William Cameron Menzies is perhaps the best production designer in American motion picture history (Gone With the Wind, et alia) and his work as director applies the design principles which he espoused, such as with this film, including a prime emphasis upon cinema as a graphic art, a visual rather than literal interpretation of a script, filling that metaphysical space between scenario and direction with an artist's point of view, while avoiding a potentially incorrect objective sensibility. The narrative tells of a pair of best friends and West Point classmates, Georgian Clay Clayburn (James Craig) and Yankee Will Denning (Guy Madison) who are wearing officers' coats of opposing artillery units during the War Between The States, and of the inevitable military engagement between them, featuring a most dramatic segment involving the difficult placement of Confederate cannons atop a mountain overlooking Union rail supply lines, shot with Menzies' intriguing pictorial effects and unique camera angles. An independent King Brothers production under the aegis of RKO, DRUMS IN THE DEEP SOUTH is not replete with good performances, although Craig is solid as is his custom, while Barbara Payton, as Clayburn's lover, tries hard and is at the pinnacle of her short-lived beauty, with Dimitri Tiomkin's lush score properly evocative for this generally prescriptive film.
28 Reviews
Quirky Little Civil War Film
ark30inf29 July 2003
I had a really hard time figuring out whether to give this a 5 or a 6. The film has a few things going for it but on the other hand it has some definite problems. I finally settled on a 6. I gave it a point for quirkiness.
The casting of James Craig was obviously intended to evoke Clark Gable and Rhett Butler. Too obviously. Craig's vocal performance seemed to indicate that he also wanted to play up the Clark Gable angle. It was a bit distracting during the love scenes but he seemed to, thankfully, drift away from it during the action sequences.
Guy Madison was cast because he was easy to look at. But his performance was anything but easy to look at. His character gyrated wildly from manic damnyankee enemy to soft hearted friend of the family. I couldn't tell if he was possessed or just in serious need of some mood stabilizing drugs.
I never developed an empathy with the leading male and female characters. Every time they passionately kissed I kept thinking about her poor naive husband off surrounded by Sherman's Army while she played footsie with his alleged old best West Point friend.
The special effects were very interesting and quite well done. But its hard to imagine that anybody ever grew any cotton in the rocky scrub that looked remarkably like Southern California during wildfire season. If you are going to spend the special effects money to matte in a giant plantation house you can at least matte it into a rich green landscape rather than a rocky gulch.
I won't even mention (well actually I will) the fact that the main geographical feature of the movie is a hollowed out, honeycombed, Devil's Tower from Close Encounters. Only this one is smack dab in the middle of Georgia! The makers of this movie would have had better luck just using the real Stone Mountain and pretended it was hollow. I kept expecting the mother ship to hover over the mountain.
The explosive ending seemed to be the result of the writer suddenly realizing that he had to finish his script in the next two sentences. I can't say I've seen a film that only needs 2 seconds to wrap everything up and turn off the lights.
But there are a few good things that made this movie appealing. Your generic Civil War movie has a smashing good Cavalry charge in it and lots of dashing guys on horses waving swords and flags. You know they do. This film went WAY off the beaten path. The heroes of this film are the artillery.....yes....you heard it right.....the heroes are exclusively the Confederate Artillery. That deserves a rating point right there. They even got the Confederate artillery uniform colors right. Its not often you see a Civil War film where the difference between a Dahlgren gun and a Brooke's Rifle is essential to the plot. The artillery battles were handled quite skillfully.
This is essentially a fifties matinee action picture. But the makers did manage to insert a couple of quite beautiful moments into the film. For a moment, a hard-hearted, oppressive, damnyankee skulker becomes human when he presents a photograph of his two babies and thinks wistfully of his family and his farm. More than one character mentions that he didn't start the war, that he was just playing the role assigned to him on the great stage. A few quiet moments about the war's real meaning and effect in this odd little shoot 'em up.
The casting of James Craig was obviously intended to evoke Clark Gable and Rhett Butler. Too obviously. Craig's vocal performance seemed to indicate that he also wanted to play up the Clark Gable angle. It was a bit distracting during the love scenes but he seemed to, thankfully, drift away from it during the action sequences.
Guy Madison was cast because he was easy to look at. But his performance was anything but easy to look at. His character gyrated wildly from manic damnyankee enemy to soft hearted friend of the family. I couldn't tell if he was possessed or just in serious need of some mood stabilizing drugs.
I never developed an empathy with the leading male and female characters. Every time they passionately kissed I kept thinking about her poor naive husband off surrounded by Sherman's Army while she played footsie with his alleged old best West Point friend.
The special effects were very interesting and quite well done. But its hard to imagine that anybody ever grew any cotton in the rocky scrub that looked remarkably like Southern California during wildfire season. If you are going to spend the special effects money to matte in a giant plantation house you can at least matte it into a rich green landscape rather than a rocky gulch.
I won't even mention (well actually I will) the fact that the main geographical feature of the movie is a hollowed out, honeycombed, Devil's Tower from Close Encounters. Only this one is smack dab in the middle of Georgia! The makers of this movie would have had better luck just using the real Stone Mountain and pretended it was hollow. I kept expecting the mother ship to hover over the mountain.
The explosive ending seemed to be the result of the writer suddenly realizing that he had to finish his script in the next two sentences. I can't say I've seen a film that only needs 2 seconds to wrap everything up and turn off the lights.
