WHEN YOU THINK OF A WELL PRODUCED WESTERN FILM, THE VERY FIRST
NAME THAT
COMES TO MIND IS NAT HOLT. FOR THE MOST PART NAT HOLT WESTERNS HAD A
COMBINATION OF INTERESTING CHARACTORS AND A CONSISTENT TONE OF HISTORICAL
FACT.
HIS FIRST EFFORT AS A PRODUCER WAS A COMEDY/MUSICAL AT RKO PICTURES IN
1945 TITLED,"GEORGE WHITE'S SCANDALS".
HIS SECOND FILM WAS A COMEDY,ALSO AT RKO,TITLED: "RIVERBOAT RHYTHM".
THINGS STARTED TO CHANGE A LITTLE FOR NAT HOLT IN 1946.
IT WAS THE BEGINING OF A LONG AND VERY PRODUCTIVE ASSOCIATION WITH ACTOR
RANDOLPH SCOTT RESULTING IN A PACKAGE OF EIGHT SUCCESSFUL SAGEBRUSH FILMS.
FOR THE FIRST, HOLT HIRED DIRECTOR TIM WHELAN TO HELM,
"BADMAN'S TERRITORY" (1946) (RKO).
THEN CAME,"TRAIL STREET"(1947) (RKO),
FOLLOWED BY
A SEQUEL TO BADMEN'S TERRITORY TITLED:"RETURN OF THE BADMEN"(1948)(RKO).
THE NEXT THREE WESTERNS PRODUCED BY NAT HOLT WERE SHOT AT
20TH CENTURY FOX STUDIOS. THEY ARE,
"FIGHTING MEN OF THE PLAINS"(1949),
"CANADIAN PACIFIC"(1949),
AND "CARIBOO TRAIL"(1950).
OF THE THREE,"FIGHTING MEN OF THE PLAINS" WAS THE FAVORITE WITH MOST
WESTERN FANS.
NAT HOLT ALWAYS TRIED TO HIRE THE BEST BEHIND-THE-SCENE'S PEOPLE THAT HE
COULD FIND.
DIRECTOR'S LIKE: TIM WHELAN, RAY ENRIGHT,
EDWIN L.MARIN, GORDON DOUGLAS,
AND TAY GARNETT.
WRITERS LIKE: FRANK GRUBER, NORMAN HOUSTON,
JACK NATTEFORD, KENNETH GAMET,
AND HORACE MCCOY.
NAT'S NEXT STRING OF FILMS,MOSTLY WESTERNS, WERE PRODUCED AT PARAMOUNT
PICTURES.
"SILVER CITY'(1951),
"FLAMING FEATHER"(1951),
"DENVER AND RIO GRANDE"(1952),
"PONY EXPRESS" (1953),
"ARROWHEAD"(1953),
"TEXAS LADY"(1955),
AND THE FINAL RANDOLPH SCOTT OATER, "RAGE AT DAWN"(1955).
A GREAT DEAL OF NAT HOLT'S FILMS WERE SHOT ON LOCATION, RATHER THEN AT
THE TYPICAL HOLLYWOOD BACKLOT. LOCATION SHOOTING WAS DONE IN TEXAS,
UTAH, ARIZONA AND OTHER LOCALES.
THERE WERE MANY WELL KNOWN ACTORS THAT APPEARD IN NAT HOLT FILMS.
PEOPLE LIKE,
ROBERT RYAN, STERLING HAYDEN, EDMUND O'BRIEN, CHARLTON HESTON,
JACK PALANCE, WENDELL CORY, ROBERT TAYLOR AND MANY MORE.
NAT HOLT'S AFFILIATION WITH TELEVISON WAS BRIEF.
IN 1957 HE PRODUCED THE VERY POPULAR DALE ROBERTSON WESTERN,
"TALES OF WELLS FARGO"(1957-1962)
AND THE SHORT LIVED,"OVERLAND TRAIL"(1960).
HIS FINAL FILM WAS AGAIN A WESTERN, "CATTLE KING"(1963),
STARRING ROBERT TAYLOR.
NAT HOLT ALWAYS GAVE US A FAIR AND HONEST APPROACH TO THE FILMS HE PRODUCED. THAT'S WHY A
MAJORITY THEM STILL HOLD UP
STRONG TODAY.
Sal Crisanti <crisanti52@netscape.net>
