User Reviews

"If the world was made of gold men would die for a handful of dirt". So goes the theme of this somewhat unusual western directed by Henry Hathaway in 1954. With lovely locations in Mexico this was Fox's first western in the then new process of Cinemascope and Stereophonic sound and boasted a top notch cast in Gary Cooper, Susan Hayward and Richard Widmark.

From a fine screenplay by Frank Fenton - Cooper and Widmark together with Cameron Mitchell and Victor Manuel Mendoza are four adventurers contracted by Leah Fuller (Hayward) to go back with her into the wilds of Mexico to rescue her husband (Hugh Marlowe) who is lying trapped and injured in a gold mine. They journey to the mine and perform the rescue but on their way back they are pursued by Apaches (a brilliant chase sequence) and must ward them off in a well staged attack on a hazardous cliff-face trail.

A good adventure yarn if a tad slow in parts but the widescreen picture looks great and the small cast are excellent. Cooper as Hooker is at his laconic best, Hayward is as gorgeous as ever, Mitchell in a good part as a temperamental and impatient young gun, Mendoza as the likable and amiable Mexican companion and Widmark shines as Fiske the droll and garrulous gambler who cuts for highest card to see who goes and who stays behind.

Beautifully photographed in Cinemascope and colour by Milton Krasner it is all excitingly handled by Hathaway. The picture also has an excellent score by the ubiquitous Bernard Herrmann. This was the only real western Herrmann ever tackled if you discount Burt Lancaster's early frontier epic "The Kentuckian" (1955) and some obscure episodes of TV's "The Virginian" in the sixties. Herrmann scored the film rather as a conventional adventure story and avoided the usual clichéd style of writing associated with westerns except perhaps the theme for Hooker (Cooper) where the composer hints at a "cowboy" tune with its wonderful long loping Americana tinged melody. But the score is mainly an intense and strident work full of suspense and foreboding. The main theme, first heard over the credits, is a brilliant defiant statement for full orchestra and is played in different guises throughout the movie. Particularly clever is the ominous figure on the octave flute which points up the unseen but ever watching Apaches. There is no love theme as such but tender music in the composer's gentlest manner underscores the Hayward character. All the stops are pulled out for the brilliant climactic music cue for the chase sequence (where the Apaches are in hot pursuit of the interlopers). It is a sensational swirling and thundering piece calling for some virtuoso playing from the magnificent Fox orchestra which they zealously deliver.

"Garden Of Evil" is available in a small Fox western box set along with two other western classics - the wonderful "Rawhide" (1951) and Henry King's "The Gunfighter" (1950). Enjoy!

I am giving a "7" for the cast, and production. I have no problems with the performances of the six leads, and only wish Rita Moreno had been given more than a few scenes she did well as the singer in a cantina. But this might have been an "8" or "9" as a film western with a bit better care in the script.

Don't get me wrong - the story is not the most difficult to accept. Three men (Gary Cooper as "Hooker"; Richard Widmark as "Fiske"; and Cameron Mitchell as "Daly) are stuck in a Mexican sea town while their ship is being repaired. All are headed for the California Gold Fields (so the year is 1849 - 50 or so). While drinking together in a cantina (where Moreno is dancing - it is owned by her boyfriend Victor Manuel Mendoza, here as "Madariaga") they are all approached by Susan Hayward (as "Leah Fuller") to assist her in rescuing her husband (Hugh Marlowe as "John Fuller") who is an engineer exploring a gold mind. There was a partial cave-in, and he is trapped under the beams of wood. She is willing to pay any man who assists her $2,000.00 for his help. After some discussion Cooper, Widmark, Mitchell, and Madariaga agree to do it. They are aware of one catch - the location of Marlowe and the mind is deep within Apache territory.

The story continues as they follow Hayward to reach Marlowe, constantly aware of the Apache danger (they are traveling during a holiday that tribe celebrates by hunting white men), and they are aware of problems among themselves. While each has been willing to take a chance on the mission for the $2,000.00 fee, at least two of the mercenaries (Mitchell and Madariaga) see it as an opportunity to possibly get rich on that gold mine. Cooper and Widmark may think of it too, but both are smarter - the Apache danger is more important to consider than some possible wealth. Also both men are attracted to Hayward, although both are equally wary of her motives. It looks at first like she deeply loves her husband, but she isn't really behaving like she does.

Personality conflicts develop. Mendoza tries to leave a trail for his friends to follow along the route, but Hayward and Cooper keep destroying his sign posts. Mitchell makes a play for Hayward, and is forced to confront Cooper. Some ugly points about Mitchell's past (he's a bounty hunter with a dubious modus operandi) come out, but he is put into his place. Widmark watches - a cynical man of the world and card player. Yet he and Cooper manage to create a kind of friendly relationship, although Cooper wonders if he is the kind of man who could fully meet the dangers of this trek in hostile territory.

