Undressed Under Duress, Season Two: Part 3 Continued 

               Against A Crooked Sky

Surrounded by dozens of menacing young bucks, Sam and Russian decide their best course of action, at least for now, would be not to fight it out. They are out numbered, standing there in just their underwear with no guns or knives. Struggling would be of no use. So, having no chance at an escape, Sam and Russian, meekly offered themselves over to their captors.

Conveniently, the indigenous men just happened to have had ropes with which to secure their trespassing captives. Young Sam, wearing only his union suit and boots, and Russian in his long johns, are marched to a hostile Apache Indian camp.

Inexplicably, one of the Indians had, considerately, retrieved their clothes from the bush where britches and shirts had been left to dry. Fortunately, the boys would not have to spend the rest of the movie in their long underwear. Docile as lambs, Sam and Russian allowed themselves to be led to the edge of the encampment and roughly made to sit in the dirt, awaiting for who knew what.

Soon an an old, toothless woman rather gently forced a wooden spoonful of some type of porridge into their mouths. Now, that was odd. Protesting, the substance laced with a foul tasting mixture was swallowed by both. 

Before long, man and boy passed out, dead to the world.

Sometime later, Sam woke up, dazed but alive. He aroused Russian. They believed their only chance to save themselves, was to sneak quietly away. 

Still in their underwear, they tried crawling close to the ground to escape. But wouldn't you know, they had gone only a few feet before their guards stopped them and pulled them to their feet. 

They were taken to join a crowd of Indians where Sam got a glimpse of his sister. She was still alive and well!

As it turned out, Sam was to try and rescue his sister but only after a grueling test of the “Crooked Sky.” The boy would be made to race the sun across desert, cliffs, cactus and heat. If he failed, Charlotte would be sacrificed by plummeting blind-folded over the edge of a cliff, having been done in by an executioner's arrow to the chest.

Catch the ending to this western drama on DVD, YouTube, and other streaming platforms.

Coming the first week in April: Kidnapped! Don't miss it!

Undressed Under Duress, Season Two: Part Three

                            Against A Crooked Sky

One year after Stewart Peterson, fifteen year old Hollywood actor, starred in Seven Alone, he was cast as Sam Sutter in the western film, Against a Crooked Sky. Once again, the mischievous young boy found himself face to face with hostile Indians wearing only his union suit. The 1975 film, shot mostly on location at Crystal Valley, Moab Utah, was written by Douglas Stewart and Eleanor Lamb and directed by Earl Bellamy, from Doty-Dayton Production, Film Production Associates II. The scenery of central Utah is probably the best part of this movie. It's certainly the most beautiful.

The story: while their parents were away, Sam's older sister was kidnapped from the family home by a lost tribe of Apache Indians. Sam felt responsible somehow so was determined to rescue her. Meeting up with an old, grizzled prospector, played by Richard Boone, he began the trek to find her and bring her home.

After a particularly hot and dusty day of traveling in search of the girl, Sam and Russian sought relief in a refreshing pool of water by diving in, clothes and all. Along with their horses, they slurped their fill of water. They enjoyed their wet dip, splashing and cavorting, until refreshed.

After stripping to their underwear, they laid their drenched clothes out on top of bushes to dry. Pulling on their boots and hats against the harsh sun, they proceeded to walk around, exploring their whereabouts.

Soon, they happened upon a mysterious sacrificial site, an ancient monument of sorts had been erected. Who had build this obelisk? What could it mean?

And, most perplexing, was a stream of liquid gold which had hardened 

and led from the monument towards the edge of the cliff. 

What could it all mean? Well, for one thing, they “were rich!” But how would they get this gold back to civilization?!

 

Blood stained the edge of the rock at the edge of a sheer cliff. 

But not so fast! They began to realize they could be in very dangerous territory, man and boy decided their best bet was to go back to the watering hole, grab their discarded clothes, and high tail it out of there. The gold could wait.

Too late!! They looked up to see they were surrounded by menacing Apache Indians, jabbing at them with spears.

To Be Continued...