Thursday, 28 August 2008

MOVIE SNAPSHOTS No2


I don't really remember a lot about THUNDER IN THE SUN(1959) which was written and directed by Russell Rouse from a story by James Hill (supposedly the very English Hill who scripted BORN FREE but if it was he was on drugs!). The wacky plot is a group of Basques who are travelling to California with their grape vines by wagon train. They are guided by Jeff Chandler the well known cross dresser. The Basques are played by various French actors who really should have known better and Susan Hayward who had previously played a red headed Mongol princess in John Wayne's THE CONQUEROR. Real Basques don't do Flamenco but that don't stop our Susie in this film and researching it on IMDb I discovered that the Basques are really pissed off with this film. So what have I chosen as my Movie Snapshot ? Well, I've chosen the bit that makes me remember this film. When the pesky redskins attack the Basques start leaping around among the rocks like frogs and yodelling! What makes this memorable (and believe me people who have seen this do remember it) is that the actors don't just jump - they are propelled into space by hidden trampolines! You don't see that too often in a Western!

1 comment:

Cerpts said...

Oh my Lord! How have I never seen THIS one?!?!?!