Spikeopath Drango is directed by Hall Bartlett and Jules Bricken and Bartlett writes the screenplay. It stars Jeff Chandler, Joanne Dru, Julie London, Donald Crisp and John Lupton. Music is by Elmer Berstein and cinematography by James Wong Howe.In the months that followed the War between the States, the South lay in pitiable desolation. Within the people, a fire still smouldered. proud, unbowed, they watched with ominous foreboding as the hated Yankees again rode down upon their land ... this time as military governors.Drango offers up two genuine delights for fans of Westerns and Civil War pieces. Firstly it further adds weight to the pro argument case for Jeff Chandler being under valued as an actor, secondly is that the theme of the reconstruction period at the end of the Civil War simply doesn't have enough cinematic ventures. Here in plot we have Chandler as Major Drango, sent into Kennesaw, Georgia, to help rebuild a town that as part of Sherman's March he helped destroy. He is up against it since nobody trusts him and certain factions want to continue the war.Tone is magnificently set by Wong Howe's (Pursued/Hud) monochrome photography, visually sombre as it portents troubles ahead, this is at one with Major Drango's battle to not only win over the town, but also to exorcise his demons. The bitterness left over from the war is evident, strikingly born out by some scenes that stir the emotional heart, while the political machinations on offer are deftly played into the narrative. The two ladies of the piece are most important, each offering up a different side of the political divide, with both Dru and London competent in their acting turns. Action is played well enough in a film that has more to say in characterisations than blood stirring for sake's sake, all while the great Elmer Bernstein provides a score that tantalises the tonal flow of the narrative. The whole thing is anchored by Chandler's strong performance, for even when he is not delivering potent dialogue from a thought provoking script, he exudes pained anguish via visual touches, believably so.The absence of black characters has rightly been noted across the review spectrum, the area where the story is set and the period of reconstruction at the film's heart demands more insight there. And yes! it can be argued that there's a little bias in the writing. But this holds up as a most intriguing pic, it's well performed, with technical merit as well, whilst simultaneously reminding us all that the end of wars doesn't mean work isn't still to be done. 7/10

weezeralfalfa At the end of the Civil War, after marching columns of uniformed Confederate soldiers had ceased to exist, there was general fear among Union leaders that a long period of guerilla warfare and civil disobedience might follow. Ex-General Lee, for one, made a speech discouraging this option. This film, in part, deals with this issue. It also deals with the problem in some areas of a lack of food, clothing, shelter and infrastructure, due to the depredations of Union forces. It further dramatizes the plight of Union Loyalists in Confederate territory, with the belated lynching of one. As others have abundantly pointed out, it does not deal with the attitudes and problems of former slaves. I'm sure this omission was intentional, as it would have diluted the emphasis on the perceived antagonistic relationships between many southern whites and their Union military overlords. The main point of the film is the difficulty in convincing southerners of the good intentions of many military governors imposed upon them. I agree with the opinion of some that the screenplay is generally too dark to be a pleasant viewing experience. It might have helped if it had been shot in color. Two women are featured, on opposite extremes of the political spectrum. Joanne Dru plays the daughter of the Union loyalist who was lynched. She is in a difficult position, as she must have been during the war, as she harbors the same attitude toward secession. After a period of hating Major Drango, for failing to protect her father, she gradually warms up to him, and they share a passionate kiss, although it's not clear whether they were destined to go farther. In contrast, Julie London plays a wealthy plantation heiress, apparently spared by the Union army. Her boyfriend, Clay Allen, is the leader of the elements that want to continue the war at the local level by sabotage and raids on Union supply depots. Initially, I though I was looking at and hearing Leslie Howard as Clay, but that couldn't be, as he was killed during WWII. His son, Ronald, played Clay. The easily recognizable Donald Crisp played Judge Allen, Clay's father and critic of his attitude. He comes into prominence late in the film, when he foils Clay's attempt to assassinate Drango, and gives an impressive pro-Drango speech. We have another conflict in the clashing attitudes of Major Drango and his superior: Colonel Bracken. Major Drango represents the conciliatory attitude toward the defeated, espoused by Lincoln. Bracken represents the harsher attitude of the radical Republicans, whose representative will soon replace Drango. In the end, Drango convinced most of the population of this northwest Georgia town that he was more their friend than enemy, despite his conspicuous role in laying waste to this region during Sherman's march to the sea, However, I'm not sure that Drango's last important act: of leading the unarmed populace in a march on the Union fort to beg for more food rations and clothes, will be successful, given Bracken's attitude.See it at YouTube.

classicsoncall This film grabbed me right from the start with it's opening theme and stark but crisp black and white cinematography. There's something fascinating about the character of Major Clint Drango, intent on winning over the citizens of Kennesaw Pass one at a time. In part to right the wrongs of Sherman's Army and his own involvement in the War as well, Drango's challenge is to bring the murderers of Henry Calder to justice. In so doing, he must gain the confidence of the citizens that Reconstruction will proceed with an emphasis on the law for everyone, not for a single man or for the army that won the War.I found it interesting that Clay Allen (Ronald Howard) distrusted Drango because the Major was an honest man. There seems to be a corollary there that resonates with the current state of political correctness, but I digress. The ebb and flow of the story with characters slowly taking sides was my best takeaway from the film. It helped that there was a great cast of familiar character actors here from the genre, folks like Milburn Stone, Walter Sande, Parley Baer and the venerable Donald Crisp. Julie London and Joanne Dru are also effective in somewhat understated roles, even though important to the story. John Lupton probably deserved a larger presence as Drango's adjutant, but I guess that's how the saber rattles.Overall, an intriguing Western with an out of the ordinary theme that moves along at a nice pace. The traditional good guy ending is tested along the way by forces that pit the citizens of a small town against each other, much like the Civil War did to the country. As a microcosm of that larger conflict, "Drango" delivers it's message well.

dougdoepke A rather dour Reconstruction Western that's probably too earnest for its own good. Writer Hall Bartlett's heart is in the right place—reconciling North and South following the Civil War. Union Major Drango (Chandler) wants to unite rebellious Confederate town around a regime of humane occupation, despite widespread resistance. The supporting cast is familiar from about every popular TV series of the day—Stone, Phillips, Sande, Ankrum, Baer. Too bad the powerful Donald Crisp is largely wasted in a circumscribed role, and why Julie London's presence other than to build box-office appeal is unclear to me. In fact, her romantic subplot with Lupton sprawls the story without strengthening it. Also, reviewer Lorenellroy is right—Chandler's major comes across as too stiff and unappealing for a central character. His besieged Major should be serious, but the seriousness is finally carried to a deadening degree. Bartlett was interesting as a producer, especially with Navajo and Unchained. Here, however, I'm afraid he tries to do too much with a screenplay that ends up in too many talky subplots. Then too, direction should have been left to a better stylist since the core material had potential. In passing—note that no reference to slavery or appearance of a black person occurs anywhere in the movie, a rather startling omission for a film dealing with the post-Civil War South. My guess is that the producers, like others of the period, didn't want to risk dealing with a sensitive subject at a time when Jim Crow laws still prevailed below the Mason-Dixon Line. Anyway, considering the number of Westerns on TV and in theatres in 1957, it's probably not surprising that despite good intentions and a fine performance from Joanne Dru this dour little oddity has remained lost in the mix.