From the pen of western writer and eventual director, Burt Kennedy, comes this Universal-International release that not surprisingly plays like another of the Kennedy/Boetticher/Scott westerns. Instead of Randolph Scott taking the reins in the lead we have Audie Murphy while Dan Duryea steps in to play second and subbing for director Budd Boetticher is Harry Kelly.
The end result is a slightly above average “B” western from the studio that was cranking these out on what seemed like a weekly basis.
At 80 minutes in length our adventure begins with Audie, saddle in hand, on foot and looking haggard in the wilds of Utah’s filming locations. He’ll see what he believes to be a herd of wild horses and ropes one. After a short bit of bronco busting he’s ready to continue on his way but things are to take a serious turn when he’s taken as a horse thief by a gang of cowboys, one of which we’ll recognize as Bob Steele.
With a rope around his neck and his time short he’s saved from the hangman’s noose by Duryea who isn’t fond of seeing a man strung up and believes Audie’s story of innocence. From here on out the pair are uneasy partners for the balance of the film. Audie the straight and narrow cowboy while Duryea the one with less morals and easily swayed by money and women. “I got myself a policy: never do an honest days work unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
Just the way we like our slice of Duryea.
“A man needs a purpose to ride this country.”
When finding themselves in the next town along the trail the pair are bushwhacked by a couple of hired guns and quickly shoot down their attackers. But who were the gunmen aiming to kill, Audie or Duryea? It’s at this point that our leading lady turns up. Joan O’Brien is looking to hire men to get her safely across Apache territory to reunite with her husband and Audie and Duryea fill the necessary requirements. They’re both lightning fast on the draw.
Dan not only likes the payment of $1000 apiece to get her safely through the territory but he likes what he sees when eyeing up his new boss. He’s also not above letting her know she’s worth every penny a man has to spend.
As I was saying, it’s the Duryea we’ve come to know and love.
Something is amiss on our journey through the Apache lands. Joan isn’t overly worried about letting the Apache warriors know their whereabouts when she intentionally starts a fire. Then there’s a conversation she has in private with Audie leading one to suspect she’s hoping Duryea doesn’t make it to their destination. Might she be playing Audie against Duryea? Possibly but if I go much father in the plot details then I’ll be playing spoiler and I’d rather not.
Having just recently watched the Kennedy/Boetticher/Scott westerns I would like to point out there is a scene in Six Black Horses that is very reminiscent of one from 1959’s Ride Lonesome. In each film we’ll see an Apache warrior bargain with the leading man over a white woman. Both Scott and Murphy turn it down which in the case of Six Black Horses, will see our trio at odds with a band of warriors. There is even a line of dialogue lifted from the Scott film that Murphy employs, “There are some things a man can’t ride around.”
For those of you who have visited Mike’s Take in the past you’ll know I have a great love for westerns and both the leading actors riding the trail this time out. This proved to be the final pairing of Audie and Duryea. They first rode the trail together in the enjoyable 1954 western, Ride Clear of Diablo, a film that clearly established the screen chemistry between them. They would next play opposite Jimmy Stewart in 1957’s memorable, Night Passage, as uneasy outlaws facing off against Jimmy’s railway agent.
I guess it’s fair to say that both actors were nearing the end of their runs by the time Six Black Horses was released. Audie still had some westerns left but for the most part they were lesser productions with budgets to match. Duryea kept busy with plenty of television opportunities in between his western films. He’s appear on everything from Burke’s Law to Daniel Boone and take a role in the Peyton place TV series in the late 60’s just prior to his death in 1968. Sadly, Audie would be gone not long afterwards dying in a 1971 plane crash.
Our leading lady, Miss O’Brien, was quite familiar with the western genre as well. While most of her work appears to be on television she did appear in many of the popular western shows of the era. Among them you’ll recognize Wagon Train, Cheyenne, Bat Masterson and even an episode of Whispering Smith, a lesser known show that starred Audie Murphy in the lead role. She’d also appear opposite John Wayne in The Alamo and The Comancheros. Some fans may remember her best for playing a nurse that has caught the eye of Tony Curtis in Operation Petticoat or maybe starring opposite Elvis and little Kurt Russell in It Happened at the World’s Fair. She retired from acting in 1965.
I’ve no idea how easy it is to locate a copy of Six Black Horses. The one I have is a VHS copy off of late night TV I’ve had for years. The original insert? Not sure where I located it but it too has been around here for years.
Mike's Take On the Movies 
😍 this movie! They play it quite often on the Starz Western channel. Great post!
Thanks and it’s a good one with the Audie-Dan chemistry working one last time.
Reblogged this on Dan Duryea Appreciation.
