''Canyon Crossroads'' is a 1955 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 Alfred L. Werker and stars

Richard Basehart John Richard Basehart (August 31, 1914 – September 17, 1984) was an American actor. He starred as Admiral Harriman Nelson in the television science-fiction drama '' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' (1964–68). He also portrayed Wilton Knig ...

Phyllis Kirk Phyllis Kirk (born Phyllis Kirkgaard; September 18, 1927 October 19, 2006) was an American actress. Early life Kirk was born in Syracuse, New York, although some sources state her birthplace as Plainfield, New Jersey. She contracted polio as ...

and

Stephen Elliott Stephen Elliott may refer to: Entertainment *Stephen Elliott (actor), (1918–2005), American actor * Stephen Elliott (author) (born 1971), American author and activist Sport *Steve Elliott (footballer, born 1958), English footballer *Steve Ellio ...

.D'Arc 2010, p. 238.

Plot

Near

Moab, Utah Moab () is the largest city and county seat of Grand County in eastern Utah in the western United States, known for its dramatic scenery. The population was 5,366 at the 2020 census. Moab attracts many tourists annually, mostly visitors to ...

, mining engineer Larry Kendall (

) is searching for large uranium deposits and joins forces with Katherine Rand (

) and her father, Dr. Andrew Rand ( Russell Collins). When Dr. Rand is hurt in an accident, Kendall and Katherine continue on, enlisting the help of an Indian guide, Charlie Rivers (

Alan Wells Alan Peter Wells (born 2 October 1961) is an English cricketer. He played for Sussex from 1981 to 1996, where he was captain from 1992 to 1996. He then played for Kent from 1997 to 2000. In total he played 376 first-class matches in a career ...

). Larry realizes Larson (

), a rival mining engineer, has sent Pete Barnwell (Charles Wagenheim) to trail them. After finding uranium ore in a series of caverns, they send Charlie back with ore samples to take to the Atomic Energy Commission office in Moab, while Larry and Kathy stay behind to protect their claim. While they had been at odds earlier, the pair now realize they are falling in love. Barnwell finds their location and attacks them, shooting Kathy, and setting off an explosion that seals the entrance to the cavern. Knowing that Charlie has ore samples, Barnwell kills him in an ambush and steals the samples. In the morning, when Kathy sees bats returning, they both realize that there is a small opening that at least Larry can climb through. Finding a horse that they had tied up, Larry heads off to town, but Barnwell is already at the Atomic Energy Commission office, plotting to turn the samples in for himself, when Larson shows up. The two thieves employ a

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

to get back to the mine where Kathy is still trapped. While Barnwell is left to guard the cavern entrance, Larson takes to his helicopter to chase down Larry. When Charlie's brothers find his body, Joe (

Richard Hale Richard Hale (born James Richards Hale; November 16, 1892 – May 18, 1981) was an American opera and concert singer and later a character actor of film, stage and television. Hale's appearance usually landed him roles as either Middle Ea ...

) and Mickey Rivers ( Tommy Cook), follow his tracks to the cavern where Joe forces a confession from Barnwell and kills him. The two Rivers brothers set out for Moab and find Larry on the way who tells them that Kathy is wounded and trapped. The group gets back to the cavern just as Larson returns. In the ensuing shootout, Larry kills Larson, then radios in for help. With the rescue service on its way, Larry and Kathy comfort each other.

Cast

as Larry Kendall *

as Katherine Rand *

as Larson * Russell Collins as Dr. Andrew Rand *

as Joe Rivers * Charles Wagenheim as Pete Barnwell *

as Charlie Rivers * Tommy Cook as Mickey Rivers *

William Pullen Vice-Admiral William John Samuel Pullen (4 December 1813 – 22 January 1887) was a Royal Navy officer who was the first European to sail along the north coast of Alaska from the Bering Strait to the Mackenzie River in Canada. His 1849 journ ...

as Harry—AEC Clerk

Production

''Canyon Crossroads'' was set in and near Moab, Utah, with 90% of the production shot entirely on location in 1954 at Professor Valley and along the Colorado River. Moab locations, the site of many previous Hollywood productions, were employed, although "no sets were constructed".

Reception

Film historians Jack Hardwick and Ed Schnepf described ''Canyon Crossroads'' as "fair entertainment", claiming that the film "... was the first good guys-bad guys helicopter chase picture." A

Bell 47 The Bell 47 is a single-rotor single-engine light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It was based on the third Bell 30 prototype, which was the company's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young. The 47 became the first he ...

helicopter was featured in the film.Hardwick and Schnepf 1989, p. 54.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* D'Arc, James. ''When Hollywood Came to Town: A History of Movie Making in Utah''. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith, 2010. . * Hardwick, Jack and Ed Schnepf. "A Viewer's Guide to Aviation Movies". ''The Making of the Great Aviation Films'', General Aviation Series, Volume 2, 1989.

External links

* * {{Alfred L. Werker 1955 films 1955 Western (genre) films American aviation films American Western (genre) films Films directed by Alfred L. Werker United Artists films Films shot in Utah 1950s English-language films 1950s American films American black-and-white films English-language Western (genre) films