This 1952 release was actually a pretty cool movie. Richard Widmark stars as "Cliff Mason", a foreman in the "smoke jumper" unit of the U.S. Forest Service. This group has the easy banter and confidence of a group used to being in harm's way. The team works an area of "Big Sky country", parachuting into blazes to stop the destruction. The characteristic winds and dry terrain contribute to frequent fires in the warm weather months, as we see in the film.
Early in the picture, Mason takes his team into a fire zone near "Bugle Peak". Yeah, it's dangerous, but these guys have seen this type of action before. This time, however, leadership at home base suspects something has gone wrong. Cliff hasn't checked in with "Dick Dryer" (Richard Boone) in a couple of days. Dryer goes out to the site and doesn't see any signs of life. After surveying the scene on foot for a while, Dick sees an ash-covered figure staggering towards him, babbling hysterically. It's Cliff, who turns out to be his team's only survivor.
Dick and his pilot get Cliff to the hospital, where Dick has to break the news to Cliff. Cliff is immediately filled with grief, but he can't remember the details surrounding the deaths of his team. As the field boss, he's obviously responsible for leading his team out of harms' way. But, what happened?
Jeffrey Hunter ("Ed Miller) is a smoke jumper team member whose dad ("Pop Miller", by Joe Sawyer) died in the Bugle Peak fire. Ed is grieving (he's following in his dad's footsteps), and wants to understand what happened. Cliff's lack of remembrance frustrates Ed, but Ed understands the risks the team takes on.
After Cliff gets well, he becomes head trainer for the team, driving the men with increasing agitation. At the same time, the men start to wonder among themselves: why is Cliff the only one who survived Bugle Peak? After Cliff is cleared of all wrongdoing by an investigative board, Ed finds himself angry. Somebody has to be responsible for his dad's death. Cliff was in charge. Maybe Cliff panicked in the midst of the fire, leaving Pop & the rest of the team to perish...?
The beautiful but ultimately doomed Constance Smith works as Cliff's wife "Peg". Typical of movie wives of the era, she was beautiful/loyal/patient/mostly seen as a staunch supporter of her husband. Most of her lines were "I believe you"-type stuff. It wasn't a huge role, but she did her part.
The more I watch Widmark in various roles, the more I'm impressed with his range. He can do tough, he can do haunted, he can do weak, he can do redeemed. He really was one of the best film actors of all time.
The movie is a love letter to the U.S. Forest Service, and the committed bravery of its fire-fighting teams. The open spaces are quite photogenic, and you get the impression it took a rugged man to do this type of work. The team's camaraderie and coordination remind me of military operations - each man has a role, and does it well. For those who like action/adventure movies, this one was enjoyable.
No comments:
Post a Comment