They reach the mine and find Marlowe alive - and get him out. But they find him a bitter man - he feels Hayward hoped to find him dead so she could keep the mind. It is obvious that Hayward's behavior towards him in rescuing him was not due to lingering love but to a sense of guilt that he got himself into this mess trying to prove himself to her. But whatever the reason, the six find themselves suddenly facing the problems of returning to the Mexican town they left 100 miles or so away, facing a now visible and deadly Apache threat, and hampered by an injured Marlowe.

On the surface the story is interesting enough, but too many points are left dangling. Cooper's Hooker is a Texas lawman (which is why he knows about Mitchell), but Widmark knows of Cooper (he can't quite place him) and we wonder if Cooper has left Texas for some similar black mark against him. Widmark's cynicism or wisdom is done well - but how he'd get that way is never explained. The complications of the Hayward - Marlowe marriage are given to us in one scene in their cabin when the others are out, and we really needed something to fill in the background.

Still the performances are good - uniformly well done. I note particularly (and probably few would think of it) Victor Mendoza. Mexico has had one of the best movie producing industries in the world for decades, that is only belatedly getting the attention it deserves in the U.S. It is more than simply a transplanted Luis Bunuel making films there, or Cantiflas' social comedies. Mendoza's character of Madariaga is as complex as Cooper's Hooker, Widmarck's Fiske, Mitchell's Daly, or Hayward and Marlowe's twisted Fullers. He is the jealous boyfriend of Moreno, and when he tosses a rival out of his cantina he comes over to the three gringos and explains to them why (he noticed their interest in Rita too). He is an opportunist setting up personal signs leading to the mine, but he is willing to keep his word regarding rescuing Marlowe. His final moments are memorable too, yelling defiance at his unseen Apache tormentors. Fact is, he was a fine actor, and while never an "Oscar" winner or nominee won several equivalent Mexican awards in his career (see his thread on this board).

GARDEN OF EVIL is a good western and worth watching. Just a bit more fine tuning and it would have been a great western.

No wonder we never got more than a fleeting look at the supposed Apaches, lofting arrows into the members of a rescue party. The director must have recognized that his movie would be laughed at by anyone with an elementary knowledge of Native Americans.

While the fade out provides some hope that the characters played by Gary Cooper and Susan Hayward might find some happiness together, with or without any gold they managed to scavenge, this tale is basically a tragedy. The supposed main purpose of the expedition into hostile Apache territory: to save the life of Susan's husband((John Fuller), injured in a mine shaft cave in, is a failure, due primarily to interference by Apache, rather than to his death before they arrived. The additional goal of bringing out enough gold to, at least, pay the high wages of the rescuers, is left unanswered, as survival in the presence of the Apache became the overriding concern. It would have been nice to add a scene at the end, where Cooper and Susan discuss their future, and show some romantic feeling for each other. Left as was, he aren't even sure if the Apache have given up hope of killing them.....The expedition was also a tragedy for the Apache families of those slain by the expedition members, although this is given no consideration.

Susan reminisces that the Mexican who gave her a map of this region called it 'The garden of evil', partly because of the Apache, but also partly because a volcanic eruption had covered various previous gold mining operations, killing the miners. Furthermore, as dramatized in this film, the dangers inherent in mining are a significant risk. Fuller knew that he was much slowing down the attempt to leave Apache country alive. Thus, he rode off by himself to await his fate at the hands of the Apache. Interestingly, the Apache tied him upside down on a stone Christian cross, his body shot full of arrows. Perhaps this had a symbolic significance, assuming the Apache were familiar with the significance of the cross as a Christian symbol.

Presumably, the ship that brought these 3 adventurers to this backwater village of Puerto Miguel, was primarily a freighter, as we see no hint of other passengers being deposited on shore while the engine is repaired. As they were on route to try their luck at finding gold in CA, probably , this was 1849 or 50, very early in the age of steam travel across oceans. Although they claimed they were strangers to each other, it's difficult to imagine that they had not struck up some familiarity on such a long voyage, as the presumed only passengers. Once ashore, they were drawn to the cantina where the beautiful Rita Moreno was singing a romantic song. But, they seemed more interested in the American played by Susan, who sauntered in later, looking for a few brave souls to help her get her husband out of harm's way. Only one Mexican signed up: the one who claimed Rita as his girlfriend. Presumably, he wanted to bring back a big paycheck and perhaps some gold with which to impress Rita. As things turned out, the other Mexicans were smart to pass up the opportunity for riches.

There are a number of dialogues of interest, most taking place at the mine. Susan's husband(John) goes on a tirade about how all women are only interested in how much gold(in the broad sense) their husband can bring home to satisfy their fancies. Susan claims she no longer loves John, but is willing to risk her life and that of others to extricate him from his otherwise fatal situation. Perhaps she does this largely out of guilt over bringing him to this evil place to try to strike it rich. This should bring up in our minds the question of how much risk to the lives and property of others is justified in attempting to rescue a person, with the consideration of what are the chances of a successful rescue. Some of us have to make such decisions rather frequently.

