If you're an Audie Murphy fan like I am, you have to be just a little bit troubled by the way circumstances dictated his character here. When Yaqui Indian Tigre (Eugene Iglesias) killed the deputy guarding Jim Harvey (Murphy) in the jail cell, any rational mind would have believed that Harvey was complicit in the murder. Yet at the same time, sticking around to plead his case would have been a disaster. Like the deputy said, "...fly with jailbirds and you get dirty wings."
Well who would have figured that the title of the picture referred to the name of a horse. A rather clever horse when you get right down to it, but looking like a mangy old swayback that didn't look like he should be teaming up with the star of the picture, much less being one himself. There was actually a rather nervous looking scene when Harvey, atop Tumbleweed, attempted that very first climb up the mountain trail. Tumbleweed looked like he was slipping and losing his balance and about ready to make the first part of his name stick. But he got himself straightened out quickly enough; I wonder if Audie Murphy said a little prayer of thanks after that one.
This might be the only picture I've seen Lee Van Cleef in where he does something to make his character look kind of dumb. He starts to take off along the same trail Tumbleweed did and his horse went butt over tincups with the rest of the sheriff's bunch laughing at his attempt. Come on, who laughs at Lee Van Cleef? I'm sure he got his revenge in another picture.
Realistically speaking, I can't say that I found the resolution to this story to be very credible, in as much as the Indian Chief Aguila (Ralph Moody) fingered Lam Blanden (Russell Johnson) as the villain who set up the Yaqui ambush of the wagon train. Sure he did it, but Aguila died immediately, and how would Sheriff Murchoree (Chill Wills) have convinced an entire town that Harvey was innocent with nothing else to go by. I guess if he ever had to stand trial, Harvey could have brought in Tumbleweed as a character witness. That horse could do anything.
Well who would have figured that the title of the picture referred to the name of a horse. A rather clever horse when you get right down to it, but looking like a mangy old swayback that didn't look like he should be teaming up with the star of the picture, much less being one himself. There was actually a rather nervous looking scene when Harvey, atop Tumbleweed, attempted that very first climb up the mountain trail. Tumbleweed looked like he was slipping and losing his balance and about ready to make the first part of his name stick. But he got himself straightened out quickly enough; I wonder if Audie Murphy said a little prayer of thanks after that one.
This might be the only picture I've seen Lee Van Cleef in where he does something to make his character look kind of dumb. He starts to take off along the same trail Tumbleweed did and his horse went butt over tincups with the rest of the sheriff's bunch laughing at his attempt. Come on, who laughs at Lee Van Cleef? I'm sure he got his revenge in another picture.
Realistically speaking, I can't say that I found the resolution to this story to be very credible, in as much as the Indian Chief Aguila (Ralph Moody) fingered Lam Blanden (Russell Johnson) as the villain who set up the Yaqui ambush of the wagon train. Sure he did it, but Aguila died immediately, and how would Sheriff Murchoree (Chill Wills) have convinced an entire town that Harvey was innocent with nothing else to go by. I guess if he ever had to stand trial, Harvey could have brought in Tumbleweed as a character witness. That horse could do anything.