But there are a few good things that made this movie appealing. Your generic Civil War movie has a smashing good Cavalry charge in it and lots of dashing guys on horses waving swords and flags. You know they do. This film went WAY off the beaten path. The heroes of this film are the artillery.....yes....you heard it right.....the heroes are exclusively the Confederate Artillery. That deserves a rating point right there. They even got the Confederate artillery uniform colors right. Its not often you see a Civil War film where the difference between a Dahlgren gun and a Brooke's Rifle is essential to the plot. The artillery battles were handled quite skillfully.
This is essentially a fifties matinee action picture. But the makers did manage to insert a couple of quite beautiful moments into the film. For a moment, a hard-hearted, oppressive, damnyankee skulker becomes human when he presents a photograph of his two babies and thinks wistfully of his family and his farm. More than one character mentions that he didn't start the war, that he was just playing the role assigned to him on the great stage. A few quiet moments about the war's real meaning and effect in this odd little shoot 'em up.
Fairly good movie, but DVD full of glitches
corey-walker4 November 2004
I recently purchased a 4 DVD set, which included "Shoot Out", "Apache Rifles", "Sitting Bull" and "Drums in the Deep South." Like most westerns of its type, it has a very basic plot. Nonetheless, except for the beginning and the very end, I found it to be an interesting and captivating movie. It features elements of current love, love that once was but is no more, and of course, a pretty girl. Combine that with the added dramatic irony of two friends fighting each other without realizing it, and lots of fast paced action, it makes for a fairly good western movie. What I found to be very disappointing was that two DVD's (I exchanged it today for another copy of the same movie) both have glitches, such as the picture skipping a little bit (kind of a like a skipping CD or broken record, except it's pictures, not sound) and pausing here and there for no reason. Also, an amateur could have done a better job of restoring the colour (or was it adding colour to B&W). I'm glad to know at least, that I'm not the only one experiencing these problems.
I will not spoil the ending, but if I was a director re-doing the movie, I would revise the ending, or perhaps re-write it. And I found the dinner scene in the beginning to be rather lacking in action. Other than that, it was not too bad of a movie. In fact, fix the graphics and I'd really like it.
Corey Walker
I will not spoil the ending, but if I was a director re-doing the movie, I would revise the ending, or perhaps re-write it. And I found the dinner scene in the beginning to be rather lacking in action. Other than that, it was not too bad of a movie. In fact, fix the graphics and I'd really like it.
Corey Walker
Accuracy in some things!
skoyles10 December 2004
Was Menzies making "Gone With the Wind" light? Or the tragic counterpoint thereto? "Drums" is a surprise: nary an anachronistic weapon to be seen. I am so accustomed to seeing 1873 revolvers in movies about the War Between the States that this came as a shock. To see uniforms of some exactitude, especially for the artillery of all things, was refreshing indeed. I was also surprised by a very non-1950s ending. Really a far better "Civil War" motion picture than I had expected although I must say I found both the Confederate major and his lost love a bit cardboard. Madison chewed the scenery a trifle to make up for it. There were indeed plot twists and character touches although I missed any resolution for the Confederate colonel. Not at all a bad way to spend a couple of hours.
Spectacular drama with intrigue during American Civil War
ma-cortes13 July 2006
The film deals with an old rivalry between two former West Point Academy roommates , under the present circumstances are on opposite sides in Georgia 1861 during the American Civil War (1861-1865) . War breaks outs , both of whom are Officers from Union (Guy Madison) and Confederation (James Craig) , besides they compete for the same woman (a gorgeous and blue-eyes Barbara Payton) and wind up in a military showdown . The film is a historical drama based on true facts which narrate the Sherman campaign over Georgia . The general established his reputation as a successful and relentless ruler , an advocate of total war he believed in bringing hostilities to a quick end inflicting the hell of war on the civil population , destroying goods , crops , public buildings and factories . On his 'March to the Sea' through Georgia , Sherman burned and destroyed on a sixty-mile-wide front . In the movie , Confederates put cannons in the Mountain of the Devil for attack supplies trains lead towards Atlanta and the Union soldiers use a big naval cannon .
This historic drama takes parts from ¨Gone with the wind¨ , it packs a loving triangle with action , shootouts and suspense . The film is starred by Guy Madison , an usual Western actor as American as Spaghetti Western . Principal protagonist is Barbara Payton (she formerly acted in important films as ¨Dallas¨, ¨Only the valiant¨) as one of the saddest stories from dark chronicle Hollywood . Attractive blonde sexpot and her life eventually disintegrated , mostly for her own doings . She was the subject of a spread in Confidential Magazine in the early 1950s when then fiancé Franchot Tone allegedly caught in bed with Guy Madison . Tone later married her , despite of the indiscretion , in addition she had a tempestuous relationship with Tom Neal . But happened the downfall , her once enticing countenance now blotchy and once sensational figure now bloated , Barbara sank deeper into the bottle and had several brushes with law , among them public boozy , bad checks and ultimate prostitution . The 39 years former star was found on the bathroom floor . The picture is rightly directed by William Cameron Menzies , rather known as production designer such as ¨The thief of Bagdad¨ and ¨Gone with the wind¨ , and realized two Sci-fi classics as ¨Invasors of Mars¨ and ¨Things to come¨ .
