THE LAST WAGON—Richard Widmark plays ‘Comanche Todd’, on the run for murder. His chance for redemption comes when he’s faced with leading six teenagers and kids, survivors of an Apache massacre, out of the hostile desert.

It’s a tough story, commenting on the prejudices of whites against Indians and the often cruel nature of the young.  Widmark’s character has lived much of his life with Indians, and the killing’s he’s wanted for are from his avenging the murder of his family. Likewise, just as the group of sudden-orphans (three young women, two young men and a boy) have to cast their anguished lot with a tormented ‘Indian-lover’, the threatening Apaches are bent on making the whites pay for decimating their families: the un-merry-go-round of grief, prejudice and vengeance fuels the plot.

A creditable 1956 production, blessed with beautiful scenery in Arizona’s stunning Oak Creek Canyon and assorted lovely spots around Sedona, captured to a tee by Wilfred M. Cline’s camera.  Lionel Newman adorns it with an evocative score and there’s one humdinger of an explosion near the end.  Well directed by Delmer Daves, who co-wrote the screenplay with James Edward Grant and Gwen Bagni. George Matthews makes a repulsive heavy as Widmark’s main pursuer, and 24-year old punk Nick Adams nails a thoroughly nasty impression as one of the embittered young folk. Among the gals, it’s a toss-up who’s prettier: Felicia Farr, 23, Susan Kohner, 19, or Stephanie Griffin (21, her only movie). Widmark, looking at home in buckskins, is excellent as ever; his courtroom speech on his family and his ‘crime’ is suitably moving. *

At a sleek 98 minutes, the $1,670,000 effort pulled back $4,300,000, ranking 73rd at the box office. With Tommy Rettig, 14, Ray Stricklyn (28 playing 18, one of six movies and six TV shows that year), Carl Benton Reid, Douglas Kennedy (a good guy for a change), James Drury, 21, and Timothy Carey.

* One of oddly underrated director Daves’ nine solid westerns of the 50s: Broken Arrow, Drum Beat, White Feather (script), Jubal, 3:10 to Yuma, Cowboy, The Badlanders and The Hanging Tree.  Several dealt with Native Americans and did so with sympathy: Daves had spent a good deal of his youth on Navajo and Hopi reservations. He also seemed fond of Felicia Farr, giving her choice parts in Jubal and 3:10 To Yuma.