Alcoholic former cavalryman Hack Williams is arrested for killing an Indian, something he did not do. The townspeople, fearful of Apache reprisals, plan to hang Williams in hopes of heading off an attack. But the attack comes and Hack, locked in his jail cell, is the only survivor as a massacre occurs. Into the scene of carnage arrives schoolteacher Nora Haynes. Together she and Williams must find a way to reach safety before another Indian attack. But the pair are by no means well-matched, and their trip alone across the desert is not destined to be an easy one.
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Admirable film.
I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
Copyright 1957 by Emirau Productions. Presented by Regal Films and released through 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: September 1957. U.K. release: January 1958. Australian release: around June 1958 at a guess (the actual date was not recorded). 6,940 feet. 77 minutes. Cut to 6,080 feet or 68 minutes in Australia.SYNOPSIS: The story revolves around a prim Boston schoolteacher, who goes West to teach in a small town, and a tough U.S. Cavalryman. Miss Gray is the teacher and Mr Morrow is the whisky-drinking soldier and they are thrown together when Miss Gray finds the little town completely wiped out by Apaches. Morrow had escaped the rampaging Indians because he was in jail drunk the night of the attack. How the two face hardships together and the efforts of Miss Gray to change Morrow's character provide the drama and romance in Eric Norden's screenplay.VIEWERS' GUIDE: The Australian censor says both versions are not suitable for children, the British Board says the full-length picture is okay for all.COMMENT: This somewhat unusual story (reminiscent of "The African Queen") is rather slow in the telling. (We are now stuck with the full version. As usual, all copies of the Australian print seem to have disappeared). It's none too well acted either. But what makes one hanker for the Oz cut is that the opening and closing sequences are quite suspenseful. A great deal of the picture was obviously lensed on location, and these sequences are reasonably exciting too. It's the rest of the movie (to which presumably the shears were taken down under) that's pretty hard slogging.
BTW tears can be from happiness or sadness so don't think I'm giving anything away. I have not cried from a movie in years, this one got me. some reviews here i can't believe, way too picky about technical stuff. In the beginning i knew it was slightly low budget, actors I know little about but once I saw the situation turned drastic and quite a surprise compared to any situation I've seen in westerns; I was hooked. I was not thinking of African Queen therefore I did not see it in this movie. This film stands on it's own and most westerns can easily work in black and white because they are supposed to be in the "old days." This story is fairly simple although not boring. Copper Sky is a reminder that good acting can stand up to special effects and over the top scenery any day.
"Copper Sky" pulls you in and then let's you down. Even right to the end you are hoping for more insight into the characters' pasts. You want to like the two leads "Coleen Gray and Jeff Morrow," but the plot gets in the way. It has a very structured script to the point of predictability. He's lost his manhood without explanation and she can't figure out why he's the only man who doesn't want her, reminding her of her father. The fix is in. The music composition was nice, but more dialog would have had a better effect. It would have, also, looked much better filmed in color displaying the beauteous landscape of Utah where it was filmed. I still enjoyed watching it, despite it's sophomoric tone. Some characters were miss cast in the lessor rolls, I guess the budget didn't allow for studied actors in every part. Looked like some family members might have been given bit roles.
i have not seen this film for over 40 years, at least. i loved it then and long to see if my memories of it have held up over the years. the main character was sleeping off a drunk in the jail house when the indians attack and left him the sole survivor. his journey has him meet the female lead, for a person of my age there was some "mushy stuff" but there was a few scenes that were erotic and may even hold up, today. if there is any way to see this film again, i am waiting to find out.
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