This historic drama takes parts from ¨Gone with the wind¨ , it packs a loving triangle with action , shootouts and suspense . The film is starred by Guy Madison , an usual Western actor as American as Spaghetti Western . Principal protagonist is Barbara Payton (she formerly acted in important films as ¨Dallas¨, ¨Only the valiant¨) as one of the saddest stories from dark chronicle Hollywood . Attractive blonde sexpot and her life eventually disintegrated , mostly for her own doings . She was the subject of a spread in Confidential Magazine in the early 1950s when then fiancé Franchot Tone allegedly caught in bed with Guy Madison . Tone later married her , despite of the indiscretion , in addition she had a tempestuous relationship with Tom Neal . But happened the downfall , her once enticing countenance now blotchy and once sensational figure now bloated , Barbara sank deeper into the bottle and had several brushes with law , among them public boozy , bad checks and ultimate prostitution . The 39 years former star was found on the bathroom floor . The picture is rightly directed by William Cameron Menzies , rather known as production designer such as ¨The thief of Bagdad¨ and ¨Gone with the wind¨ , and realized two Sci-fi classics as ¨Invasors of Mars¨ and ¨Things to come¨ .
Drums of the Deep South didn't miss a beat. It was an alright civil war film.
ironhorse_iv7 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Directed by William Cameron Menzies & based on a story by Civil War author Hollister Noble, this movie has nothing to do with drums. Not even, one scene with drum boy. Instead, the movie tells the story of a small group of Confederate soldiers leaded by Maj. Clay Clayburn (James Craig) trying to mount, cannons onto a mountain, before a Union railroad convey comes to help burn the city of Atlanta, down. Without spoiling the movie, too much, I have to say, the original titled of this film, 'The Confederate Story' suite it better. However, it's hard to root for these protagonists. Not only, are they fighting for the wrong side, and clearly, had slaves on their cotton farm; but they're kinda self-centered jerks trying to commit adultery while the husband is fighting armies in Atlanta. They also seem to have a problem with caring for others. People die around them, and they barely show any reaction to their deaths. A good example of this, is the whole letter scene and a soldier falling down the cave. It seem like those scenes had didn't hold any water or weight to the characters. Another thing, so jarring about this movie, is how similar, the main characters are, to 1939's film, 'Gone with the Wind'. You really do see it, within the actor's performances. First off, James Craig is really trying too hard to evoke, Clark Gable in this film. While, he had success with his scenes of bravery to fight the war; sadly, he fails miserable as romantic lead, because he has little of Gable's well-crafted charm to back it up. Because of that lacking factor, you really don't feel any chemistry between him and Kathy Summer (Barbara Payton) at all. Then, there is Barbara Payton, whom comes off, as just depressing, stubborn, and evil looking. I was really hoping for a more heart-warming performance from her. It also sad to hear that at the time of the filming, Barbara has really sank deep into the bottle. You can really sense it, here with her, somewhat unemotional delivery and her bloated, blotchy appearance. Her eventual battles with alcohol and drug addiction, cost her everything. On May 8, 1967, the 39-year-old former starlet was found on the bathroom floor - dead from heart and liver failure. Despite the lack of mostly good acting in this. I found one actor to really shine, through this, and that was Guy Madison as Union Maj. Will Denning. You really feel the inner conflict, going through him. You see this man, sweat with every decision, he has to make. All, he wants to do is serve his country, but his friends happen to be for the other side. However, the DVD cover of this movie is a bit misleading. First off, Guy Madison is not the main lead in this film, he's more like a supporting character, and second off; his character doesn't arrive at the battle site, until the end of the 3rd act. I guess, the now new producers of this film, really wanted to target modern audiences, by making it seem that the movie is about Union forces, when it's not. I guess, it would make the film seem, better to sell to a general audience. It might seem like a smart marketing move to some, but for me. It's very sham-full deception. Since, the original producers, King Brothers Productions & RKO Pictures fail to renew the film's copyright. It resulted, with the film, falling into public domain, meaning that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of 'Drums of the Deep South'. Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely or badly edited. Since many of them, come from extremely poor quality, having been duped from second- or third-generation copies. Don't count on the audio and film footage to be good. My copy had awful loud echoing, static, and missing dialogue pauses. Not only that, but it had a lot of scratches, and discoloring in the film footage. Despite that, you can still, mostly see the wonderful recycle production design that William Cameron Menzies, use for this film, as well as producer, David O' Selznick's 1938's 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' & 'Gone with the Wind", here. Another thing that William Cameron Menzies did well, and pioneered, was the use of color in film for dramatic effect. You really do see it, here, in the models based on real-life, Wyoming location, 'Devil's Tower'. It was amazing. It's pretty obvious that director Steven Spielberg saw this movie and was "inspired" to use the Devil's Tower as a setting for 1977's 'Close Encounter of the Third Kind'. The mixer of real-life train scenes with model train explosions, was also well shot, well-edited, and well-made. The action scenes in the cave were also very intense to watch. The score by composer Dimitri Tiomkin, really provides the right amount of sound to the many battle or suspense scenes. However, I wish the movie was little more historic accuracy. A lot of their informative about how cannon fire, works, was a bit misleading. It doesn't help the fact that the author of the source material, was making things up as he goes, like when he said that Union General Sherman was having train being sent to him. In actual history General Sherman's troops advanced without a supply line and lived off the land until they conquered Atlanta, then continued to Charleston, South Carolina. This victory helped to reelect Lincoln and pretty much, help save the Union. So, to hear otherwise, it made for a very awkward watch. Overall: I have to say, this movie was mostly fine. Good, but nothing too memorable. An old gem, worthy of rewatching, despite some flaws. Check it out, if you're a huge Civil War fan.
