This "B" western from Universal Pictures is no better or no worse than most other westerns Universal ground out at the time. It has a good cast who've all done this kind of picture before (and better), a director with a long and extensive background in turning out this kind of western (and better), first-rate cinematography in excellent locations, and a script that's serviceable, at best. The plot of greedy white men trying to push Indians off their land when a valuable mineral--in this case, silver--is discovered underneath it has been done endlessly before and nothing different is done with it here. The climactic battle between the villain's gang and a Comanche tribe is somewhat poorly done--which is unusual for director George Sherman, who usually handles action scenes far better (check out his work on "The Battle at Apache Pass")--but at least it's interesting to see a battle in which the Indians are the good guys and the whites are the bad guys.Overall it's an OK western, nothing special. It's worth a one-time look, but not more than that.

George Sherman supplements the clichés with humor in "Comanche Territory," another disposable but pleasant dust-raiser with Maureen O'Hara playing her usual red-haired hellion. MacDonald Carey squares off against her over silver and a peace treaty with the Comanche nation. Will Geer is cast as Carey's sidekick, while Charles Drake is O'Hara's less than scrupulous brother. This movie qualifies as a period western since the characters are armed with black powder firearms. Yes, the American Civil War has not happened yet, much less the Alamo. Mind you, Andrew Jackson is President of the United States so it isn't a traditional oater. During the 1950s, westerns adopted a new sentiment that Native Americans weren't always good if they were dead. In other words, the Indians had won the cultural role and western filmmakers didn't utilize them as often as villains. Jim Bowie (MacDonald Carey) is sent into Comanche country to see that the treaty becomes a reality. He encounters former Congressman Dan'l Seeger (Will Geer) who had the treaty stolen from him by the villains. When Bowie and Seeger meet, they have to fight the Comanches. Bowie wins the favor of the Native Americans after facing off with some of them in a knife fight. Indeed, they like the pig-sticker enough that they insist Bowie show them how to make them. "Gunman's Code" lenser Maury Gertsman's cinematography is outstanding, and the real scenery in Sedona, Arizona, is gorgeous. Nothing about the Lewis Meltzer and Oscar Brodney screenplay is really exciting. The characters are shallow and one-dimensional. Carey plays Bowie without gusto, while dependable supporting players like Glenn Strange, James Best, I. Stanford Jolley, and Iron-Eyes Cody get a line or two of dialogue. Altogether, "Comanche Territory" is nothing special.

This little-seen quasi-Western from 1950 stars McDonald Carey as Jim Bowie helping his friends, the Indians, from an army of marauding white men out to steal Indian land for its silver. The action is set well before the Civil War, so it is improper to call this a Western, although on the meager budget this was shot on, there are plenty of classic Western outfits on display throughout. Carey is at his prime here, and makes for a virile and resourceful Bowie. An absolutely stunning and very youthful Maureen O'Hara is his feisty love interest, who initially is all for white folks taking over Indian land. She wears some silly outfits that look like they came from a Roy Rogers flick, but she also gets to wear at least one formal dress that shows off her distinctive assets. She also gets to put on quite a brogue, enough so that you might think you're watching THE QUIET MAN from time to time. All in all, a fun "B" flick of a type now long forgotten.

While this isn't an awful Western, there are clearly deficient aspects here that prevent greatness. The fight scenes don't thrill. The saloon brawl is poorly crafted, and nowhere near as funny as intended. The Comanches are depicted as 'injuns', with whites playing the only speaking parts. The central love/hate relationship between Carey and O'Hara is of the screwball comedy variety, but Carey is no Clark Gable. In addition to the desert scenery, the only other real value this has is historical -- a reminder of whence more recent movies extract their ideas. For example, the imposing presence of the Bowie knife would later be borrowed by the "Rambo" movies.O'Hara is probably the best single feature here, her two-fisted feisty redhead serving as a template for the Nicole Kidmans of the modern era. And the bull whip cracking and fight on the runaway wagon would become ingredients in "Raiders of the Lost Ark".