Cry Blood Apache

Five violent, drunken drifters slaughter an Apache family after discovering their small stash of gold. Suspecting that there is more gold to be had in the surrounding mountains, they keep one member of the tribe alive, a young woman named Jemme, brutally forcing her to lead them to the mine. One member of the gang, Pitcalin (Jody McCrea), refuses to join in the barbarity. He gradually forms a bond with Jemme and provides her with protection. As the group nears its goal, the earlier massacre is discovered by a returning Apache brave, who tracks down the murderers, determined to exact grisly revenge on the men who butchered his family.

Actor / director Jack Starrett, who began his career appearing in low-budget biker movies, would go on to direct Cleopatra Jones (1973) and Race with the Devil (1975). Joel McCrea, playing an older, wiser Pitcalin looking back on the savage events, appeared as a favor for his son Jody, who plays the youthful Pitcalin in this dark and violent western.

• western