Muffle Those Drums
bkoganbing29 January 2008
Barbara Payton is who keeps those drums a beating in the Deep South. She's the mistress of a southern plantation which is a cut down version of that other Georgia plantation, Tara. In the film's prologue she and husband Craig Stevens are entertaining two old friends from West Point, Yankee boy Guy Madison and Barbara's secret paramour James Craig.
Babs is planning to run away with Jim that night, but news of the firing on Fort Sumter brings everybody's plans to a halt as the men go off to war on their respective sides. Flash forward to four years later and Stevens is in prison, but circumstance has brought Madison and Craig back to the neighborhood.
Craig is given a rough assignment, bring a pair of cannons to the top of a hollow ridge called Devil's Mountain and rain fire and destruction down on Sherman's supply train on the railroad tracks below. Guy has the unenviable duty of blasting him off the mountain. Of course neither knows the other is in command on the other side.
If the sets look familiar, particularly the plantation sequences it's because they come from Mourning Becomes Electra. That was RKO's prestige picture a few years earlier. The famous Eugene O'Neill drama cost RKO a mint and flopped at the box office. If you were Howard Hughes running RKO and looking to recoup some money, you'd find use for those expensive sets also. I'm sure that's why Drums in the Deep South was made as well as to showcase Barbara Payton. I'm sure she was on the lot because Howard had a personal interest in her as well.
Drums in the Deep South is a cut rate Gone With the Wind with heavy overtones of Eugene O'Neill. Maybe being around that Mourning Becomes Electra set might have given the writers the idea, but what emerges is a turgid melodrama and by the end of the film you don't really care who survives the film and who doesn't. Barbara Payton is no Vivien Leigh and James Craig is one pale imitation of Clark Gable.
Babs is planning to run away with Jim that night, but news of the firing on Fort Sumter brings everybody's plans to a halt as the men go off to war on their respective sides. Flash forward to four years later and Stevens is in prison, but circumstance has brought Madison and Craig back to the neighborhood.
Craig is given a rough assignment, bring a pair of cannons to the top of a hollow ridge called Devil's Mountain and rain fire and destruction down on Sherman's supply train on the railroad tracks below. Guy has the unenviable duty of blasting him off the mountain. Of course neither knows the other is in command on the other side.
If the sets look familiar, particularly the plantation sequences it's because they come from Mourning Becomes Electra. That was RKO's prestige picture a few years earlier. The famous Eugene O'Neill drama cost RKO a mint and flopped at the box office. If you were Howard Hughes running RKO and looking to recoup some money, you'd find use for those expensive sets also. I'm sure that's why Drums in the Deep South was made as well as to showcase Barbara Payton. I'm sure she was on the lot because Howard had a personal interest in her as well.
Drums in the Deep South is a cut rate Gone With the Wind with heavy overtones of Eugene O'Neill. Maybe being around that Mourning Becomes Electra set might have given the writers the idea, but what emerges is a turgid melodrama and by the end of the film you don't really care who survives the film and who doesn't. Barbara Payton is no Vivien Leigh and James Craig is one pale imitation of Clark Gable.
The king of cool
drystyx27 September 2011
Make no mistake, Guy Madison invented the word "cool". Any dictionary dated before his birth that has the word "cool" in it, is a forgery.
Knowing this helps to cast him in the correct role. He was meant to be the "cool" character who makes sense out of situations in which lesser characters lose their heads.
Here, he is perfectly cast. He is the fourth character, actually, in the love triangle, which is where he does best.
The southern belle's husband appears only briefly, and is afterwards only spoken of in his endeavors in this Civil War adventure.
The other member of the triangle is an artillery officer for the South, who resembles Gable in looks, but in character is more like John Wayne.
Guy Madison plays the Union artillery officer opposing him. He is also a friend of all three of the other characters.
The story is a familiar one, one that has been made many times since, of Confederates on a mountain, trying to buy time for their army.
What really makes this film special is that it could have been cliché, but it avoids all of the clichés. The characters are probably much too believable and three dimensional for the modern beavis or butthead, but easy for most people to relate to and feel some empathy for. This is not for the IMDb bubble boy.
The soldiers are especially three dimensional. One Union soldier whom we expect to be the usual cliché jerk, actually becomes a very sympathetic character in this drama.
The events seem to be written as they occur. Nothing looks contrived, so when we find the coincidence of the friends meeting in battle on opposite sides, it becomes the only coincidence, making it quite credible, as in a world where there are a million possible coincidences an hour, one is sure to happen.
It is the natural flow and non judgmental occurrences, where the chips land wherever they may land, that make this special.
Excellent war Western.
Knowing this helps to cast him in the correct role. He was meant to be the "cool" character who makes sense out of situations in which lesser characters lose their heads.
Here, he is perfectly cast. He is the fourth character, actually, in the love triangle, which is where he does best.
The southern belle's husband appears only briefly, and is afterwards only spoken of in his endeavors in this Civil War adventure.
