Though he never achieved the status of John Ford, Delmer Daves was responsible for elevating many average scripts into films that became more than the sum of their parts (Dark Passage, 3:10 To Yuma). This is a film I can first recall seeing on the late show in my early teens with my nine-year-old brother. Thirty years later we still call each other when we see it listed in the TV guide.
In Commanche Todd Richard Widmark gives us one of his most likable and unforgettable characters in what could easily have become a throwaway performance in a "B" movie. The supporting cast is excellent especially Felicia Farr as Jenny. She took what could have been a potentially thankless role and turns Jenny into a strong and extremely desirable woman. Despite the sappy Hollywood ending that is somewhat at odds with the tone of the rest of the film this is a film that holds up after almost fifty years.
In Commanche Todd Richard Widmark gives us one of his most likable and unforgettable characters in what could easily have become a throwaway performance in a "B" movie. The supporting cast is excellent especially Felicia Farr as Jenny. She took what could have been a potentially thankless role and turns Jenny into a strong and extremely desirable woman. Despite the sappy Hollywood ending that is somewhat at odds with the tone of the rest of the film this is a film that holds up after almost fifty years.