Review of Distant Drums

Distant Drums (1951)
7/10
Mighty adventure booms
2 May 2007
Great looking locations and color photography with daredevil action reigns over this boy's own adventure, the style Warner Brothers has always been very good at. The characters are mostly left undeveloped, except Cooper's group leader Zachary. His past is well documented by his friend, played by Arthur Hunnicut in his usual relaxed manner, and it's mostly his destiny we are to care about. It's notable how larger than life Cooper appears to be even on television screen. His characterization, which is a combination of a western hero and Tarzan, doesn't offer very much range in acting but makes it interesting enough for this kind of adventure flick. Mari Aldon gets dragged through all the dangerous and beautiful scenery without having her make-up smeared and sometimes completely steals my attention from what is going on around her. Her role doesn't have much else to offer either. But I guess, by what I just said, her role work serves its purpose the way it was intended.

Almost everything you expect from a jungle adventure set in Florida is here including alligators, snakes and wild cardboard Indians. A great plus are the beautifully shot underwater scenes, short but crystal clear, crowned by a final duel under surface. This isn't one of the best movies from the director Raoul Walsh, but as a classic adventure and action for a more empty-headed moment it works truly well.
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