The other member of the triangle is an artillery officer for the South, who resembles Gable in looks, but in character is more like John Wayne.
Guy Madison plays the Union artillery officer opposing him. He is also a friend of all three of the other characters.
The story is a familiar one, one that has been made many times since, of Confederates on a mountain, trying to buy time for their army.
What really makes this film special is that it could have been cliché, but it avoids all of the clichés. The characters are probably much too believable and three dimensional for the modern beavis or butthead, but easy for most people to relate to and feel some empathy for. This is not for the IMDb bubble boy.
The soldiers are especially three dimensional. One Union soldier whom we expect to be the usual cliché jerk, actually becomes a very sympathetic character in this drama.
The events seem to be written as they occur. Nothing looks contrived, so when we find the coincidence of the friends meeting in battle on opposite sides, it becomes the only coincidence, making it quite credible, as in a world where there are a million possible coincidences an hour, one is sure to happen.
It is the natural flow and non judgmental occurrences, where the chips land wherever they may land, that make this special.
Excellent war Western.
The Civil War is Predictable
wes-connors2 December 2007
During the US Civil War, Confederate Major James Craig (as Clay Clayburn) finds himself fighting Union Major Guy Madison (as Will Denning). As is the case in most Civil War stories, the opposing soldiers once had a close relationship; in this case, they were West Point buddies. Mr. Craig is also in love with a beautiful woman, Barbara Payton (as Kathy Summers). This is a fairly predictable Civil War story. The dramatics are enhanced by Ms. Payton in the feminine lead. Payton is the most interesting player in the middling "Drums in the Deep South"; with a better part, and direction, Payton might have been a much bigger star. Her biography is sad, and typical.
**** Drums in the Deep South (9/51) William Cameron Menzies ~ James Craig, Barbara Payton, Guy Madison
**** Drums in the Deep South (9/51) William Cameron Menzies ~ James Craig, Barbara Payton, Guy Madison
surprising accuracy
jsmelton-13 August 2005
I usually don't hold out much hope when it comes to movies about Mr. Lincoln's War. Hollywood seldom gets it right on all things Southern and/or Confederate. I think the leading lady's contempt for the Yankees was accurate. And I believe that the movie generally portrayed the Yankee attitudes accurately. The most I had a problem with in this movie was the liberal propaganda garbage at the end about us becoming a unified and indivisible nation. The reconstruction and the general attitudes for the South following the war contradict that concept completely.
I did notice a chronological error toward the beginning of the movie. When it is announced that war has been declared. Clay states that he is going to report to Richmond. At the beginning of the war a capital had not been established for the Confederacy, not to mention the first one was in Alabama. And even more importantly, Virginia had not yet seceded.
As a whole the movie was okay and I would give it an overall recommendation.
I did notice a chronological error toward the beginning of the movie. When it is announced that war has been declared. Clay states that he is going to report to Richmond. At the beginning of the war a capital had not been established for the Confederacy, not to mention the first one was in Alabama. And even more importantly, Virginia had not yet seceded.
As a whole the movie was okay and I would give it an overall recommendation.
Unintended Proof that Most War is a Big Mess!
lawprof29 May 2004
Director William Cameron Menzies served up one of the worst movies about the Civil War aka The War Between the States aka The War of Northern Aggression ever made. In "Drums in the Deep South" the story begins in Georgia on the eve of the firing upon Fort Sumter at a plantation mansion that looks like a prefab golf clubhouse. West Point grad Braxton Summers (Craig Stevens) returns from a business trip with a gift for his seemingly adoring spouse, Kathy (Barbara Payton). He mentions that he's invited two academy classmates, Clay Clayburn (James Craig) and Will Denning (Guy Madison) for dinner. At the mention of Clay's name, Kathy freezes with the intense emotion of a failed Method actress, signaling that she and Clay have a shared past.
An awkward dinner follows ended by the bellicose announcement that war has begun. Will is off to serve the Union, Clay and Braxton will fight for the South.
Fast forward - literally - to 1864 and Kathy lives alone at the mansion with her uncle and an occupying Union outfit looking for her husband while also protecting a threatened rail line needed by GEN Sherman for his advance through the Peach State. The federal soldiers are shown as crude, even cruel, but Kathy knows how to deal with them.
Then Clay arrives with orders to destroy Union rolling stock at a critical point called "Snake Gap." Interestingly, Union forces did take a Georgia pass named Snake Gap during Sherman's offensive but the story that follows has nothing to do with the Civil War reality.
Clay, a major, has to get cannon to the top of a prominence from which he can blow up the Yankee trains. And who should be in command of the Union detachment tasked to destroy the Confederate unit? Why Will, of course (Guy Madison was a stock "B" film staple.)Clay also finds time to renew his acquaintance with Kathy who'll do anything for her beloved Confederacy. This being a 1951 flick and she being a fine Southern lady, they don't make love but her anguished concern for the absent Braxton's safety evaporates as she and Clay plan to head for bliss anywhere but in a war zone. And away from Braxton who might take umbrage at his wife's desertion with his classmate.
The rest of the story is silly and the military action is unbelievable, indeed impossible. The film is a rushed muddle of stereotyped roles and predictable outcomes.
And, on top of that, the DVD transfer is very poor with washed out color, blurred dialog and text that doesn't fit the TV screen.
