“Snake River Desperadoes”

This film has both Little Brown Jug and Tommy Ivo in it! These two seem to alternate as the little kid quotient in these later films (this is 1951 and 10 to go.)

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

We should get these two together. Little Brown Jug (aka Don Reynolds) went to become a horse wrangler and trainer, most notably on the “Lord of The Rings” trilogy. Here is more information on Don Reynolds. Tommy Ivo became a professional race car driver, competing in Top Fuel Dragsters and Nitro Funny Cars. Here is T.V. Tommy’s webpage.

Screw the “Two Coreys”, these two should have their own reality show!

We’ve seen this plot before: opportunistic cowboys are raising hell dressed as injuns, hope to start a war so they can sell rifles. Though we see an addressed envelope that reads “Stardale, Idaho”, this doesn’t have anything to do with the Snake River (or Desperadoes for that matter).

Steve Reynolds is an agent for Indian Affairs, but he’s working undercover. Smiley has discarded the trademark battered black hat for a band marshall’s ceremonial headress. The change doesn’t make him any funnier.

There is a nice Rambo-esque sequence where Durango picks off members of a posse one by one. This is recycled footage from 1949’s “Desert Vigilante.”

The bad guy is revealed in a great manner. The kind old storekeeper who knows all about the local indians is always sewing beads on something while he talks. Later, we pan a darkened room full of ruffians and hear their boss’ voice and pan to reveal that this boss is finishing sewing the beads in the shape of a swastika.

Some cool riding in this. Lots of high-speed tracking shots. Go Fred Sears.

Final dialogue: whites and indians gathered around the teepee, shaking hands.

Black Eagle: “Now maybe our two people live in peace.”

Durango: “That’s right, Chief. Like one people.”

Black Eagle: “Like one people. Like Durango and Steve Reynolds maybe.”

Durango: “Maybe.”

Yeah, maybe. No one else seems to care much. At least not the writers.

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Last shot of the film is the two little boys smoking a peace pipe. I’m telling you, this reality TV show has potential….

Durango out!