JohnHowardReid Director: NATHAN JURAN. Screenplay: John K. Butler, Lawrence Roman. Story: John K. Butler. Photographed in Technicolor by Harold Lipstein. Film editor: Virgil Vogel. Art directors: Bernard Herzbrun and Richard H. Riedel. Set decorators: Russell A. Gausman and Julia Heron. Costumes: Jay Morley. Make-up: Bud Westmore. Hair styles: Joan St Oegger. Assistant director: Tom Shaw. Sound recording: Leslie I. Carey and Richard DeWeese. Producer: Melville Tucker. Copyright 11 May 1954 by Universal Pictures Co, inc. A Universal- International picture. No New York opening. U.S. release: 1 June 1954. U.K. release through G.F.D. on the lower half of a double bill: 2 October 1954. Australian release: 10 December 1954. 6,913 feet. 77 minutes. SYNOPSIS: A villainous white man tries to stir up an Indian war for his own commercial advantage.COMMENT: Very attractively photographed. The studio night scenes particularly appeal. The camera-work reveals a dramatic depth of creative composition not usually associated with the work of Nathan Juran (though the man is a former art director after all). A few other inventive touches like the track ahead to the tree stump and the constantly clever use of pans in establishing shots, lend Mr Juran's direction even added luster and style. The exteriors are equally impressive. In fact, production values generally — even though lumbered with one or two obvious stock shots — are of an unusually high order.Unfortunately, the script and most of the players are something else again. The story is almost an entry in the unusual alliances cycle, except that this device is not over-emphasized in the manner of many later movies. Lyle Bettger, as usual, shines as the smiling heavy. It's also great to find Bob Steele in a meaty role as a bad-favored henchman. But Lisa Gaye makes a ridiculous if well-proportioned heroine, whilst Mara Corday is only slightly more credible as Bettger's moll. Still, neither girl has much of a part."Drums Across the River" boasts enough action to satisfy the fans, even if the doubles do all the work.

LeonLouisRicci A Colorful, Winner Western with Audie Murphy in His Element and a Solid Back-Up Cast including Walter Brennan in an atypical Super Serious Role as Murph's Dad. Some Recognizable Bad-Guys including the always Grinning Lyle Bettger, Bob Steele, and Hugh O'Brian as a Psycho Gunslinger. Jay Silverheels and that always Recognizable Voice has a Small but Important Role as an Indian Chief.It is quite Striking just how much Plot was Woven into these 80 Minute Westerns, it's just a Treat to Watch it Unfold at a Blistering Pace. The Action Never Lets Up and the Story Layers are Simple and Significant.The Movie features that Glorious Technicolor that Drips from the Screen, a Look that has been Lost in Time. Overall, this Cowboys and Indians Movie is the Stuff that made Saturday Matinees the Favorite Spot for Kids of the Fifties. Downtown at the Movie Palace there were Western and Sci-/Horror Entertainment along with Color Cartoons, and Short Subjects and the Kids were there because that was where it was at, through the 1950's.

NewEnglandPat This unheralded western is a solid yarn about a familiar plot of greedy whites scheming to mine rich gold deposits on Indian land. Audie Murphy's role as an Indian-hating cowboy is a bit out of character for him but he's okay in spite of his clean-cut, easygoing manner. Walter Brennan, a surprise member of the cast, is great in the role of Murphy's father and friend of the Indians. There are nice battles between the cowboys and Indians and the scenery is terrific. Lyle Bettger is the heavy and gives his usual fine performance. Jay Silverheels figures prominently in the picture and is stern but dignified as an Indian chief. Morris Ankrum and Mara Corday are also good in limited roles.

Brian Camp Among the two dozen or so westerns Audie Murphy made for Universal Pictures from 1950-1966, DRUMS ACROSS THE RIVER (1954) is one of the better ones, featuring a gold miners-vs.-Indians plot with Audie caught firmly in the middle. It's fast-paced, full of action, and features a host of lively character actors, including some great villains.Audie plays a wagon freighter in a Colorado mining town who is, initially, a witting pawn in a plot by a group of Denver mine bosses to stir up trouble with the local Ute Indians in order to get gold concessions on their land. Audie's dad, Sam (Walter Brennan), is a friend of the Indians and, following a shootout with the Utes in which Sam is wounded, Audie meets with the Ute chief (Morris Ankrum) and his son Taos (Jay Silverheels) and negotiates a temporary peace. Unfortunately, the hired guns working for the mine bosses continue to stir things up and force Audie to aid in a stage robbery by abducting his dad and threatening to kill him. When Audie is charged with murder after the robbery, he has to keep quiet to insure Sam's safety. In the final stretch of the movie, Audie has to break free, save his dad, subdue the bad guys, clear himself and avert a battle between Indians and cavalry. The whole story is told in 78 compact minutes.Unassuming war hero-turned-western star Murphy was at his best in parts like this, playing an ordinary westerner caught up in a tumultuous situation and having to fight his way out and summon up the moral courage to do the right thing. He always looked best when he faced down truly formidable bad guys and here he faces one of the best western villains of the 1950s. Lyle Bettger, who had one of the most sinister smiles in movie history, specialized in corrupt western capitalists (ranchers, miners, saloon owners, railroad men) who could be utterly smooth and charming one minute and murderously evil the next. Here he's the miners' lead troublemaker and is joined by a great rogues' gallery made up of future TV star Hugh O'Brian as the black-clad Morgan, who also smiles a lot, and a quartet of thugs played by frequent heavies James Anderson, George Wallace, Lane Bradford and former B-western star Bob Steele. In addition, there's Mara Corday as a voluptuous (and very attractive) saloon girl who does some of Bettger's dirty work. Walter Brennan is very good in a rare turn as an upright authority figure and father. Jay Silverheels plays a sympathetic Indian and leads a band of Utes who appear to be played predominantly by actual Indians rather than the usual painted-up white extras. The Technicolor film was shot partly on the Universal backlot with some fine location work at key California western sites, including one dramatic desert spot representing the Indians' sacred burial ground. This was director Nathan Juran's third film with Murphy.