Massacre (1956) watch online HD

When I was a lad I used to go to the West Theatre in Charleston, West Virginia every Friday or Saturday. They had double or triple features, serial chapters and cartoons It was like that old PBS series "Matinee at the Bijoux''. I saw every Abbot and Costello comedy, Randolph Scott western, horror films from the 1930'ws to 1950's, and every B western ever made. One of those was Massacre. At the time I thought it was very brutal and downbeat ( even if I did not know those words). It was one of the few westerns without a real hero. Dane Clark was the main character but hardly heroic. The Yacquis were not portrayed sympathetically. Everyone got killed in the end. Wish this was on DVD.

Despite featuring a cast culled from both Hollywood and Mexico, and colorful Mexican locations, this is in all respects a very poorly made Western picture. The plot concerns the capture of a band of Yaqui Indians, gun smugglers and Mexican Federales, all leading to the title's conclusion. The characters are so poorly developed, that by the time the picture has run half way, all we want is a conclusion, no matter what the consequences. It is rumored that this one was quite often yanked from the screen at the "A" movie houses and soon made it's appearance on TV. This is NOT one of the better efforts of Robert Lippert and Company.

Massacre was made by Lippert, in their search for keeping costs down, they ended up in Guatemala. Lippert was staying at the government palace when there was a military coup and he had to run away leaving the equipment behind. So he ended up doing Massacre in Mexico where they changed the script frequently according to what was convenient. It is amazing they were able to make an entertaining film, mainly by staying out of a conventional western story. A seductive woman together with some men, surrounded and desperate, has been the theme of many films, but most of them were made after this one. Massacre has a superb actress, Martha Roth who seems to be popular in Mexico, even today. The film was made in color, but looks like those colorized by computer. According to Lippert Jr. it was a very profitable enterprise, which shows how well you can do when you are creative.

Massacre was one of those westerns that had an interesting plot premise and in better hands might have become a classic. But it was a knockoff type Lippert Production and that in itself says a lot.

This film was shot in Mexico and Guatemala and has a couple of American actors who were past their prime heading the cast. Neither Dane Clark as captain of the Rurales nor James Craig as his insubordinate and eventually mutinous lieutenant were all that convincing as Mexicans.

The Rurales are on the trail of a trader who is selling guns to the Yaqui Indians and the Yaquis also want to get a hold of this guy for selling bad medicine which forced several of the tribe to go blind.

The brilliant Clark gets the service of an Indian guide in Jaime Fernandez as a guide with what any literate 8 year old could predict as inevitable results.

The title says it all.