Audie Murphy was one of the first real life heroes to become a movie hero. Granted he only did war movies and Westerns, but he good in all of them, especially starring as himself in a bio-film about his service in WWII. I recall reading that he did have episodes of PTSD from time to time, but this didn’t seem to heavily impact his life. I remember Dan Duryea from a couple of Noirs he did back in the 40’s, and wasn’t sure if he’d make the transition to a cowboy, but he does look convincing in that poster.
Dan did well in the western genre as well as the Noir features. Always a fun addition to most any film he appeared in. Audie’s story is a tough one when we factor in the war years and the aftermath. Still as a film fan he was one of my favorites movie heroes when I was a youngster discovering movies.
Good review as always. Not one I’ve seen. Dan Duryea never disappoints. Surprising it hasn’t come out on dvd. Tried to use the ‘Like ‘ button but it is acting up again. Seems to work on some blogs but not others.
Dan very rarely disappoints and when he does it’s usually a case of a role he’s not suited to or maybe some of his later efforts from the 60’s.
I always heard that SIX BLACK HORSES was a “leftover” script from the Ranown series. I’m glad the series ended with COMANCHE STATION which I always thought was the best of the lot,at least the series went out on a high note.SIX BLACK HORSES was released some years back on a Dutch DVD and the picture quality is none too good. Koch Germany planned a Blu Ray edition but ended up releasing it on DVD due to problems with the master supplied by Universal. SIX BLACK HORSES is yet another Universal Western that need a new restoration,another being THE LAST SUNSET the various Blu Ray versions available are less than stellar-let’s hope Kino can deliver a new 4K restoration when they get ’round to releasing it.I always enjoy Universal’s 60’s Westerns I even like those two Tony Young/Dan Duryea pictures HE RIDES TALL and TAGGART. I also enjoy Dan in INCIDENT AT PHANTON HILL with Robert Fuller a very good little programmer. Not Universal but Dan turns up as a good guy,a govermant agent no less, in the Spaghetti THE HILLS RUN RED which apart from Dan has two otrher Ameriucan leads Thomas Hunter and Henry Silva. Dan seems to be having the time of his life in this one. Universal did try to do their bit to keep traditional Westerns alive after the 50’s I also really like their two Dean Martin vehicles ROUGH NIGHT IN JERICHO and SHOWDOWN which hold up very well. Universal Germany have just released DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER on a very nice looking Blu Ray I’ve never seen a Western where the cast sweats so profusely,high def really highlights this. The film was a troubled production but it’s still good and a must for Widmark fans.
I’ve heard the same thing and it’s probably true with Kennedy the writer. I haven’t seen any of those later Duryea films you mentioned so will have to have a look. I think I have Taggart here somewhere from a TV airing. I too like those Martin films and of the two, really like Showdown.
I like this movie well enough. The leads are familiar with each other and work well in tandem and that Kennedy script ensures the Ranown movies are never far from your mind. I’d like to see the movie looking better – I have a French DVD which is pretty poor overall. I know Koch put it out in Germany recently but I’ve no idea how that looks, hardly worse than that French disc I’d imagine.
Yes the copy I have isn’t all that flattering either. Needs to be restored as do many others I suppose.
Saw this on the big screen as titled Mission To Del Cobre! This was about the tail end of both Audie and Dan partnership. Liked them best in Ride Clear Of Diablo. Like John, Dan was good in Taggart. Best regards.
2 votes for Taggart, guess I’ll have to dig it out. I’ve always been a fan of Ride Clear of Diablo. The chemistry of the two leads really makes that one above average.
Hi Mike,
TAGGART was released on DVD several years back by Universal,France in a very nice looking transfer,Sidonis France recently released a Blu Ray edition but I don’t know about “forced” subtitles a practice Sidonis have now stopped. INCIDENT AT PHANTOM HILL was released recently by Spirit Media Germany in a lovely transfer I think you will find much to enjoy in this one Mike plus the attraction of lovely Jocelyn Lane;she can’t act a lick but she sure can pout-she even out pouts Bardot.THE HILLS RUN RED was recently released on Blu Ray by Explosive Media Germany-Explosive’s Blu Ray’s are region free. The artwork has a real “Rick Dalton” vibe about it probably sourced from an old Italian poster decades before Rick Dalton became a figment of Tarantino’s imagination. THE HILLS RUN RED is a whole heap of fun and it’s so cool to see Dan in heroic mode. Lead Thomas Hunter acted, wrote screenplays and did a whole heap of other stuff,his best know screenplay was Kirk Douglas’ THE FINAL COUNTDOWN.
I’ve seen The Hills Run Red but been a while. Interesting fact there about Hunter. Didn’t know he was a writer as well and I love Final Countdown. Saw it at the theater way back in the day.