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

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, 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, 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 Gilmore, Gregg Barton, Ed Fury, William Schallert, Paul Fiero, Robert F Hoy, Richard James, Francis McDonald, and Julia Montoya. 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.

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.

Writers: Harry Essex, Robert Hill, William Kozlenko (story) and James Benson Nablo (story).

It was released on 24 March 1956 (US).

Raw Edge is directed by John Sherwood, runs 76 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.

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.’

 © Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,264

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