Raw Edge * (1956, Rory Calhoun, Yvonne De Carlo, Mara Corday, Rex Reason, Neville Brand, Emile Meyer, Herbert Rudley, Robert J Wilke) – Classic Movie Review 12,264

Universal Pictures’ Technicolor Western film Raw Edge stars Rory Calhoun, Yvonne De Carlo, Mara Corday, Rex Reason, and Neville Brand.

Director John Sherwood’s 1956 Universal International Pictures Technicolor Western film Raw Edge stars Rory Calhoun, Yvonne De Carlo, Mara Corday, Rex Reason, Neville Brand, along with Emile Meyer, Herbert Rudley, and Robert J Wilke.

What we have here is a tedious, over-familiar macho melodrama set in 1840s Oregon, with Tex Kirby (Rory Calhoun) fresh out of jail and searching for his brother’s murderer.

The film has a few Raw Edges of its own. It is a silly, carelessly made gung-ho gun-slinging Western, notable for its sexism: women are declared by town boss Gerald Montgomery (Herbert Rudley) to be just up for grabs by the nearest bloke. As Hannah Montgomery, Yvonne De Carlo (Lily Munster in The Munsters) bears the brunt of it, playing the woman every man apparently lusts after.

The decent, hard-working cast deserves better, but however they do help, while Maury Gertsman’s Technicolor cinematography is nice and moody.

Also in the cast are John Gavin [John Gilmore], Gregg Barton, Ed Fury, William Schallert, Paul Fiero, Robert F Hoy, Richard James, Francis McDonald, and Julia Montoya.

Set in 1842, it features repeating rifles not invented until the 1870s, Stetson hats not invented until 1865, and 1950s tight pants and boots for De Carlo.

The screenplay writers are Harry Essex and Robert Hill, based on an original story by William Kozlenko and James Benson Nablo.

Filming took place in October 1955 and it was released on 24 March 1956 (US).

John Gavin

It is the film debut of John Gavin, under the name  of John Gilmore. A Republican, John Gavin (born Juan Vincent Apablasa; April 8, 1931 – February 9, 2018) was appointed US Ambassador to Mexico in June 1981 by President Ronald Reagan and served until June 1986. Hitchcock’s Psycho is his finest hour.

Yvonne De Carlo

Canada-born Yvonne De Carlo (Margaret Yvonne Middleton, September 1, 1922 – January 8, 2007) became a US citizen of the United States, and was an active Republican who campaigned for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford. She enjoyed ‘openly discussing my survival instincts and admitting my to-the-right-of-right politics’. Talking of being notable for its sexism, De Carlo said in a 1976: ‘I’m all for men and I think they ought to stay up there and be the bosses, and have women wait on them hand and foot and put their slippers on and hand them the pipe and serve seven-course meals; as long as they open the door, support the woman, and do their duty in the bedroom, et cetera.’

The cast

The cast are Rory Calhoun as Tex Kirby, Yvonne De Carlo as Hannah Montgomery, Mara Corday as Paca, Neville Brand as Tarp Penny, Rex Reason as John Randolph, Emile Meyer as Pop Penny, Herbert Rudley as Gerald Montgomery Robert J Wilke as Sile Doty, John Gavin (as John Gilmore) as Dan Kirby, Gregg Barton as McKay, Ed Fury as Whitey, William Schallert as Missionary, Paul Fiero, Robert F Hoy, Richard James, Francis McDonald, and Julia Montoya.

Raw Edge is directed by John Sherwood, runs 77 minutes, is made and released by Universal International Pictures, is written by Harry Essex and Robert Hill, based on a story by William Kozlenko and James Benson Nablo, is shot in Technicolor by Maury Gertsman, is produced by Albert Zugsmith (producer) and Michael Baird (producer uncredited), is scored by Hans J Salter (uncredited), Irving Gertz (uncredited) and William Lava (uncredited), and is designed by Alexander Golitzen and Alfred Sweeney.

 © Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,264

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