Trailer—Chuka

source: Chuka

This is a movie that constantly teeters on the brink of being awful, yet somehow continually proves itself to be interesting and entertaining. Here's what I liked: Rod Taylor pulls off the role of charismatic "pistolero" loner quite well. I don't know how plausible it is for a former British army officer to be commanding U.S. troops, but John Mills character adds a unique texture to the Western setting. The characters in the movie were very well developed in terms of complexity. Ernest Borgnine and James Whitmore provide excellent supporting acting. I liked the fact that a strong Mexican theme was introduced through the love interest. It was nice to see a Mexican aristocrat portrayed and not the usual ragged, barefoot street vendor/flunkie. Although the Indians were presented as stereotypical murderers threatening the heroes, they were given legitimate cause for their extreme actions. I enjoyed a couple of "super macho" scenes, one involving a extended fist fight between Taylor and Borgnine and the other involving an extended Tequila drinking bout by Taylor and Whitmore. A shout out to lovely Bond girl Luciana Paluzzi. She's very effective as a complex love interest for Taylor. Here's some things I didn't like: There's maybe too much time spent developing the back stories of the main characters. The movie needed more action oriented subplots, especially since it was told as a flashback i.e. We already knew the ending. I found the general pacing too slow, starting with Chuka's long pony ride through the snow at the beginning. Maybe the Arapahoes were starving, but Rod Taylor sure wasn't. Hard to imaging getting that pudgy wandering around the desert on a horse. You think the guy could have worked out a little for this part. I don't know how to shoot a pistol, but I'm sure Taylor's firing technique is extremely poor. Hard to believe he never misses. This was shot almost entirely on set. I like Westerns to have significant location shoots in the West, not in Burbank. The Burbank set itself was very cheap and the whole movie had a cartoonish feel. This was dissonant with its rather grim and violent plot. Was it necessary to reveal that Colonel Valois is no longer a "complete man" because he was sexually mutilated by natives in the Sudan? This was a bizarre non-sequitur introduced late in the movie. There is zero comic relief, at least intentional comic relief.

I found this film so disappointing that it moved me to write my first review. I enjoy the western genre and was particularly looking forward to watching it as it is one I haven't seen before. Firstly, there is really some odd casting in this movie - Rod Taylor is completely unconvincing as a tough gunslinger, John Mills as a terribly English upper class officer in charge of a US fort(!), Louis Hayward as a lecherous womaniser with a weakness for young natives, James Whitmore as a drunken Indian scout, Luciana Paluzzi as Taylor's superfluous love interest, and Victoria Vetri who is just superfluous. Lastly, there is Ernest Borgnine as a bullying American/German army sergeant who shouts a lot and also we are led to believe served with Mills in the Sudan! There is very little in the way of action until the climax apart from one brutal and overlong fight scene between Taylor and Borgnine which ends with them being friends - isn't that sweet?! I won't bore anyone with the 'plot' mainly because I couldn't find one suffice to say that thankfully the injuns eventually turn up and kill all of these thoroughly unpleasant people. I can honestly say this film has no redeeming features - I can't really fault the acting but the story such as it is has more holes than a tea bag and also leaves many unanswered questions. I give it a generous 2/10.

