A few years after the Civil war, veteran Miles Archer(GUY MADISON)is summoned to Fort Bellows by lieutenant Colonel Kilrain(FAY ROOPE)where he is asked to go on a mission to rescue two white women taken captive by a tribe of Cheyenne Indians years before. Miles reluctantly agrees, but as the Colonel cannot spare soldiers, Miles must take a group of misfits, troublemakers and drunks along on his mission. Once the men have been trained and armed, Miles leads them on their mission, days later the men reach the Cheyenne village and rescue the women without attracting any attention and begin their journey back to the fort.However,one of the women ,Jennie(VERA MILES),has been brainwashed and was going to marry the Cheyenne chief Thunderhawk,so tries to thwart the group's efforts any way she can and this is the last thing they need after Thunderhawk finds out that the women have gone and sets out after the group in hot pursuit with every warrior he has got...
Throughout the 1950s,all the prominent and most successful film studios jumped on the 3D bandwagon in order to cash in on a craze, that in it's day, was highly revolutionary and way ahead of it's time.Westerns were especially popular in 3D and THE CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER is one such example, I can only say that audiences must have loved this film when they saw it in the cinema all those years ago because even watching it in 2D it looks extremely impressive. The action sequences are both magnificent and highly exhilarating, the first shootout among the rocky crags of a brutal, blistering desert in which a small force of Indians come charging at the group was brilliant, this sequence was shot amazingly and the gunshots were ear shattering, just how they should be. The second shootout in which Sergeant Baker and Ryan shoot it out with a smaller group of Indians was just as exciting. The climatic battle at Feather river was certainty riveting, it was fantastic and tremendously intense, again it was briskly shot in the most nail biting way and the stunts the Indians performed as they were shot off their Horses sent adrenaline charging through my body,look out for one excellent shot of an Indian getting killed and falling to the ground with his face falling right in front of the camera,i was also awestruck by the shots of hoards upon hoards of arrows and spears flying right into the middle of the screen. I was completely blown away by the realism of the action scenes, for example men screaming in agony as they are stabbed and hit by arrows and spears and also shots of bloody wounds. Two factors which made the film stand out compared to other westerns. An incredible scene which I will forever remember this film for is the scene in which Sergeant Baker and Ryan are menaced by a Rattlesnake whilst hiding from the Indians and baker, not wanting to jeopardise their position, spits Tobacco at the Rattlesnake to get rid of it.I can't imagine what audiences watching this film in 3D back in 1953 must have thought of this scene but I thought it was both terrific and impressive. The scene in which Jennie shoots Johnny, her brother, in the arm but then falls over a cliff to her death was quite chilling and powerful and shot in a strong, taut way. The sequence in which the men are lowered down the cliff face was absolutely superb and really tense and the shots of the charging Indians in the final battle were absolutely rollicking.
I thought the script was great and I loved the storyline as it's the typical "Guys on a mission" premise which I love and really appeals to me.Guy Madison was great as Miles Archer, I thought he was really cool in a way, a giant compared with today's leading men, he's just as awesome in American westerns like this as he is in Spaghetti westerns.As said the script was great but there are a few minor plot holes,however,nothing that ruined the film. It's also brilliantly directed and paced and never really drags or gets boring, one other very small gripe I had was that the comic relief scenes between the two guys bickering over the alcohol canteen got a little monotonous, but again didn't in the way of the film.
The two studios who made the greatest and most entertaining westerns in the 1950s Hollywood were Universal and Warner brothers, who made this film.Yes,THE CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER is a wholly satisfying, enjoyable and spectacular western adventure made all the more impressive by the State-Of-The-Art 3D camera-work and thrilling action scenes. This excellent film hasn't been on British TV in a long time(today was the first time I saw it in the listings, apart from TCM),for this, I owe my gratitude to 5USA for showing it this afternoon.9/10.
Throughout the 1950s,all the prominent and most successful film studios jumped on the 3D bandwagon in order to cash in on a craze, that in it's day, was highly revolutionary and way ahead of it's time.Westerns were especially popular in 3D and THE CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER is one such example, I can only say that audiences must have loved this film when they saw it in the cinema all those years ago because even watching it in 2D it looks extremely impressive. The action sequences are both magnificent and highly exhilarating, the first shootout among the rocky crags of a brutal, blistering desert in which a small force of Indians come charging at the group was brilliant, this sequence was shot amazingly and the gunshots were ear shattering, just how they should be. The second shootout in which Sergeant Baker and Ryan shoot it out with a smaller group of Indians was just as exciting. The climatic battle at Feather river was certainty riveting, it was fantastic and tremendously intense, again it was briskly shot in the most nail biting way and the stunts the Indians performed as they were shot off their Horses sent adrenaline charging through my body,look out for one excellent shot of an Indian getting killed and falling to the ground with his face falling right in front of the camera,i was also awestruck by the shots of hoards upon hoards of arrows and spears flying right into the middle of the screen. I was completely blown away by the realism of the action scenes, for example men screaming in agony as they are stabbed and hit by arrows and spears and also shots of bloody wounds. Two factors which made the film stand out compared to other westerns. An incredible scene which I will forever remember this film for is the scene in which Sergeant Baker and Ryan are menaced by a Rattlesnake whilst hiding from the Indians and baker, not wanting to jeopardise their position, spits Tobacco at the Rattlesnake to get rid of it.I can't imagine what audiences watching this film in 3D back in 1953 must have thought of this scene but I thought it was both terrific and impressive. The scene in which Jennie shoots Johnny, her brother, in the arm but then falls over a cliff to her death was quite chilling and powerful and shot in a strong, taut way. The sequence in which the men are lowered down the cliff face was absolutely superb and really tense and the shots of the charging Indians in the final battle were absolutely rollicking.
I thought the script was great and I loved the storyline as it's the typical "Guys on a mission" premise which I love and really appeals to me.Guy Madison was great as Miles Archer, I thought he was really cool in a way, a giant compared with today's leading men, he's just as awesome in American westerns like this as he is in Spaghetti westerns.As said the script was great but there are a few minor plot holes,however,nothing that ruined the film. It's also brilliantly directed and paced and never really drags or gets boring, one other very small gripe I had was that the comic relief scenes between the two guys bickering over the alcohol canteen got a little monotonous, but again didn't in the way of the film.
The two studios who made the greatest and most entertaining westerns in the 1950s Hollywood were Universal and Warner brothers, who made this film.Yes,THE CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER is a wholly satisfying, enjoyable and spectacular western adventure made all the more impressive by the State-Of-The-Art 3D camera-work and thrilling action scenes. This excellent film hasn't been on British TV in a long time(today was the first time I saw it in the listings, apart from TCM),for this, I owe my gratitude to 5USA for showing it this afternoon.9/10.