Dimitri Tiomkin's score is good but nowhere near his best.
Skip this one-"The Horse Soldiers" with John Wayne and William Holden is infinitely better, a fine example of this genre.
4/10.
An awkward dinner follows ended by the bellicose announcement that war has begun. Will is off to serve the Union, Clay and Braxton will fight for the South.
Fast forward - literally - to 1864 and Kathy lives alone at the mansion with her uncle and an occupying Union outfit looking for her husband while also protecting a threatened rail line needed by GEN Sherman for his advance through the Peach State. The federal soldiers are shown as crude, even cruel, but Kathy knows how to deal with them.
Then Clay arrives with orders to destroy Union rolling stock at a critical point called "Snake Gap." Interestingly, Union forces did take a Georgia pass named Snake Gap during Sherman's offensive but the story that follows has nothing to do with the Civil War reality.
Clay, a major, has to get cannon to the top of a prominence from which he can blow up the Yankee trains. And who should be in command of the Union detachment tasked to destroy the Confederate unit? Why Will, of course (Guy Madison was a stock "B" film staple.)Clay also finds time to renew his acquaintance with Kathy who'll do anything for her beloved Confederacy. This being a 1951 flick and she being a fine Southern lady, they don't make love but her anguished concern for the absent Braxton's safety evaporates as she and Clay plan to head for bliss anywhere but in a war zone. And away from Braxton who might take umbrage at his wife's desertion with his classmate.
The rest of the story is silly and the military action is unbelievable, indeed impossible. The film is a rushed muddle of stereotyped roles and predictable outcomes.
And, on top of that, the DVD transfer is very poor with washed out color, blurred dialog and text that doesn't fit the TV screen.
Dimitri Tiomkin's score is good but nowhere near his best.
Skip this one-"The Horse Soldiers" with John Wayne and William Holden is infinitely better, a fine example of this genre.
4/10.
Really cool little movie!
Maciste_Brother21 May 2008
I watched DRUMS OF THE DEEP SOUTH for two reasons: because it's directed by visual genius William Cameron Menzies and it stars Guy Williams. Well, I wasn't disappointed by it. Even though it started slowly and this is basically a B-movie, the film eventually overcame those weaknesses because it contains one of the coolest things I've seen in a movie in a long time: a battle, with cannons, in and on Devil's Tower! The bulk of the film is about this battle and I was giddy as a kid on Christmas' Eve. Visually, the whole battle is effen brilliant! The story's setting is not in Wyoming, where Devil's Tower is actually located, but in Georgia and, like your typical B-movie, the script is filled with easy coincidences. Many will object to these things but I didn't care because the battle sequence is already up there as one of my favorite cinematic moments ever. Besides, historical and geographical inaccuracies in movies such as THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY never prevented them from being regarded as great.
The score by Dimitri Tiomkin is excellent and provides the right amount of omph to the many battle or suspense scenes. Make no mistake about it, this is more of an action movie than a drama set in the South. The start of the movie is all drama and set-up but the last hour is all action and tension.
The actors are serviceable with Guy Williams being the stand-out. What a dashing actor. Unfortunately, his role is almost an afterthought. The story concentrates mainly on James Craig and Barbara Payton's love affair. The (spectacular) resolution of their love affair is surprisingly sad, and nearly elevates the movie from a standard B-movie to a grade-A one. Had the friendship between James, Barbara and Guy's characters been a bit more fleshed out, the human aspect of the story could have been as riveting as the visual aspects, which is what really makes this little gem shine. It's obvious that Steven Spielberg saw DRUMS OF THE DEEP SOUTH and was "inspired" to use the Devil's Tower as a setting for CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.
The image & sound quality of the DVD was pretty bad. Hopefully, this movie will be released with a pristine transfer so we can finally see this cool William Cameron Menzies film as it was meant to be seen and heard.
The score by Dimitri Tiomkin is excellent and provides the right amount of omph to the many battle or suspense scenes. Make no mistake about it, this is more of an action movie than a drama set in the South. The start of the movie is all drama and set-up but the last hour is all action and tension.
The actors are serviceable with Guy Williams being the stand-out. What a dashing actor. Unfortunately, his role is almost an afterthought. The story concentrates mainly on James Craig and Barbara Payton's love affair. The (spectacular) resolution of their love affair is surprisingly sad, and nearly elevates the movie from a standard B-movie to a grade-A one. Had the friendship between James, Barbara and Guy's characters been a bit more fleshed out, the human aspect of the story could have been as riveting as the visual aspects, which is what really makes this little gem shine. It's obvious that Steven Spielberg saw DRUMS OF THE DEEP SOUTH and was "inspired" to use the Devil's Tower as a setting for CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.
The image & sound quality of the DVD was pretty bad. Hopefully, this movie will be released with a pristine transfer so we can finally see this cool William Cameron Menzies film as it was meant to be seen and heard.
Neighbor Against Neighbor -- and Neighbor's Wife Too.
rmax30482318 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
It's 1861 in Georgia. Barbara Payton is married to Craig Stevens. They live in the Big White House and own a cotton plantation. There is a pleasant visit from two West Point graduates, Good Old Boy James Craig, Payton's former lover, and handsome young Yankee Guy Madison. It's at once clear that Payton and Craig still have a yen for each other.
