The idea that in order to resolve a problem one ought to have first hand knowledge of it appears sound. That’s the theory that Drum Beat (1954) puts forward, that a the best man to negotiate a peace is one who has been intimately involved in the hostilities. It’s a variation of sorts on the notion of setting a thief to catch a thief, only imbued with the kind of latent optimism that characterizes the work of writer and director Delmer Daves. It takes some real events and people from the Modoc War and uses them as the basis for a story that champions the need for rapprochement, hammering home the point that the harder it is to win, the more meaningful it becomes. The movie shares some similarities with Daves’ groundbreaking Broken Arrow, although it’s not as good that earlier film. Nevertheless, all of the director’s westerns are worthwhile in my opinion and even if Drum Beat doesn’t quite measure up to his stronger efforts, that is not to say there is nothing to recommend it.
The movie opens in Washington, in the White House in fact. There’s a marvelous informality to this, something that is hard to conceive of nowadays, as Johnny MacKay (Alan Ladd) simply walks right in and states that he has an appointment to see President Grant. It’s all about a new initiative aimed at bringing the Modoc War to an end. Washington wants to see the conflict resolved through negotiation and diplomacy, and that is where McKay comes in. His brief is to make contact with the Modoc chief Captain Jack (Charles Bronson) and attempt to coax him back to the reservation. MacKay would appear to be an odd choice for the role of peacemaker given his history as a famed Indian fighter, not to mention the fact his family had been slaughtered in an earlier massacre. Yet he’s the one selected and it’s precisely because of his background that he has made the cut. Jack is not the type to be swayed by professional purveyors of platitudes, he too is a man of action and as such more likely to pay heed to someone whose fearsome reputation precedes him. MacKay is of course aware of the magnitude of the challenge facing him and once back on the frontier it quickly becomes apparent to the viewer too. When two antagonistic cultures are living in close proximity then resentment can easily flare into something much more dangerous as a result of pettiness and relatively minor gripes getting out of hand. That proves to be the case as slights and harsh words lead to aggression and then senseless killing, only to be followed up by more tit for tat revenge before exploding into full on warfare. All the while, MacKay has to maintain his own self-discipline and sense of duty, partly as he’s given his word and partly because he gradually realizes that his mission represents the only way out of the impasse.
Drum Beat was the second western for Delmer Daves, following on from Broken Arrow and sharing some common themes, including the quest for some kind of peaceful co-existence between settlers and the native population, and also the idea of interracial relationships. Broken Arrow dealt with both more effectively, perhaps because of the characterizations of Jeff Chandler and Charles Bronson as Cochise and Captain Jack respectively, and also because the leads in both films approached their roles in a different way, but I’ll come to that a little later. Daves would go on to write the script, but did not take on the director’s responsibilities, for the following year’s White Feather and that too is a more satisfying movie all round. While there are aspects of this movie which are less successful, what does work is the director’s eye for a beautiful composition. There are some terrific shots of the Arizona locations on view, the mythic landscape dominating the CinemaScope frame and the frequently minuscule figures within it in a way that recalls Ford.
I’ve read some critiques of the movie that state it presents a far less favorable image of the Modoc than Daves’ previous western. I can see how that impression can be formed and I’ll admit there are some grounds for it, but I’m not convinced it’s entirely accurate. Jack’s faction is shown as reckless, mercurial and belligerent, but that’s as much a reflection of the character of the man as anything. The other side of the coin is presented by Marisa Pavan and Anthony Caruso as the siblings who favor reaching some kind of accommodation. What’s more, the whole point of the story, as I see it at least, is the that the drive for peace between two implacable forces is never going to be an easy process and it’s difficult to convey such a message without emphasizing warlike tendencies. Admittedly, Jack’s Modocs do appear more violent and their grievances receive precious little attention while the inherent prejudice and shortsightedness of the other side is mainly confined to Robert Keith’s hot headed character. What Daves does eschew is piety and self-righteousness. The character of the easterner Dr Thomas is portrayed as pompous, priggish and ultimately ineffectual, while the preacher who attends Jack in his cell at the end is given short shrift.
What then can we say about the actors? Alan Ladd had just made one of the great westerns in Shane and his career was at its peak. For all that, his performance here is decidedly subdued, not just the usual quiet understatement he often brought to the screen, but a calm detachment that seems overdone. I get that his character is a man who has had to rein in his emotional reactions in order to fulfill the mission he’s been handed, but all the provocation, tragedy and bubbling passions that are erupting around him arguably call for a more dynamic response. Charles Bronson fares better in a showy part as the Modoc warlord, strutting and powerful and with a gleam in his eye. It’s an entertaining turn, but there’s not a lot of nuance to it. Daves typically got good results from the female cast members and I think Marisa Pavan in particular comes across well in her selfless devotion to Ladd’s character. I find it pleasing that Pavan (the twin sister of Pier Angeli) is still with us and I hope to feature more of her work here – The Midnight Story is a film I plan to get round to in the (hopefully) not too distant future. Happily, Dubliner Audrey Dalton is another screen veteran who is still going strong. She represented the other point in the romantic triangle alongside Pavan and Ladd, although I don’t feel that whole subplot really plays out in an especially compelling way. That coolness and distance displayed by Ladd does it no favors. As for support, we’re somewhat spoiled with a long list of names drifting in and out including Warner Anderson, Rodolfo Acosta, Elisha Cook Jr, Frank Ferguson, Willis Bouchey, Robert Keith, Isabel Jewell and more.
