The Eagle and the Hawk ** (1950, John Payne, Rhonda Fleming, Dennis O’Keefe) – Classic Movie Review 10,546

In 1950 Rhonda Fleming portrays John Payne’s fiery love interest Madeline Danzeeger in the Western film The Eagle and the Hawk.

American lawmen Texas Ranger Captain Todd Croyden (John Payne) and Union spy Whitney Randolph (Dennis O’Keefe) uncover Napoleon III’s scheme to depose the Mexican ruler and attack over the border into Texas in 1863.

It also stars Thomas Gomez as General Liguras, Fred Clark as Basil Danzeeger, Frank Faylen as Red Hyatt, Eduardo Noriega, Walter Reed, Grandon Rhodes and Margaret Martin.

Lewis R Foster’s 1950 The Eagle and the Hawk is a routine period action adventure movie, playing fast and loose with history, but it’s a busy tale done with zest and pace. The character actors help beef it up and it is photographed by James Wong Howe in the most gorgeous Technicolor.

It is a Pine-Thomas Production and a Paramount Pictures release. It has no relation to the earlier Paramount film of this title, The Eagle and the Hawk (1933), with Cary Grant.

The screenplay by Daniel Mainwaring [Geoffrey Homes] and Lewis R Foster is based on the Jess Arnold story A Mission to General Houston.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,546

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