After Gilligan's Island, Dawn Wells Starred In Leif Erickson's Underrated '70s Western
by Joe Roberts · /FilmAdd SlashFilm on Google:
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Leif Erickson and the "Gilligan's Island" cast had a lot in common. They were all established character actors who became household names thanks to 1960s TV series. What's more, almost all of them played multiple roles that saw them immersed in TV and film versions of the Old West. In that sense, there was a certain significance to seeing Erickson and Mary Ann Summers actor Dawn Wells team up for the 1975 Western "Winterhawk."
Erickson was 56 years old by the time he was cast in the still underrated Western series "The High Chaparral." By that point, he'd long since established himself as a reliable and prolific character actor. "The High Chaparral," on which he played the patriarch of the titular ranch, "Big John" Cannon, gave him a taste of real fame, and remains his best-known role to this day.
That NBC series debuted in 1967, the same year "Gunsmoke" put an end to "Gilligan's Island." Sherwood Schwartz's beloved CBS sitcom had been running since 1964 and made stars of its ensemble, most notably Bob Denver and Alan Hale Jr., the latter of whom was as prolific and well-respected a character actor as Erickson. Wells, meanwhile, had only just started her acting career, and had just a handful of TV and film roles to her name. By the time she teamed up with Erickson in 1975, however, she was busy trying to break away from Mary Ann.
Dawn Wells is taken captive by a Native American chief in Winterhawk
Dawn Wells spent her time after "Gilligan's Island" appearing in multiple projects and attempting to break away from the wholesome image to which the sitcom had forever connected her. To that end, she played a call girl in 1970's "The Owl and the Pussycat," though it did little to change the public's perception of Wells as the quintessential girl next door. Meanwhile, she appeared in several stage productions and appeared in guest spots on TV shows such as "Bonanza," and "Growing Pains."
Wells did not, however, reprise the role of Mary Ann Summers in the "Gilligan's Island" animated spin-off, "The New Adventures of Gilligan." That show aired from 1974 to 75, during which time Wells was committed to a touring production. Around that same time, however, she did find time to appear alongside Leif Erickson in "Winterhawk."
The 1975 Western was co-written, produced, and directed by Charles B. Pierce, who's best known for modest cult hits "The Legend of Boggy Creek" and "The Town That Dreaded Sundown." "Winterhawk" was one of two films he made that were "respectfully dedicated" to Native Americans, the other being 1977's "Grayeagle." With his 1975 Western, Pierce told the story of a Native American chief who's betrayed by white settlers. Wells ends up being taken captive as revenge.
Dawn Wells and Leif Erickson's Winterhawk is well worth a watch for Western fans
"Winterhawk" stars Leif Erickson as Guthrie, an early 19th-Century mountain man and friend of Michael Dante's Blackfoot chief Winterhawk. After the chief's son dies of smallpox, Guthrie suggests he approach nearby white settlers to enquire about a remedy for the sickness which could help prevent other tribespeople from being infected. When Winterhawk attempts to make contact, however, two outlaws named Gates (L.Q. Jones) and Scoby (Dennis Fimple) steal his furs and kill his cohorts. In return, the chief kidnaps a white woman named Clayanna (Dawn Wells), along with her young brother Cotton (Chuck Pierce Jr.). The townspeople then hire Guthrie to track down his old friend. But it's a perilous hunt, as Winterhawk is headed through dangerous terrain on his way to Canada.
"Winterhawk" was nicely shot and featured a solid cast. But it also didn't make a lot of sense. Wells' character, for instance, ends up falling for the Chief, despite the fact he's barely able to talk to her and doesn't do much to earn her affection throughout the narrative. Dante also isn't exactly magnetic in the role. Erickson does a fine job of playing a world weary trapper, however, and plenty of Letterboxd users seemed to like the film. One even remarked that certain scenes reminded them of "the classic Westerns of John Ford." What's more, the film features Sacheen Littlefeather, the activist who declined Marlon Brando's "Godfather" Oscar, in a supporting role as Pale Flower.
Wells, who also narrates "Winterhawk" as Clayanna, went on to appear in another of Charles B. Pierce's films: the 1976 slasher "The Town That Dreaded Sundown." That film is more well-remembered than "Winterhawk," but the Western is definitely worth a watch for fans of the genre.