Suddenly it's 1864. The war is raging in Georgia, and if you don't believe it, just watch "Gone With the Wind" again. Payton's husband disappears without further ado. Craig is now a Confederate Major and Madison a Bluebelly officer, and that damned Yankee Sherman is beginning his march through Georgia with the aim of destroying the crops that are feeding the Confederate Army.
Sherman's only link to his supplies is a single railroad line that passes near Payton's Place and an unassailable mountain that looks like Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Craig is assigned the task of schlepping four light cannons up to the top of the mountain through an internal passageway, and then blowing up any trains that try to get through to Sherman. The unwitting Madison is given the job of dislodging the dozen men and their cannon from the mountain top.
Trains are blown to pieces. Cannon fire is exchanged. Payton does her best to help Craig and the rest atop the mountain. Craig manages to hold up Sherman's trains for a month, at considerable sacrifice to himself, his men, and the woman he loves.
The irony is that, in real life, Sherman's supply line was constantly being cut by cavalry raids and his troops were being strung out in order to protect the railway from men like Craig. So Sherman cut them loose. He dropped his dependence on the railroad and he and his men foraged their way through Georgia all the way to Savannah, living off the land while destroying a wide swath of it.
The writers have done their homework on Civil War era cannons. They know what's big and what's small. They have the approximate ranges okay. And the director shows us the artillery actually being loaded after first being scrubbed out. When somebody loads a gun with double shot, we see the gun being loaded with double shot.
The film is undone by rudimentary special effects and weak acting. Guy Madison looks terrific and was evidently a nice guy. I took some courses at his alma mater. And he was in the U. S. Coast Guard, another point in his favor. It's just that he's not an actor. But then all the acting is on a par. Barbara Payton lacks Madison's physical splendor but she's not much of a performer either, but for an entirely different reason. With Madison, it's difficult to tell what emotion he's experiencing. We attribute feelings to his character because the context demands that we do. See "the Kuleshov experiments" on Google. Payton, on the other hand, signals her emotions with the plain-spoken clarity of a traffic light. Here is "happiness"; here is "defiance"; here is "anger." The film doesn't really take sides in the conflict. Everyone gets his or her share of understanding. But then political issues are never really explored, so there are no speeches about state's rights or let us alone to continue our way of life.
The epilogue appears as a title at the end, a kind of clumsy paraphrase of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, informing us that we have been forged together now as a united nation. The viewer is permitted a tired smile.
Suddenly it's 1864. The war is raging in Georgia, and if you don't believe it, just watch "Gone With the Wind" again. Payton's husband disappears without further ado. Craig is now a Confederate Major and Madison a Bluebelly officer, and that damned Yankee Sherman is beginning his march through Georgia with the aim of destroying the crops that are feeding the Confederate Army.
Sherman's only link to his supplies is a single railroad line that passes near Payton's Place and an unassailable mountain that looks like Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Craig is assigned the task of schlepping four light cannons up to the top of the mountain through an internal passageway, and then blowing up any trains that try to get through to Sherman. The unwitting Madison is given the job of dislodging the dozen men and their cannon from the mountain top.
Trains are blown to pieces. Cannon fire is exchanged. Payton does her best to help Craig and the rest atop the mountain. Craig manages to hold up Sherman's trains for a month, at considerable sacrifice to himself, his men, and the woman he loves.
The irony is that, in real life, Sherman's supply line was constantly being cut by cavalry raids and his troops were being strung out in order to protect the railway from men like Craig. So Sherman cut them loose. He dropped his dependence on the railroad and he and his men foraged their way through Georgia all the way to Savannah, living off the land while destroying a wide swath of it.
The writers have done their homework on Civil War era cannons. They know what's big and what's small. They have the approximate ranges okay. And the director shows us the artillery actually being loaded after first being scrubbed out. When somebody loads a gun with double shot, we see the gun being loaded with double shot.
The film is undone by rudimentary special effects and weak acting. Guy Madison looks terrific and was evidently a nice guy. I took some courses at his alma mater. And he was in the U. S. Coast Guard, another point in his favor. It's just that he's not an actor. But then all the acting is on a par. Barbara Payton lacks Madison's physical splendor but she's not much of a performer either, but for an entirely different reason. With Madison, it's difficult to tell what emotion he's experiencing. We attribute feelings to his character because the context demands that we do. See "the Kuleshov experiments" on Google. Payton, on the other hand, signals her emotions with the plain-spoken clarity of a traffic light. Here is "happiness"; here is "defiance"; here is "anger." The film doesn't really take sides in the conflict. Everyone gets his or her share of understanding. But then political issues are never really explored, so there are no speeches about state's rights or let us alone to continue our way of life.
The epilogue appears as a title at the end, a kind of clumsy paraphrase of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, informing us that we have been forged together now as a united nation. The viewer is permitted a tired smile.
I can see why this one fell into the public domain!
planktonrules29 May 2016
"Drums in the Deep South" is a very boring Civil War film that does absolutely nothing to explain the war and features a romance that is about as sizzling as one between siblings! As a result of being so dull and indifferently made, I can thoroughly understand why RKO let this one fall into the public domain. Why, oh why, would they bother renewing the copyright on something this unappealing and slow?
