Rawhide

Nobody can accuse director Henry Hathaway of having a film noir formula: his eclectic approach to the style included newspaper noir (Call Northside 777, 1948), studio-bound expressionism (The Dark Corner, 1946), glamorous, full-color heists (Seven Thieves, 1960), and western-noir crossovers like this one. Starring aging matinee idol Tyrone Power as reluctant relay station attendant Tom Owens, Rawhide begins with majestic mountain scenery and a sunny orchestration of “Oh, Susannah” but fairly quickly turns grim as escaped prisoner Rafe Zimmerman (Hugh Marlowe) and his gang take over the station, shoot stationmaster Sam Todd (Edgar Buchanan) in the back, and hold Tom hostage until the expected, gold-toting coach, which they plan to rob, passes through later that night. Trapped with Tom is beautiful, independent-minded Vinnie Holt (Susan Hayward) and her toddler niece who had been traveling on the prior stage but were forced to stay behind. Hathaway creates punches of suspense throughout, from Zimmerman’s mysterious arrival at night to the covert digging of an escape tunnel to the little girl’s disappearance and subsequent use as a shooting target by madman Tevis (Jack Elam), whose grotesque face and predatory body language are perfectly captured by Krasner’s camera. Luscious B&W cinematography frames the humble little station within a panoramic, snow-covered mountain range, the hazards both outside and inside bearing down on the hostages until their fate is decided.