"The Scorched Feather" was the first of Lon Chaney's two appearances on HAVE GUN-WILL TRAVEL, followed in 1963 by "Cage at McNaab." Paladin is hired by Robert Ceilbleu (Mario Alcalde), who wants him to prevent the death of his father William from 'the finest soldier in the world,' Hotan Eaton, youngest War Chief of the Shoshone Comanches. Paladin is hardly greeted warmly by Ceilbleu, whom he recognizes as 'Billy Blue Sky' (Chaney), a former army scout who had spent years living among the Comanche, even taking one for his beautiful wife. Billy is all too aware of his enemy, for Robert suffers from schizophrenia, torn between the father who paid for his education, and the mother he spent more time with, whose death resulted by his own father leading the army to Ashiwara, unaware of her presence there (acknowledging that with all the shooting, he indeed could have been the one who shot her). When we finally meet 'Hotan Eaton' in full warrior mode, it's clearly the same man, claiming that 'Robert' is dead, so Paladin must fight a duel to the death at sunrise to spare his father, in a realistic, gymnastic knife battle in the dirt. Mario Alcalde spent a busy TV career in similar ethnic roles, dying two years before Lon Chaney, here effectively cast as a sadly tragic alcoholic, much like his role as Robert Mitchum's rheumy eyed father in 1955's "Not As a Stranger."
2 Reviews
Freud on the Frontier
dougdoepke27 January 2010
Paladin is hired by sophisticated gentleman Robert Cielbleu (Alcalde) to protect his father from a fearsome Comanche warrior. But things get complicated when Paladin discovers the father is detested army scout Billy Blueskies (Chaney) and the threatening warrior looks a lot like the son who hired him. So what's going on.
Episode has an unusual subtext for the time, dwelling on split personality and abnormal psychology. There's some curiosity generated here, but what suspense there is comes from anticipated showdown with the warrior. That scene is acrobatically staged, featuring more showmanship than realism. Also, the stymied mugging is awkwardly staged. Couple that with the poorly done exterior set and a sometimes difficult narrative, and the entry is average, at best.
In passing-- Chaney is affecting as the ravaged ex-army scout. There was always a sadness behind those gimlet eyes. Unfortunately, he's only 52 here; however, the effects of prolonged alcoholism are already showing, lending his role a special poignancy.
Episode has an unusual subtext for the time, dwelling on split personality and abnormal psychology. There's some curiosity generated here, but what suspense there is comes from anticipated showdown with the warrior. That scene is acrobatically staged, featuring more showmanship than realism. Also, the stymied mugging is awkwardly staged. Couple that with the poorly done exterior set and a sometimes difficult narrative, and the entry is average, at best.
In passing-- Chaney is affecting as the ravaged ex-army scout. There was always a sadness behind those gimlet eyes. Unfortunately, he's only 52 here; however, the effects of prolonged alcoholism are already showing, lending his role a special poignancy.
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