Chuka is a strangely written film with some strange characters, all of whom need to have some tedious expository background scene whilst the audience twiddles its thumbs waiting for the Indians to attack (that they win is revealed in the opening scene so there's no suspense here). Writer Richard Jassup creates some bizarre people who are unlikely to have existed in real life. His army fort is populated by a collection of what is described as the 'scum of the Earth'. As if a USA army fort in Indian territory would ever be (or ever could be) populated with 'disgraced' people. The officer in charge is a disgraced (and, it is implied, castrated) former British officer who, for reasons understandably unexplained, is now a colonel in the USA army. Not only that, but his German sergeant who served with him in the British army in the Sudan (?!) is also with him at the fort. Another character explains that he hates battles because horses get killed (!). With such bizarre creations as these, there is little one can do really but sit it out for the full 105m whilst these people all reveal something 'significant' about their backgrounds and hope that the end action justifies the wait (even know you know it won't). The real star of the film is not Rod Taylor but the most unconvincing fort set that I have ever seen (and I must have watched over 400 westerns including all 13 of AC Lyles' films). It is so small you only ever get to see one small part of the wall. The inhabitants must number about 30 at most - only about 20 can fit in the non-existent 'parade ground' - and there is room in the stable for about 10 horses. Apart from Taylor, none of the main actors seem to have left this set for the duration. Consequently, the film has a cramped, claustrophobic, artificial look throughout and I was half expecting the source material to be a stage play. The constricted set causes several Indian arrows to defy the laws of physics and gravity - one army officer gets one in the back when his back was up against a wooden wall ! Other highlights include a long fight between Taylor and Ernest Borgnine which ends, following kidney punches and the banging of Taylor's head against a wooden post, with the two simply laughing and seemingly unharmed. Plus a somewhat incomprehensible ending that tries to strain for significance (would a grave really not be dug-up due to 'sacrilege' if a relative was after the body?).

When "Chuka" was released back in 1967, who knew it'd be one of the last of those westerns which used to come out of the studio system with annual regularity? As an example of the genre it's quite competent and it benefits from a better than average cast -- including Oscar winners John Mills and Ernest Borgnine -- but the market for this kind of movie was drying up in the late 1960s and has never really recovered. Look for a sweaty Michael Cole, (soon to achieve fame on TV's "Mod Squad), getting a flogging as the stagecoach rolls into the fort. This flogging ranks 15th in the book, "Lash! The Hundred Great Scenes of Men Being Whipped in the Movies." Also look for the scene near the end when a freshly-dug grave is mentioned. Opinions may differ as to just who is occupying this grave.

Confronted with impending starvation and death "Chief Hanu" (Marco Lopez) of the Arapaho tribe mulls attacking a nearby United States Army outpost to acquire food and weapons. Although the commanding officer of the fort "Colonel Stuart Valois" (John Mills) fully understands the plight of the Arapaho, his superiors don't believe an attack is imminent and have forbidden him to help them out. Adding to his concern is the fact that the soldiers he has under his command are extremely undisciplined and a search party he has recently sent out has yet to return. Along with that a stagecoach carrying two female passengers and a gunslinger has arrived and with them the driver brings even more ominous news. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film turned out to be a solid, no frills western for the most part. Admittedly, some of the action scenes were a bit too far-fetched with the gunslinger "Chuka" (Rod Taylor) being much too fast and accurate with his pistol to be believed. Even so, I liked the way the story progressed and I thought that Luciana Paluzzi was perfectly cast as "Senora Veronica Kleitz". Be that as it may, I enjoyed this movie and because of that I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Among the films of Rod Taylor, one is hard pressed to single any which stand out as wrong for him. This particular film called " Chuka " is right up his alley. The rugged, good looking rough and tumble action hero is right at home in a run down Army post surrounded by frigid miles of empty winter desert. The year is 1876, the place Fort Clandenen, home to an odd collection of misfit soldiers, deserters and questionable officers. The post is commanded by an aging Ex-British Colonel called Stuart Valois. Although disliked by his small command, only one has respect for him. That man is professional soldier Sgt. Otto Kahnsbach. (Ernest Borgnine) Into the shabby excuse of an outpost, looking for a bed is an experienced gunfighter called Chuka. (Rod Taylor) Accompanying him is the overland stage with two Beautiful Spanish women. Senora Veronica Kleitz (Luciana Paluzzi) and (Angela Dorian). With a gathering and ever encircling force of Arapahoes, led by Hanu ( Marco Lopez) a young warrior Chief, his people, ill fed and starving, need the supplies of the fort. The action in the movie is convincing as are the supporting cast. Seasoned actors James Whitmore who plays Lou Trent, the Chief scout, Louis Hayward and Lucky Carson all give fine performances. Despite the interesting stories of the characters, it is Rod Taylor who warrants most of the attention on the screen. Although lacking in cinematic promotion, this story earns the status of Classic western and is therefore recommended viewing. ****

