons finds water, but as he ties the barrel onto his camel, a shot rings out. Black Jack exchanges gunfire with Clemmons as the camel runs away. After sundown, the camel reaches Tibbs and his men. The men drink their fill, then realize Clemmons is missing. The next morning, Black Jack realizes Clemmons is out of ammunition. He climbs down the rocks and shoots Clemmons in the chest but as he celebrates, Tibbs and the men capture him. Much to Tibbs's surprise, Clemmons is saved by the book Jennifer gave him; it was inside his jacket and stopped Bad Jack's bullet.
Later, Clemmons's troop races past Tucker and his men's exhausted horses outside Dos Rios. As Clemmons celebrates his victory, a telegram arrives from Washington, D.C., reporting that Congress has approved construction of the transcontinental railroad and the camel project is therefore unnecessary. Clemmons is ordered to turn the camels loose, but Tibbs and the men protest, concerned that the camels will perish in the American desert. As Clemmons finishes telling the story to his grandchildren, his wife, Jennifer, announces that dinner is ready. Clemmons goes outside to ring the dinner triangle, but Hi Jolly, Higgins and Tibbs report that one of the camels is in labor. As the four old men walk to the barn, Higgins wonders if they could move the camels closer to the house because he is tired that “each day he must walk a mile for a camel.”
Cast
* James Hampton as Lieutenant Howard Clemmons
* Christopher Connelly
Christopher Connelly (September 8, 1941 – December 7, 1988) was an American actor, best known for his role as Norman Harrington in the successful prime time ABC soap opera '' Peyton Place''. He stayed with the series during its entire f ...
as Sergeant Uriah Tibbs
* Slim Pickens
Louis Burton Lindley Jr. (June 29, 1919 – December 8, 1983), better known by his stage name Slim Pickens, was an American actor and rodeo performer. Starting off in the rodeo, Pickens transitioned to acting and appeared in dozens of movies and ...
as Sergeant Naman Tucker
* Denver Pyle as Colonel Seymour Hawkins
* Gino Conforti as Hi Jolly
Hi Jolly or Hadji Ali ( ar, حاج علي, Ḥājj ʿAlī; tr, Hacı Ali), also known as Philip Tedro (born 'Ali al-Hajaya – December 16, 1902), was an Ottoman subject of Syrian and Greek parentage, and in 1856 became one of the first camel ...
* Mimi Maynard
Mimi Maynard is an American film and television actress (including voice acting) who is also a casting director and film producer.
Career
Since 1975, she has appeared in at least ten films and seventeen television productions, including voicin ...
as Jennifer Hawkins
* Jack Elam
William Scott "Jack" Elam (November 13, 1920 – October 20, 2003) was an American film and television actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies (sometimes spoofing his villainou ...
as Bad Jack Cutter
* Lee de Broux
Lee de Broux (born May 7, 1941) is an American character actor of film and television who is best known for his roles in such films and television series as '' Chinatown'', '' RoboCop'', '' The Gun'', '' Geronimo: An American Legend'', ''Norma ...
as Fitzgerald
* Herb Vigran
Herbert Vigran (June 5, 1910 – November 29, 1986) was an American character actor in Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1980s. Over his 50-year career, he made over 350 television and film appearances.
Early years
Vigran was a native of Cin ...
as Smitty
* Jesse Davis as Mariachi Singer
* Frank Inn
Frank Inn, born Elias Franklin Freeman (May 8, 1916 – July 27, 2002), was an American animal trainer. He trained several animals for movies, including the dogs in the ''Benji'' series and the cat Orangey. He also trained the dog in ''Honey, I ...
as Cook
* Larry Swartz as Corporal LeRoy
* Mike Travis as Arthur Logan
* Tiny Wells as Nathaniel R. Higgins
* Dick Drake as Drake
* Henry Kendrick as Colonel Randolph Zachary
* Don Starr
Donald Starr (September 20, 1917 – July 11, 1995) was an American actor who became known for his recurring role as oil baron Jordan Lee in the CBS-TV primetime soap opera series ''Dallas''.
Life and career
Starr was born and raised in Rivers ...
as Major Bill Haney
* Cynthia Smith as Granddaughter
* Roy Gunsberg as Old Man
* Rex Janssen as Grandson
* Catherine Hearne as Zelda
* Larry Strawbridge as Major
* James Weir as Private
* Alvin Wright
Alvin Wright (February 5, 1961 – March 23, 2018) was a professional American football defensive lineman. Wright, a nose tackle, played with the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams from 1986 to 1991 and was All-Pro in 1990.
High sc ...
as Crazy Feathers
* Lee Tiplitsky as Drunk
* Joe Camp III as Telegraph Boy
* Perry Martin as Frontiersman
* Sheba as Herself
* Valentine as She-Baby Camel
* Richard Lundin as Stage Driver
* Charles Starkey as Man
* Benjoe as Benji
Benji is a fictional character created by Joe Camp. He has been the focus of several movies from 1974 through the 2000s. It is also the title of the first film in the ''Benji'' franchise.
Benji is a small, lovable mixed-breed dog with an un ...
* Tiffany as White Dog
* Robert Elliott as Horse Soldier 1
* Chris Frey as Horse Soldier 2
* Raymond Kochel as Horse Soldier 3
* Bo Spafford as Horse Soldier 4
* Jim Spahn as Horse Soldier 5
* Bud Stout as Horse Soldier 6
* Dale Walker as Horse Soldier 7
* Steven C. Brown as Bad Guy 1 (uncredited)
See also
* Camel cavalry
Camel cavalry, or camelry (french: méharistes, ), is a generic designation for armed forces using camels as a means of transportation. Sometimes warriors or soldiers of this type also fought from camel-back with spears, bows or rifles.
Camel ca ...
* Hi Jolly
Hi Jolly or Hadji Ali ( ar, حاج علي, Ḥājj ʿAlī; tr, Hacı Ali), also known as Philip Tedro (born 'Ali al-Hajaya – December 16, 1902), was an Ottoman subject of Syrian and Greek parentage, and in 1856 became one of the first camel ...
* U.S. Camel Corps
The United States Camel Corps was a mid-19th-century experiment by the United States Army in using camels as pack animals in the Southwestern United States. Although the camels proved to be hardy and well suited to travel through the region, th ...
References
External links
*
*
{{Joe Camp
1976 films
1976 comedy films
1970s Western (genre) comedy films
1970s adventure comedy films
American Western (genre) comedy films
American adventure comedy films
American children's films
Films directed by Joe Camp
Films scored by Euel Box
Films shot in California
Western (genre) cavalry films
1970s English-language films
1970s American films