Drum Beat was impossible to see in its correct ‘Scope ratio for a long time until it came out via the Warner Archive. I’ve not yet seen a movie by Daves that I dislike, and most of them are films I unreservedly love. However, Drum Beat is a bit disappointing, not least when it is set beside the towering achievements of his other westerns. It looks beautiful in places and it has that intuitive feel for the Old West that one expects. Still, his trademark sensitivity only appears sporadically, not surprisingly most evident in those scenes where his female characters are prominent – Pavan’s sacrifice and its aftermath, the dignity and regard she and Dalton extend to each other, Isabel Jewell’s cameo, and so on. I’d term it a good western for the most part, but only a moderate entry among this director’s credits.
Riding the High Country 
I enjoyed your review very much especially the info on the lead actresses-in fact THE MIDNIGHT STORY has just been released on Blu Ray by Explosive Media and there’s more vintage Bronson from them in December with the release of MACHINE GUN KELLY although I’m unsure regarding the ratio at present.
I actually prefer DRUM BEAT to the Daves penned WHITE FEATHER which I find a bit wishy washy for my taste.
Bronson is wonderful. and gives the film a real edge.
As good as the DVD is I would go for a Blu Ray upgrade for the stunning locations alone.
After the juggernaut SHANE I was amazed that Ladd chose to do three potboilers for Warwick Pictures THE RED BERET,THE BLACK KNIGHT and HELL BELOW ZERO ‘though I understand his deal was very lucrative.
I often wonder if, like his fellow superstars, what would have happened if he chose to work for Hitchcock Wilder & Preminger like Stewart and Cooper who both made key Daves Westerns. What I’m trying to say is that after SHANE with Ladd at the top of his game I’m sure high profile films with A list directors would have been offered to the actor-too bad he went for the money instead.
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I must get round to featuring White Feather. it may not be a Daves movie in that he’s not the director, but there’s a lot of him in there and I so I tend to think of it as one of his.
I hadn’t known that The Midnight Story was coming on Blu-ray from Germany, so thanks for passing on that very welcome news.
I’m not aware of exactly which roles Ladd was offered aside from that of Jett Rink in Giant. I can kind of understand why he turned that down (actually, I’m not sure I can see him in the role) but the fact remains it was a major movie with a high profile director.
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Ladd was too old at the time to play Jett Rink but I could see him in the Hudson role
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Yes, I think he was too old as well. A quick bit of googling indicates his own reasoning for turning it down was because it wasn’t the lead. Of course it’s hard to think of the role with anyone but Dean now, indeed I’d be hard pressed to who could have done better work in any of the leading parts.
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Haven’t seen this but will look forward to hearing more about Marisa Pavan. Her sympathetic Catherine de Medici is almost the best thing in the leaden DIANE (1955) and overshadows Lana Turner’s title character.
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And there you’ve got me on one of her films I have never seen, although it sounds like one where it may not be worth tracking down.
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Audrey Dalton, is also still with us. Sometimes I salute some of these films based on the longevity of the leads. About Ladd: I do not believe he was effective, at least not at his peak, after Shane in any films until his experience as Nevada Smith. The reasons for that seem mysterious but real. Whereas in his Paramount period, whether or not the films work well, he is always fine.
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Yes, I mentioned that Audrey Dalton is still going strong. She was in some very good movies, including an attractive turn in a favorite of mine Separate Tables, before moving mainly into television.
Ladd, with a few exceptions, did a lot of mediocre stuff after Shane and there is a noticeable contrast if you look at what he was doing in the tens years or so before it and the subsequent ten.
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Sadly Ladd was dominated by his agent ( his Wife Sue Carroll ) he seemed to be a reticent character with little self belief in his acting ability, plus his lack of height compared to many other leading men.
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It is reasonable he should follow Sue’s advice, she lead him into serious stardom. As for hs height, the average guy in 1940 was 5’7″. Cagney was smaller, Bogart an inch higher. A big dealhas made about Ladd’s size, I believe he was overwhelmed by life, and nothing to do with feet or inches. Alan Ladd was great looking.
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Insecurity can be fed by a whole range of factors, some of which may be minor if looked at in isolation. That said, it’s impossible to know how much importance any individual might attach to what others regard as non-issues.
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Colin, that is too intellectual. If that had been true, Ladd was a wealthy man, he could always have left the business. He was a substance abuser, quite a successful one in every way. He followed the lead of his brilliant wife and suffered the nonsense of those envious.
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Barry, my point is simply that when people, as has been suggested before in this case, suffer from insecurity and its effects that it’s impossible, arguably unnecessary and undesirable too, for outsiders to know exactly why that was so or to judge its validity. For me, all that really matters at the end of the day is that Alan Ladd was a fine actor for much of his career, lost his way somewhat in the latter stages and passed away far too soon.