Filming took place in several Mexican locations. See it in color at YouTube.

No one will doubt that "Garden of Evil" has a great cast. Gary Cooper, Susan Hayward, Richard Widmark and Cameron Mitchell are leads; Hugh Marlowe and Victor Mendoza are in supporting roles; and Rita Morena has something a little more than a cameo. But a cast is only as good as their performances. And their performances depend a great deal on the script they have with which to work. This film fails miserably mostly because of a terrible script. And the acting is generally sub-par for most of the cast – and very bad by Gary Cooper.

The DVD I watched had a bonus with it on the making of this film. It is referred to as a morality tale about greed, good and evil. But the script is so terrible that it ruins everything about the story. A couple of other reviewers saw the same thing. The writers tried to make the Cooper and Widmark roles philosophical. Ergo, the terse, flat replies, especially by Cooper. They come across as wisecracks or put-downs. Then, Widmark's character waxes poetic frequently about any situation. Again, to what point or avail?

Susan Hayward's Leah Fuller is driven to find help to rescue a man caught in a cave-in. Well, is it her husband, or isn't it? He doesn't call her honey or darling, but "You," a person who came back. She doesn't call him darling or honey or husband. We don't ever know if they are man and wife until he's killed by Indians and they bury him on the trail. Leah takes her wedding ring off and presses it into the dirt over his grave.

Is she driven by love, gold or what? The screenplay raises many questions in the minds of the audience, and it never answers most of them. Hayward is OK in her role, even if we never learn exactly what her aims may be. Mitchell overacts, and Widmark's Fiske is a very talkative role that seems to be philosophical but doesn't make sense much of the time. We never know why Marlowe doesn't seem to have affection for Leah. Was he driven by her to look for gold? Did she marry him so that he would find a gold mine for her, or was it for love? Or both?

The most disappointing and frustrating role to me is Cooper's Hooker. Toward the end we find out that he formerly was a sheriff. But now he's a fortune hunter, along with the rest, heading West on a steamship for the gold fields of California. His lines are so poor, I can't believe he would take this part in a movie. They seem to affect his whole character and he is wooden throughout the film. Cooper was 53 when this movie was made, and he died seven years later of prostate cancer. I thought he may have been ill in this film because he seemed very old, and never is there a close-up of his face. Yet he made a few very good films after this one.

Then, there are the Indians. Did Apaches range as far south as the jungles of southern Mexico? When Hooker and Fiske shoot the Indians pursuing them on the cliff trail, they must have been terrible shots – or they shot the horses. I think every Indian that fell over the cliff screamed

The only reason this movie gets even five stars from me is for the scenery. This is one of the first films shot in Cinemascope, which was the invention of Fox Films. I remember reading or hearing a commentary recently about one of the top directors who didn't like the wide panorama format of Cinemascope. But this clearly was a movie for that. And, its sweeping panoramas and vistas shot in the mountains and jungles of southern Mexico are beautiful to behold. It's just too bad that Fox wasn't as interested in having a movie with a very good screenplay as it was in filming as many movies as it could in its new format.

In this case, the format is the only reason to see this movie. Unless one wants to see a top cast in a poor movie with a terrible script and some weak to very bad performances. If viewers are interested in seeing a Western about gold and greed, I recommend a couple of excellent films. "Mackenna's Gold" of 1969 has a top notch cast with Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, Telly Savalas, Keenan Wynn, Lee J. Cobb, Raymond Massey and Julie Newmar. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" of 1948 won three Oscars and starred Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt and Bruce Bennett.

My $10.99 three DVD set "Fox Western Classics" just arrived on Nov./18/2008. My first pick to watch was not Rawhide or The Gunfighter, the two black and white pictures in the collection, but rather the Technicolor, Garden of Evil.

The DVD print of Garden of Evil in the collection was gorgeous, unlike TV viewings of that movie I have seen. The "Fox Western Classics" DVD version of Garden of Evil reminded me in terms of picture quality of the first time I saw Garden of Evil, on a theater screen when it was originally released in 1954.

The movie itself is a fascinating story of greed, fear, honor, love, and lust. The on location scenery in Southern Mexico is spectacular (as seen on the DVD I referred to). The last 31 minutes of the movie in my opinion are the best. Those 31 minutes feature the 6 principle characters in the movie trying to save their lives by fleeing from the apaches who are following them and trying to kill them. Some of the six don't make it and are killed by the Apaches. To see who survives and why be sure to see the movie.

P.S. The prints of Rawhide and The Gunfighter the other two westerns in the collection are also very good.