Santee (1973)
Jody Deakes joins up with his father after many years, just to discover that his dad is part of an outlaw gang on the run from a relentless bounty hunter named Santee. Jody is orphaned soon after Santee catches up to the gang, and follows Santee in hopes of taking vengeance for his father's death. Instead, however, Jody discovers that Santee is a good and loving man, tormented by the death of his young son at the hands of another outlaw gang. Santee and his wife take Jody in and a father and son relationship begins to grow. Then the gang that shot Santee's son shows up. The film was produced by Edward Platt of Get Smart fame. It was one of the first motion pictures to be shot electronically on videotape and then transferred to film.
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A bounty hunter (Glenn Ford) takes in the son (Michael Burns) of a man he killed.I have never been a huge fan of the western genre. Some are incredible, but most seem to be rather blah. One could say that about any genre, I suppose. I mean, heck, I love horror and I would be the first to admit that most of it is garbage. But it is garbage that still generally entertains me. The western, for the most part, is not something I understand.This one is alright. Adopting a kid (who is really more of a young adult) in the west is a good story, and Glenn Ford is a decent actor. As far as the genre goes, this is very much middle ground.
Nothing spectacular about this movie. An aging Glenn Ford carried it as well as any other he's done.Michael Burns did very well in his role. Just a shame that he gave it all away a few years later.An older Jay Silverheels was good to see, after starring in the Lone Ranger, a few decades before this movie was made. Not sure I've ever heard him speak so many lines. :-)The ending was nonsensical and unnecessary. Life could have gone on just as Santee and his wife wished, however, for some reason, the screenwriter and/or director decided to disappoint the viewer.Worth a look, if you enjoy Ford's work, but that's about it.
This unknown movie Western deals with a relentlessly obstinate bounty-hunter named Santee (Glenn Ford). He's the best tracker in the west, but sometimes justice can be hard to find . As the bounty hunter takes in the son of a man he killed . Santee develops a paternal relationship with the son named Jody (Michael Burns) of a man (Robert J. Wilke) he killed . Santee takes him for his ranch named Three Arrows where live his wife (Dana Wynter) and his Indian foreman (Jay Silverheels). Santee and his wife take Jody in and a father-son relationship begins to grow . But bandits led by a nasty villain named Banner (John Larch) arrive in the little town killing and robbing bank , then Santee helped by Jody take the law on their own hands .This average Western contains action , drama , shootouts , riding pursuits and an enjoyable father and adopted son relationship with tragedy included . Fine acting by veteran Glenn Ford supported by attractive Dana Wynter and a newcomer Michael Burns . Good support cast such as Robert J Wilke , Robert Donner , John Larch and Tonto's Jay Silverheels . Colorful cinematography with glamorous landscapes by cameraman Donald Morgan . Catching musical score with agreeable song at the beginning and the ending . Spectacular final gunplay plenty of shooting and death with dramatic final . The motion picture was middlingly directed by Gary Nelson . He's an usual TV director as episodes (Disneyland) as long time television movies (Murder in Coweta County , his best film) and occasionally cinema director (Allan Quatermain in the lost city of gold) ; his most known and successful film was 'The black hole' .
Glenn Ford who was associated with some of the best westerns ever made has his last starring role in the genre in Santee. Although he would do more westerns up to almost the end of his career, he would no longer be the leading man/action hero in any of them.Ford was 57 when he made Santee and even in this one he's transitioning to be a father figure, much the same way John Wayne was in films like Big Jake, Rio Lobo, and The Cowboys. Unfortunately Santee takes it's plot from a combination of Henry Fonda's The Tin Star and Robert Mitchum's Young Billy Young. Ford is a former lawman, turned bounty hunter who decides that marshaling doesn't give him quite the latitude he needs to deal with bad guys. It also doesn't pay as well. But having his son shot down by John Larch and his gang was enough to turn him bitter.He's also forced to kill Robert J. Wilkie another outlaw who has a son in Michael Burns. But he takes Burns into his home. Truth be told there wasn't much attachment there anyway, Burns hardly knew him.Jay Silverheels has the best part in the film as Ford's loquacious ranch foreman. I do believe he had more dialog here than in over 200 episodes of The Lone Ranger. Dana Wynter has a few scenes as Ford's wife and makes them count.But Santee is just a tired rehash of a pair of better films. Glenn Ford fans will like it though.