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I’ve read before about his self doubts, and that may have played a part in how his career developed.
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Ladd asked his close friend Joel McCrea what do you do when the phone does not ring-when nobody wants you.
Joel replied “I slap my wife on the butt and ride around the ranch”
Ladd could never understand Joel’s flippant attitude.
I find THE BIG LAND a tough watch two very talented actors (Ladd & Don Castle) who could not conquer their demons who we lost too soon within 2 years of each other.
Classicflix are prepping/restoring Ladd’s THE PROUD REBEL a fine Western trapped in p.d. hell the versions currently available are horrendous!
More good news Criterion are offering a 4K restoration of THE ROARING TWENTIES which has Cagney & Walsh at the top of their game.
This makes a stellar companion piece to the wonderful package Criterion did with HIGH SIERRA.
Most Criterion product flies right over my head but I’m glad Warners entrust their flagship titles to the label.
THE ROARING TWENTIES is offered as a DVD Blu Ray and 4KUHD/Blu Ray combo.
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I saw that Criterion announcement. It’s an extremely worthy selection. Personally, my only reservation is that it’s not clear if this will also be released in the UK. If it US only, as was the case with High Sierra, then that will rule me out.
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I don’t know why Criterion only release a select few titles in the UK
Their release of HIGH SIERRA was stellar with the Walsh documentary and COLORADO TERRIRORY as a bonus. What’cha gonna do when the rumoured restored Criterion version of PAT GARRETT & BILLY THE KID finally appears-surely that will warrant a UK release as well.
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I think the UK market is, sadly, a very limited one. Blu-ray never seemed to take off in a particularly big way.
Speaking just for myself, I could of course buy a multi-region BD player and import. However, it’s not just the matter of acquiring a player – importing is not the carefree activity it once was, the costs are now significant in some cases and I really cannot justify it.
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Buying Blu-Rays in Australia is becoming very expensive as well. There’s very little available here so just about everything has to be ordered from overseas.
The advent of 4K has fragmented the physical media market even further and has naturally driven prices up.
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I guess it’s a similar situation in many places regarding price rises, not just for discs and the like but almost everything. It may mark me as a Luddite of sorts, but 4K is of no interest to me and I simply disregard it.
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I feel the same way about 4K. It annoys me to see movies that have already been released countless times getting 4K releases while there are still so many interesting movies of the past that are not available in any format.
I guess the big money is in releasing movies like CASABLANCA over and over and over again.
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Undoubtedly. As I understand it, for those with very large displays or who use projectors there is a benefit to be discerned. Otherwise,…
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It’s worse in Australia. A tiny market compared to the US. It’s surprising that there are a couple of Australian labels putting out some very good stuff but the big companies have zero interest in a market like Australia.
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I sort of presumed that you had finally got a multi region Blu Ray player purely because of your favourable comments on the Kino Noir sets-are you hoping these titles finally appear in Europe?
Some of the classic titles will of course appear in Europe but titles like CITY OF SHADOWS and FINGER MAN I doubt it.
I don’t stream or watch films on line so you do have that advantage.
For me the main thing that pushed costs up is the dreaded Brexit in the 8 years before Brexit the £ hit a low of 1.48 to the $ to a high of 1.75;as soon as Brexit announced it dived to 1.30 and right now it’s at 1.25.
An interesting article in yesterday’s Times noted that it was mainly those of low intelligence that voted for Brexit……AMEN 😦
I’m all for films given a 4K restoration but as far as buying a 4K UHD player and TV forget it unless someone releases the Crime Doctor films in 4KUHD.
My next TV of course will be 4kUHD as that’s all that seems to be available nowadays but my old 43″ HD TV is still going strong.
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The Brexit catastrophe and the general rise in prices all round has seen me exploring other options. 4K? I don’t have a 4K TV, but like you I imagine my next one will be, but I won’t be going further than that.
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I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on The Midnight Story.
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Colin
You hit the nail on the head again! A really good duster with fine work from cast and crew all the way down the line. This one shows Bronson had more talent than he is often given credit for.
My favorite Ladd dusters in no particular order (With Shane of course first) are, BRANDED 50, RED MOUNTAIN 51, THE PROUD REBEL 58 and WHISPERING SMITH 48.
Again, Colin, keep up the fine work. LOL Now I need to dig out some Ladd films for a re-watch.
Gordon
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Off topic a bit.
One of my cable channels has just added the 1962 series, STONEY BURKE, to their show lists. I have never seen the show, but have heard nothing but positive things from various folks here. Is it worth watching? Thanks for any feedback on this one.
Gordon
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It was grand and a shock to have seen it canceled after only a single season.
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I’ve never seen any of it, Gord, although I have long been a fan of Leslie Stevens’ other great series The Outer Limits.
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Gordon, I think Barry Lane hit the nail on the head concerning the TV Show STONEY BURKE(1962-63). I think it’s a well written, produced, and directed modern day Western starring Jack Lord, Warren Oates, and Bruce Dern. Also, the guest stars in this weekly series are a joy to view. I commend Leslie Stevens for creating this TV series gem.
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