The Hanging Tree

I didn't expect to do reviews of a couple of movies directed by Delmer Daves in rapid succession, but I'm far enough ahead in my scheduling of reviews that I don't get to see everything that's coming up and is on my DVR until after I've already scheduled other stuff. That, and I don't quite pay as close attention to who directs the movies that I post about, more the genres and stars. With that in mind, the Delmer Daves movie in question is The Hanging Tree, which is getting that TCM airing tomorrow, April 18, at 6:00 PM.

It's the Montana Territory in 1873, and coming into town, or not so much a town as the few buildings that serve a mining camp in gold rush country, is doctor Joseph Frail (Gary Cooper). He comes across a small cabin on a hill overlooking the buidlings and the river that the prospectors are panning, and makes a deal with the man who lives there to buy the place since it's for sale. Meanwhile, down at the river, a young man named Rune (Ben Piazza) tries to pilfer some of the gold dust from the sluice-box. He's spotted by Frenchy (Karl Malden), who tries to shoot at Rune and gets a posse of miners to go after Rune, although nobody gets a clear enough view of Rune's face to be able to identify him.

Rune, for his part gets away, but only as far as Dr. Frail's cabin. Frail extracts the bullet, which he knows is incriminating evidence although he throws it away without telling Rune. Rune can't pay for the medical services, so Frail blackmails Rune and make him serve as Frail's manservant. Unsurprisingly, Rune chafes at this, but it's basically this or the titular hanging tree since gold pilfering is seen as a capital offense around here. Frail and Rune go into town, where a bit of Frail's back-story is learned in a poker game where he wins a gold claim. Apparently, his wife and brother back east had an affair and killed themselves, so Frail burned down the house and headed west. But it shows his violent nature and gives him a reason to be a bit secretive.

Meanwhile, there's a stagecoach coming, except that it's intercepted, robbed, and the horses set free so that the coach goes careening off by itself and down a steep embankment, leaving only one possibled survivor. That survivor, the Swiss immigrant Elizabeth (Maria Schell), is found barely alive, and is taken eventually to Frail's cabin to recover. She's got serious burns and is temporarily blinded from exposure and the burns, although she does regain her vision. Elizabeth loves Frail although he doesn't reciprocate, while Frenchy has already made advances toward Elizabeth that pissed Frail off.

Frenchy and Elizabeth both want to make their own way in the world, and the best way to do so is to buy into that gold claim that Frail won in the poker game, bringing Rune along because they need more than one man to work it. They do eventually find gold, and this leeds to a drunken celebration that sets up the final conflict of the movie which also involves "Doctor" Grubb (George C. Scott). Grubb claims to be a doctor, but he's one of those phony preachers who uses the power of the Bible to treat people and tell their fortunes. He didn't like a real doctor showing up, and this is his chance to get rid of Frail once and for all.

The Hanging Tree is another of those competently made westerns that tells a reasonably good story and tells it well, although it doesn't feel like it's breaking any new ground. It's helped by a higher budget that enabled having a bunch of good actors, and a lot of location shooting. There's nothing terribly new here, but there definitely is a good deal of entertainment to be had.