It's a film that seems to be overlooked today but did very well at the box office in the summer of 1953. It benefits from a Warner Brothers "A" budget, extensive outdoor location filming and of course, all the latest technology in visual design and sound design. It was a trend at the time to make films in 3-D, to lure audiences from the comforts of home and free television entertainment, back into movie theaters.
While the 3-D effects feel dated now and were probably regarded as gimmicky even then, one can't deny that it's kind of "fun" to see objects hurled at the screen. This includes knives, especially ones hitting a target during practice at an army fort before Guy Madison takes a ragtag group of men off to fight some natives.
During the battle scenes with the natives, hatchets get lobbed at the camera, arrows fly at us from all directions and even bodies are thrown. Yes, it is a bit much but it gives the story a lot of quick action, and if your adrenaline isn't pumping watching these things take place on screen, then you probably don't have a pulse.
Of course, all the special effects in the world can't save a poorly constructed narrative. But fortunately, this film has a very good script that puts Mr. Madison at the forefront, but also gives considerable time to the supporting characters. The men he leads to Feather River are mostly drunks, thieves and other assorted deviants that the army would have no use for, if it wasn't short on manpower.
Frank Lovejoy is cast as an officer who must play second fiddle to Madison on their trek across hostile country, because we are told that Madison moves and thinks like a native and Lovejoy does not exhibit those qualities. Lovejoy wouldn't be able to successfully lead the group anyway, because he's too distracted by his pretty wife back at the fort whom he suspects of keeping company with other men. One man that he caught his wife cozying up to is a member of this guardhouse brigade, and Lovejoy wouldn't shed a tear if the guy was struck down by an arrow.
Another subplot involves two women who are at the heart of Madison's mission. He has been asked to reclaim a pair of sisters who were kidnapped five years ago by a warring tribe. Helen Westcott plays the older sis, whom it is said was forced to provide sexual favors for native men. Her younger sibling (Vera Miles) was spared such indignity, because the chief was fond of her. Miles' character has become an exalted princess type, and she is promised in marriage to the chief, which complicates things considerably.
One of the soldiers under Madison's command is the sisters' brother (Ron Hagerthy). He is emotionally reunited with the women when they are rescued. But he is stunned when Miles viciously replies "no white man is a brother of mine!" She has clearly been brainwashed by the tribe and no longer considers herself white. This causes added stress for Westcott who is caught in the middle of the family conflict.
Later the brother goes down when he is struck by an arrow. Westcott and Madison tend to him, and as he recovers, they move to higher ground. But Miles has found a way to signal the tribe, so the chief and his warriors are closing in. Miles also tries to recruit one of Madison's men (Neville Brand) to help her escape so she can return to the native people. When these efforts fail, she steals a gun and starts shooting. She ends up killing her brother.
Obviously, Miles' character will be punished for all her bad deeds, since the production code will not allow her to get away with such stuff. And a short time later, after killing her brother, she falls off the side of a cliff and dies.
This increases the tension between Madison and his men, and escalates their standoff with the natives. Madison sends Lovejoy off to get help from an army regiment that has been overseeing the building of a new railroad. But will reinforcements arrive in time? There is also the fact that the men have little food to eat and are running out of water.
Somehow, Madison and his group manage to hold off the tribe. There is a lot of shooting, whooping and hollering. This is not a dull film. The writers are even able to insert some tender romantic moments between Madison and Westcott who have fallen in love despite all the commotion and mayhem surrounding them in this great wide open space.
Reinforcements do arrive, after many of the men in the brigade have been killed. One casualty is an artist who had come along to sketch events and keep a journal of what happened, so he could publish these items in a newspaper back east. There is no time to grieve the artist or the other men. Madison and Westcott are returning to the fort, and it is clear they will soon be married.
While the 3-D effects feel dated now and were probably regarded as gimmicky even then, one can't deny that it's kind of "fun" to see objects hurled at the screen. This includes knives, especially ones hitting a target during practice at an army fort before Guy Madison takes a ragtag group of men off to fight some natives.
During the battle scenes with the natives, hatchets get lobbed at the camera, arrows fly at us from all directions and even bodies are thrown. Yes, it is a bit much but it gives the story a lot of quick action, and if your adrenaline isn't pumping watching these things take place on screen, then you probably don't have a pulse.
Of course, all the special effects in the world can't save a poorly constructed narrative. But fortunately, this film has a very good script that puts Mr. Madison at the forefront, but also gives considerable time to the supporting characters. The men he leads to Feather River are mostly drunks, thieves and other assorted deviants that the army would have no use for, if it wasn't short on manpower.
Frank Lovejoy is cast as an officer who must play second fiddle to Madison on their trek across hostile country, because we are told that Madison moves and thinks like a native and Lovejoy does not exhibit those qualities. Lovejoy wouldn't be able to successfully lead the group anyway, because he's too distracted by his pretty wife back at the fort whom he suspects of keeping company with other men. One man that he caught his wife cozying up to is a member of this guardhouse brigade, and Lovejoy wouldn't shed a tear if the guy was struck down by an arrow.
Another subplot involves two women who are at the heart of Madison's mission. He has been asked to reclaim a pair of sisters who were kidnapped five years ago by a warring tribe. Helen Westcott plays the older sis, whom it is said was forced to provide sexual favors for native men. Her younger sibling (Vera Miles) was spared such indignity, because the chief was fond of her. Miles' character has become an exalted princess type, and she is promised in marriage to the chief, which complicates things considerably.
One of the soldiers under Madison's command is the sisters' brother (Ron Hagerthy). He is emotionally reunited with the women when they are rescued. But he is stunned when Miles viciously replies "no white man is a brother of mine!" She has clearly been brainwashed by the tribe and no longer considers herself white. This causes added stress for Westcott who is caught in the middle of the family conflict.
Later the brother goes down when he is struck by an arrow. Westcott and Madison tend to him, and as he recovers, they move to higher ground. But Miles has found a way to signal the tribe, so the chief and his warriors are closing in. Miles also tries to recruit one of Madison's men (Neville Brand) to help her escape so she can return to the native people. When these efforts fail, she steals a gun and starts shooting. She ends up killing her brother.
Obviously, Miles' character will be punished for all her bad deeds, since the production code will not allow her to get away with such stuff. And a short time later, after killing her brother, she falls off the side of a cliff and dies.
This increases the tension between Madison and his men, and escalates their standoff with the natives. Madison sends Lovejoy off to get help from an army regiment that has been overseeing the building of a new railroad. But will reinforcements arrive in time? There is also the fact that the men have little food to eat and are running out of water.
Somehow, Madison and his group manage to hold off the tribe. There is a lot of shooting, whooping and hollering. This is not a dull film. The writers are even able to insert some tender romantic moments between Madison and Westcott who have fallen in love despite all the commotion and mayhem surrounding them in this great wide open space.
Reinforcements do arrive, after many of the men in the brigade have been killed. One casualty is an artist who had come along to sketch events and keep a journal of what happened, so he could publish these items in a newspaper back east. There is no time to grieve the artist or the other men. Madison and Westcott are returning to the fort, and it is clear they will soon be married.