Born Reckless

Born Reckless is the title of at least three Hollywood movies. The first is a crime-and-war drama directed by John Ford and Andrew Bennison in 1930; the second is a crime-and-car-racing thriller directed by Malcolm St. Clair in 1937; the third is a modern-day western directed by Howard W. Koch in 1958. But only the last of these pictures has a secret sex-appeal weapon in its arsenal: Mamie Van Doren at the crest of her career, although "crest" isn't exactly the right word for a career so steadily eclipsed by those of Jayne Mansfield, her chief rival, and Marilyn Monroe, whom no lesser blonde could hope to equal. Van Doren plays Jackie Adams, a barroom crooner and rodeo rider who can seem sultry, needy, or tomboyish depending on the circumstances. When her singing attracts too much attention from a lecherous journalist in a saloon, rescue comes from Kelly Cobb, a hard-working rider who competes in every rodeo on the circuit, determined to raise the purchase price of a ranch where he can settle down and be his own boss. Jackie becomes Kelly's traveling companion, but you know how men are - all he thinks about is scraping up the entry fee for the next rodeo on his schedule, and then he gets distracted by Liz, a glamorous woman with money to spare. The secondary characters include a crusty sidekick named Cool Man - an inexplicable moniker, since he's really an old coot - and a lovable rancher named Papa Gomez, who bails out Kelly in a time of need while tending to his own stereotypical Mexican-American hacienda. The most interesting aspect of Born Reckless is the mix of different genres packed into its screenplay. (It was written by Richard Landau from an original story he penned with Aubrey Schenck, who was Koch's partner at the indie company Bel-Air Productions in the 1950s.) It's definitely a rodeo picture, presenting an even-handed portrait of what it's like to be a professional in the field. Kelly is terrific at what he does, but he faces huge challenges and dangers - there's no horse that can't be rode, no rider who can't be throwed - and he spends a considerable chunk of the story in an awful slump (as mentioned, Liz is mighty distracting). Koch's movie doesn't live up to the great rodeo-movie classics, such as Nicholas Ray's The Lusty Men (1952) and Cliff Robertson's J.W. Coop (1971), but it's a diverting entry in the genre. Born Reckless is also a western, of course, complete with Cool Man as the sort of crusty sidekick played in the 1930s and '40s by George "Gabby" Hayes and Andy Devine, then rehashed by Pat Buttram and Pat Brady in TV horse operas of the '50s. And the film is as much a musical as anything else, with several rockabilly and country numbers sung by Van Doren, the celebrated Tex Williams, and others. Last but far from least, Born Reckless is a romantic drama, in which (spoiler alert) love eventually conquers all. Koch handles these contrasting modes with aplomb, given the obviously low budget at his disposal. Koch had his hands full with the cast, however. Van Doren is...well, Van Doren, which is both a plus and minus. On one hand, she isn't what you call an overly skilled actress. On the other hand, she's brash and lively, and since brashness and liveliness are all this picture requires from her, she fits the bill nicely. She had a busy year in 1958, appearing in George Seaton's romantic comedy Teacher's Pet with Clark Gable and Doris Day, and in Jack Arnold's delinquency drama High School Confidential! with Russ Tamblyn and Jerry Lee Lewis, before shifting gears for Born Reckless. She was a real Hollywood trouper in those days, and it's regrettable that her popularity declined so quickly soon thereafter. Kelly is played by Jeff Richards, a former Minor League baseball player with a trim physique and a preposterously handsome face. His career also waned in the early 1960s, but here he's generally up to the job, even if the documentary-style footage of rodeo action clearly features stunt doubles and authentic cowboys. Arthur Hunnicutt portrays Cool Man with the air of a small-time Walter Brennan, and Carol Ohmart makes Liz a credible third party for the story's love triangle. Mexican-born actor Nacho Galindo, fresh from Budd Boetticher's 1958 classic Buchanan Rides Alone, is fine as Papa Gomez. Born Reckless is one of five pictures (plus a TV episode) that Koch directed in 1958; the others range from a Frankenstein knockoff to the last gasp of the Andy Hardy series. The cinematographer, Joseph F. Biroc, shot it between (among other assignments) three Samuel Fuller films (China Gate, Run of the Arrow, Forty Guns) in 1957 and another one (Verboten!) in 1959. The serviceable score was composed by Buddy Bregman, who deserves a nod as well. Solid professionals all, they joined with Van Doren to craft a minor entertainment that accomplishes its modest tasks with a minimum of fuss. Fans of western-musical-rodeo-romantic cinema should enjoy it. Director: Howard W. Koch Producer: Aubrey Schenck Screenplay: Richard Landau; story by Richard Landau and Aubrey Schenck Cinematographer: Joseph F. Biroc Film Editing: John F. Schreyer Art Direction: Jack T. Collis Music: Buddy Bregman Cast: Mamie Van Doren (Jackie Adams), Jeff Richards (Kelly Cobb), Arthur Hunnicutt (Cool Man), Carol Ohmart (Liz), Tom Duggan (Wilson), Tex Williams (Tex), Donald Barry (Okie), Nacho Galindo (Papa Gomez), Orlando Rodriguez (Manuel), Johnny Olenn and his Group (Themselves), Allegra Varron (Mama Gomez), Jim Canino (Jose), Jovon Monteid (Dolores), Jack Loomis (Mayor), Asa Maynor (Trailer Camp Girl), Jeanne Carmen (Rodeo Girl), Doye O'Dell (Rodeo Official), Ann Staunton (Eve), Ed Hinton (Spade), Ray Beltram (Grandfather), Jack Welden (Rodeo Announcer), Malcolm Roselle (Rodeo Announcer), Yvonne Vasquez (Lola), Christina Vasquez (Chiquita). BW-79m. by David Sterritt