The author of this review first formed ideas about the international nature of the film business by seeing some of the very popular actors from his country's small screens appear in major foreign cinema productions. One such film was Frontier Hellcat, a.k.a. Among Vultures (1964), a West German Western directed by Alfred Vohrer.
This is the fourth film in the series based on the popular novels by German writer Karl May. Pierre Brice reprises his iconic role of Apache chief Winnetou. The plot begins when Winnetou helps rancher Baumann (played by Walter Barnes) and his son Martin (played by Götz George) hunt down a bear responsible for killing their sheep. While they are away, the ranch is attacked and burned, and Baumann's wife and daughter are killed in what looks like an Indian raid. Evidence points to a band of Shoshones and their leader Wokadeh (played by Gojko Mitić), especially after the testimony of the wandering preacher Weller (played by Miha Baloh). The preacher is actually a member of the "Vultures", a vicious gang of bandits who want to stir up war between Indians and settlers in order to rob a caravan of settlers travelling to Arizona. Their plans are thwarted thanks to the arrival of Winnetou's old friend, expert marksman Old Surehand (played by Stewart Granger), whose skills come in handy while protecting Annie (played by Elke Sommer), a beautiful young woman travelling West carrying gold in her belt.
Like all the films in the series, Among Vultures was shot on location in Yugoslavia, mostly in areas of the Dinaric Alps, which could reasonably pass for the American Southwest. Apart from the locations, some local talent was also used, including actors enjoying the status of local film and television stars. Boris Dvornik, a Croatian actor and arguably the biggest of them all, appears briefly as one of the ill-fated "Vultures". Slovenian actor Miha Baloh has a much meatier and better role as the double-crossing Weller. Serbian actor Gojko Mitić plays the role of a noble Indian warrior, which would soon become his specialty in East German cinema. But the best performance is given by comedian Milan Srdoč (here credited as "Paddy Fox") in the role of Old Surehand's goofy sidekick, Old Wabble.
Viewers less interested in Yugoslav cinema would, on the other hand, have the opportunity to enjoy a solid piece of Western entertainment. Vohrer directs the action scenes quite well, and the only major problem is the use of "day for night" filming in certain scenes. The script provides a good combination of action, humour, and even some romance, but the beginning seems strangely dark for this sort of film, which is obviously intended for a family audience. Pierre Brice is effective as Winnetou, but his gravitas and seriousness look a little one-dimensional in comparison with the more nonchalant Old Surehand, played by Stewart Granger in a way that suggests he had the time of his life on set. Some of that fun will surely rub off on the viewers, so Among Vultures can be recommended to those wanting to enjoy an old-school, solid Western.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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