Rawhide (1951)

Rawhide (1951)

„Rawhide“ is a 1951 Western romantic drama film directed by Henry Hathaway

Alternative title: „Desperate Siege“

Clean-cut Tom Owens is the sophisticated gentleman son of J. C. Owens, who wants Tom to learn the Overland Mail Company’s business from the ground up. So he sends Tom west to the Rawhide Pass remote relay station to take lessons from stationmaster Sam Todd.

A strong-willed woman, Vinnie Holt, is taking her young niece, Calli, to her paternal grandparents on a stagecoach heading east As her stage departs Rawhide, the U.S. Cavalry arrives from the east with the news that four convicts escaped from Huntsville prison, held up a stagecoach that had passed through Rawhide and killed the driver, who was Sam’s friend. The convicts are after a gold shipment expected to pass through Rawhide the following day. The cavalry intends to escort Holt’s coach on its way east, but children are not permitted to ride a coach into a dangerous situation.

Holt takes Callie to the nearby hot springs for a bath. While they are gone, a man approaches and flashes a deputy sheriff’s badge from Huntsville, saying he is hunting the escaped convicts However, that man is Rafe Zimmerman, the convict who had escaped from Huntsville the day before his scheduled hanging. Zimmerman then signals the other three convicts to ride into town. They are hardcore outlaw Tevis, simpleton Yancy and obedient Gratz.

Holt and Callie hide and see Todd shot in the back by Tevis. They are discovered when Callie cries, but the convicts all assume that Holt is Owens’ wife. They need an official from the company there when the last coach passes, to assure the cavalry that all is well, and the best way to convince Owens to do this is to leave his wife and baby alive.

The last coach passes. Dawn comes. Callie escapes. Fearing for Callie’s safety, Holt screams to be let out of the room. When Tevis opens the door, he forces himself on Holt. Owens tries to come to her aid, but is knocked out by Zimmerman, and Tevis shoots him in the back. Gratz is also gunned down by Tevis while Yancy flees into hiding.

Owens is shot, and is then engaged in a gunfight with Tevis. Callie wanders back into the yard. Holt is able to recover Gratz’s rifle and saves Owens by killing Tevis. The gold-filled stagecoach then rides in with Yancy aboard. When asked what has happened, Owens replies to the stage driver, „Learning the business, Jim. Just learning the business.“

Soundtrack music:
„A Rollin’ Stone“ – Music by Lionel Newman, Lyrics by Bob Russell
„Theme from Brigham Young“ – Music by Alfred Newman, main title music
„Oh! Susanna“ – Written by Stephen Foster

Cast:

„Zwei in der Falle“