Artivels Undescribable Perfection

Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie

Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

JohnHowardReid Despite the director's odd decision to over-use close-ups (maybe he anticipated a quick sale to TV), Dawn at Socorro turns out to be one of the more interesting westerns of 1954. In the U.K., the movie was even released as an "A" feature. Perhaps Universal's exchanges in other countries thought that the cast offered no box office lure. While it's true that Kathleen Hughes is confined to a disappointingly small role, the equally lovely Mara Corday is given a decent innings for once; the Alex Nichol character is intriguingly conceived and played; and I loved David Brian's lecherous saloon proprietor, even if he does rather let hate go to his head. Lee Van Cleef is also on hand, plus Skip Homeier, James Millican and Edgar Buchanan. Perhaps even more importantly, the movie offers scads of action with splendid stuntwork. And it's not only expansively produced in attractive color with arresting real locations backgrounds, but it features dialogue that is much blunter than we expect from the censor-ridden mid-1950s. So, despite the Kathleen Hughes disappointment, Dawn at Socorro is most definitely a film to add to the must-see list!

alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) Inspired by the OK Corral, and specially Doc Holliday this is an entertaining, colorful western. Rory Calhoun's character coughs a lot, because of a bullet that cannot be removed near his lung, which because of his lifestyle becomes inflamed. He has to move to Colorado Springs to get better but before that he becomes involved in a gunfight in a corral. Piper Laurie is the daughter of a religious man who throws her out of the house and calls her Jezebel. She gets a job offer at the Casino in Socorro by David Brian, the owner. After the gunfight Calhoun takes the stagecoach to Socorro where he meets Piper and falls in love with her. Lee Van Cleef and Alex Nicol, the ones who remained from the Ferris(Clanton) family after the gunfight will try to kill Calhoun. There is a good poker game between Calhoon and Brian. The final scenes were probably inspired by "High Noon".

louis-godena *Dawn* is one of those 1950's westerns that were a variation on the Earp/Holliday story (e.g. *Warlock*). It works fairly well here. Grell Wade (Rory Calhoun) is a former Southern gentleman turned consumptive gunman and gambler who heads for the healthier climate of Colorado after standing with lawman brothers in their showdown against a family of cowboy outlaws. But of course in westerns no gunslinger is allowed to quit without at least one more fight, and that's the making of the story line here. Along the way, Wade meets his "fallen woman" with the heart of gold (Piper Laurie), a shady businessman and saloon owner (David Brian) and vengeful cowboys (Lee Van Cleef, Alex Nichol). Good supporting roles for Roy Roberts, Edgar Buchanan, James Millican, and others make this an entirely enjoyable little horse opera. A bit slow at times, but definitely a must-see for western fans and those who like their Rory Calhoun straight-up.

minitrez I just saw this movie last night as I was channel surfing. I of course watched it as it is set in my quaint little city of Socorro, NM, right on the Rio Grande. I'd like to find out where it was filmed. Just made me even more homesick, as I work in Washington, DC and miss the quiet peacefulness of Socorro. Was a pretty good movie too. As far as westerns go, it is no "Big Jake" (though the director of this movie actually teamed with John Wayne to direct Big Jake") or Silverado, but I did find it an easy watch. Predictable, but when you've seen as many movies as I, not much surprises me, unless the writing is just down right amazing. Again, just amazed that my little seemingly insignificant hometown was ever featured or mentioned in a movie.