I used to teach US and World History, so I know a bit more than the average person about the old west and how it really was. Most of the stuff you see in films is fake...a Hollywood version of the west. Some, such as pretty singing cowboys, is obviously fake and only a knucklehead would think cowboys were like that. But others are commonly accepted and really were NOT a part of the old west or they occurred so rarely they are essentially myths. One of the most common of these accepted myths is the notion of the gunman. Despite what you see in films, gunfighters did NOT call each other out on main street to have duels. If there was a shooting, and it was rare, it was usually someone getting shot in the back. Additionally, the notion of a fast draw who traveled the land either making money or keeping the peace with their gun is also a myth. Such a person certainly wouldn't have lived long...plus guns just don't do what you see folks doing with them in most films. It might also surprise you to learn that in MANY old west towns, it was illegal to wear a sidearm and weapons were required to be checked with the sheriff when you entered the city limits! In light of this, understand that "Dawn at Socorro" is mostly myth...enjoyable myth, but myth nevertheless.
The story begins in Lordsburg, not Socorro (a town about an hour south of Albuquerque). The film has that title because the main character, Brett Wade (Rory Calhoun) is from that small town. He's passing through Lordsville when a shooting takes place...a believable one. A drunk punk tries to shoot the local sheriff and is shot to death as a result. But here's where the myth comes into it...the dead guy's family calls out the sheriff for a shootout. He brings along his deputy and Brett...and the fight turns out to be a draw. One of the surviving family members who was too drunk to be there promises revenge...though considering everything this doesn't make a lot of sense. At the same time, what most folks don't realize is that Brett is slowly dying...and Tuberculosis is eating up his lungs. What's next? See the film.
"Dawn at Socorro" is a slightly better than average 1950s western....filled with cliches but also slickly written. Plus Calhoun (an underrated actor) is excellent in the lead. Well worth seeing but far from a must-see film.
The story begins in Lordsburg, not Socorro (a town about an hour south of Albuquerque). The film has that title because the main character, Brett Wade (Rory Calhoun) is from that small town. He's passing through Lordsville when a shooting takes place...a believable one. A drunk punk tries to shoot the local sheriff and is shot to death as a result. But here's where the myth comes into it...the dead guy's family calls out the sheriff for a shootout. He brings along his deputy and Brett...and the fight turns out to be a draw. One of the surviving family members who was too drunk to be there promises revenge...though considering everything this doesn't make a lot of sense. At the same time, what most folks don't realize is that Brett is slowly dying...and Tuberculosis is eating up his lungs. What's next? See the film.
"Dawn at Socorro" is a slightly better than average 1950s western....filled with cliches but also slickly written. Plus Calhoun (an underrated actor) is excellent in the lead. Well worth seeing but far from a must-see film.