by Frank Calvillo
It has always rather annoyed me that some people are dismissive of the western genre simply because, according to them, most entries never stray far from the standard conventions. Such a complaint is certainly valid to a point. However, not every title in the genre need succumb to such traditional elements as mustache-twirling villains and saloon fights. A perfect example of such a film is the 1954 offering Garden of Evil, which forgoes all western narrative conventions by offering up a trio of multi-dimensional characters and taking them on a journey full of captivating introspection that, in its own quiet way, beautifully encompasses the power of the western like no other.
In Garden of Evil, a pair of American explorers named Hooker (Gary Cooper) and Fiske (Richard Widmark) find themselves stranded in Mexico with no concrete plans for the near future. When a beautiful, yet steadfast woman named Leah (Susan Hayward) offers the two a chance at some gold in exchange for helping her rescue her injured husband from a mine, both men agree. After it’s discovered that the mine is located in Apache territory, however, the stakes become quickly raised.
While Garden of Evil squarely belongs in the western genre, the film is first and foremost a thoughtful character piece. There’s much to love with regard to the polar opposites of the two lead male characters. Hooker is clearly the old pro who has seen it all and is no longer easily shocked, while Fiske is the confident one who thinks he knows everything, despite having seen very little. In between the two of them lies an incredibly intriguing and strong female character who will not for one second let herself be deterred by any one man or obstacle. It is in observing these individuals that it becomes apparent that the main strength of Garden of Evil is that everyone is strangers to each other, and they all are swimming in a large sea of ambiguity. The fact that everyone is conflicted about something gives the film a real chance to explore a variety of human emotions at play and the different motivations behind them, especially with regard to love and the past.
From a technical standpoint, Garden of Evil excels in ways other films of the era only ever hoped to, but probably didn’t. To begin with, the film is hands down the best example of Cinemascope I’ve ever seen. Excellent camera angles truly allow the film to take advantage of its setting and locations and showcase them in such majestic ways. Meanwhile, the technicolor aspects are at the top of their game, making Garden of Evil one of the most beautiful westerns that ever found its way onto film. Adding to this is legendary composer Bernard Herrmann’s work on the film’s score, which wonderfully displays his versatility and further shows why he was one of the most revered composers of all time. His music gives off all of the excitement, glory, and energy that belongs in a western, yet retains that unique Herrmann touch.
All of the legendary performers turn in the kind of great work their fans will no doubt lap up. Hayward gives another fearless turn as the female lead, never once standing down when faced with one of her powerful male costars. Widmark goes to town with his role as he wonderfully displays Fiske’s deceptively complex arc. Finally, Cooper added another flawless performance to his stellar career, playing Hooker as a man of depth and soul.
In reading up on the trivia for Garden of Evil, I discovered that the legendary John Wayne hard originally intended to star alongside Cooper, with the latter assuming Widmark’s part. When Wayne dropped out and Cooper took over his part, it proved more than just a shake-up in casting. Instead it was the beginning of a new phase in the actor’s career, which saw him abandon the younger male roles which many had seen him take on so brilliantly in favor of more mature characters. Being Gary Cooper of course, he never missed a single beat, no matter who he played.
The Package
This Twilight Time release is rich in special features, with three great documentaries on hand.
The first, Travels of a Gunslinger: The Making of Garden of Evil offers so many juicy behind-the-scenes tidbits for such a pensive, quiet film. The short documentary is more of an exploration of Cooper, with the actor’s daughter providing insight into her famous father. David Thomson and other historians talk about Cinemascope and how it influenced the making of the film. There are also stories of Hayward not being completely there because of a messy divorce going on back home and an audio recording of Hathaway recalling a heated exchange between him and his leading lady. There are also stories of Hayward’s affair with Howard Hughes and actor Cameron Mitchell’s crush on the actress, resulting in her making claw marks on his face. Elsewhere there’s talk of a supposed physical brawl between Cooper and Widmark when the two actors kept on fighting after failing to hear their director end the scene they were in.
The second and third offer up fine portraits of both Hathaway and Hayward. Henry Hathaway: When the Going Gets Tough is a great tribute to an underrated director and the sharp power of his filmmaking as well as his ability to pull of any story that came his way, regardless of plot or setting. The tale of how he was tough on actors, but always in favor of the film they were shooting, is compounded by the knowledge that most of the performers he directed remained friends with him after filming ended.
Susan Hayward: Hollywood’s Straight Shooter is a slightly brief look at Hayward’s career and the kind of tough screen heroines she helped bring to the movies. The notion that the actress didn’t take anything from anybody is sharply illustrated by a tale of how she had an actor replaced after he performed a physical scene too hard.
A commentary and trailer round out the disc’s special features.
The Lowdown
Garden of Evil is wonderfully celebrated for the visually entrancing, character piece it remains to this day.
Garden of Evil is now available on Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