I'd love to have given this a higher vote than 6 but there are just enough corny, well okay bad scenes, that meant I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Fact is though that all the problems with the film for me were washed away with that one moment at the end of the film that brought it back from being below average to being rather satisfying. I don't really care so much about historical accuracy. I doubt many people would watch this film with the idea that they are being educated about life in the west 150 years ago. The story is the key and I was quite able to accept most of it. The jarring moments are the ones where Rod Stewart can't carry off some really poor dialogue and some really bad, well, let me say, childish stuff where his character is putting across the tough guy persona that misses by a long way. The vast majority of westerns that were made were pretty poor. They were churned out as fast as Zane Grey could write them. No wonder then that the really good ones made such an impact since they were such a shock compared to the usual dross. I haven't actually watched this film for, oh 20 years or so, but I have never forgotten it and have thought on it often. It is a personal favorite in that way and if I can get a copy I will buy it. It isn't a great film. It has many flaws. But ... I enjoyed it and would gladly watch it again.

The story occurs in 1876 , Chuka (Rod Taylor) is a grizzled gunfighter who helps an unexperienced though honorable cavalry officer to appease renegade soldiers and hold a tribe of Arapahoe Indians . When the main characters arrive at the fort a soldier being flogged for desertion (though whipping had been prohibited by the U. S. Army as of 5 August 1861) . There Cavalry commandant (John Mills) is saddled not only problems with the American Natives but also the irritability among his own troops (Louis Hayward) . Chuka eventually puts the bridle on tight and protects a pair of damsels (gorgeous Luciana Paluzzi and Angela Dorian or Victoria Vetri , famous Miss Playboy) in distress . Meantime , the violent Indians are out on a rampage of killing , vengeance against the white intruders and with the aim for getting food . This is an unusually brutal tale of a hard-bitten gunslinger assembling a detail of misfit cavalrymen to hold-off rampaging Indians . Rod Taylor and an expert all-star-cast shine in this gripping story about a surrounded garrison and director takes a fine penned screenplay creating a cavalry vs. Indians tale that is far from ordinary , exploring the anguish and desperation of the stressed soldiers . It's the habitual theme about an unit stranded by enemies and their grueling efforts to break the siege , issue imitated many other times . The picture contains nice moments but partially unsatisfying for the reason of the claustrophobic environment . Produced by Rod Taylor , this Western is predictable and conventional but entertaining enough . It displays a colorful and adequate cinematography by Harold E. Stine . In addition , atmospheric as well as evocative musical score by Leith Stevens . The motion picture was professionally directed by Gordon Douglas . He was an expert on adventures genre , such as ¨Black arrow¨ , ¨Fortunes of Captain Blood¨ , both starred by Louis Hayward and Western genre , as he proved in the enjoyable films starred by Clint Walker such as ¨Fort Dobbs¨, ¨Yellowstone Kelly¨ , ¨Gold of seven Saints¨ , Gregory Peck as ¨Only the valiant¨ in similar plot to ¨Chuka¨ , Richard Boone as ¨Rio Conchos¨ considered the best , and others concerning legendary bandits as ¨Doolins of Oklahoma¨ , ¨Great Missouri raid¨, and anything else . Rating Chuka : 6/10 . Acceptable and decent Cavalry/Indian Western . Well worth watching.

Pretty good western about the evil injun attacking the beleaguered Army outpost. What I didn't like about the film was that everything was so CLEAN. All these soldiers, drifters, and scouts always looked so nice and tidy; they should have looked like something the cat dragged in. Also, the fight scene between Chuka and the top kick was so phoney I nearly gagged. That seemed to be the way western fights went during this time span - lots of haymakers, stumbling into horses, falling through corrals, and rolling around in the hay. Fortunately, there was only hay on the barn floor, don't know where all the dung went. Ok, the show was corny, but it still had lots of gunplay and action. I feel that those of us who love old westerns will get a bang out of this flic.