The film begins with a little prologue where you are introduced to some old friends and their love interest. Only a few minutes later, the Civil War is on and the film now jumps ahead to only months before the end of the war. One old friend is on a mission from the Confederacy to slow down or stop the progress of Sherman and his men on their way to burn Atlanta and the other to make sure Sherman gets through. As a matter of record, anyone familiar with the war KNOWS that Sherman did indeed make it past Atlanta and burned it on the way to the ocean.
The love story is boring. The ending is a foregone conclusion. The dialog is occasionally dumb and the actors are, for the most part, bland. Sounds like a great way to spend about 90 minutes of your life? Don't bet on it!
The film begins with a little prologue where you are introduced to some old friends and their love interest. Only a few minutes later, the Civil War is on and the film now jumps ahead to only months before the end of the war. One old friend is on a mission from the Confederacy to slow down or stop the progress of Sherman and his men on their way to burn Atlanta and the other to make sure Sherman gets through. As a matter of record, anyone familiar with the war KNOWS that Sherman did indeed make it past Atlanta and burned it on the way to the ocean.
The love story is boring. The ending is a foregone conclusion. The dialog is occasionally dumb and the actors are, for the most part, bland. Sounds like a great way to spend about 90 minutes of your life? Don't bet on it!
Slow-Moving, Otherwise Not Bad
Snow Leopard13 March 2006
Other than moving quite slowly at times, especially in the beginning, this Civil War feature is not bad. The story is interesting, and eventually it has a fair amount of action and tension. The cast and characters are adequate, if nothing more, and while the settings and details sometimes stretch history and/or credibility, in a more general sense the situation rings true with the kinds of things that happened during the conflict.
The beginning sets up two potential conflicts, with a romantic rivalry intersecting with a friendship that will be tested by the fighting between north and south. It takes rather longer than necessary to establish things, but it moves at a better pace when the main story starts. The main plot, which concerns the desperation effort of a small band of Confederate soldiers to break up a crucial Union supply line, produces some interesting drama and is told with generally interesting details. It's a solid feature with enough to make it worth seeing.
The beginning sets up two potential conflicts, with a romantic rivalry intersecting with a friendship that will be tested by the fighting between north and south. It takes rather longer than necessary to establish things, but it moves at a better pace when the main story starts. The main plot, which concerns the desperation effort of a small band of Confederate soldiers to break up a crucial Union supply line, produces some interesting drama and is told with generally interesting details. It's a solid feature with enough to make it worth seeing.
"According to the book you're still the enemy."
classicsoncall28 April 2012
Warning: Spoilers
You'll have to be patient for this film to get going, the early set up involves former West Point classmates reuniting at the Georgia home of Colonel Braxton Summers (Craig Stevens) and his wife Kathy (Barbara Payton). News of the arrivals sends the Mrs. into a mild panic - she and Clay Clayburn (James Craig) had a serious fling four years earlier and it's reignited when the husband Colonel takes care of some off screen business. There's the hint of another side to this romantic triangle (quadrangle?) with the appearance of Will Denning (Guy Madison), but that one doesn't go very far.
As a kid I watched Madison's TV Western "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok" and always found him to be a cool actor. He looked very young to me here in a film released the same year in which his TV program aired, which means it's been quite some time since I've seen any of those episodes. I'll have to get my hands on some.
Once the initial set up is developed, the story seems to bog down a bit. Union forces led by Denning are assigned to blow up a mountain fortress from which the Rebs, commanded by his buddy Clay, are tasked with the job of destroying the rail line below, preventing supplies from reaching General Sheridan's army. Payton's character, under house arrest, manages to get information and some supplies to her lover Clay. Neither opposing commander is aware of each other's presence until close to the final denouement.
What I had trouble with throughout was the logistics of the tunnels and caves of the mountain fortress resembling Devil's Tower. Even a demolition expert would have trouble explaining to me how mining the base of the tower would eventually wind up blowing it's top off. There's that, and the inconclusive ending that suggested the film's odd couple and the remaining Confederates didn't make it out alive. The Major it seems, didn't seem too upset about all that.
As a kid I watched Madison's TV Western "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok" and always found him to be a cool actor. He looked very young to me here in a film released the same year in which his TV program aired, which means it's been quite some time since I've seen any of those episodes. I'll have to get my hands on some.
Once the initial set up is developed, the story seems to bog down a bit. Union forces led by Denning are assigned to blow up a mountain fortress from which the Rebs, commanded by his buddy Clay, are tasked with the job of destroying the rail line below, preventing supplies from reaching General Sheridan's army. Payton's character, under house arrest, manages to get information and some supplies to her lover Clay. Neither opposing commander is aware of each other's presence until close to the final denouement.
What I had trouble with throughout was the logistics of the tunnels and caves of the mountain fortress resembling Devil's Tower. Even a demolition expert would have trouble explaining to me how mining the base of the tower would eventually wind up blowing it's top off. There's that, and the inconclusive ending that suggested the film's odd couple and the remaining Confederates didn't make it out alive. The Major it seems, didn't seem too upset about all that.
Shameless Lies About VHS vs DVD!
vitaleralphlouis23 May 2008
What awful lies they told about the alleged Superior Quality of DVD's. Bunk! They cleaned up the master prints of a few classic films when DVD was brand new, in order to sell the public a bill-of-goods. Now we are stuck! The main thing about Drums in the Deep South is the lack of preservation regarding both picture and sound. Both were pretty bad in VHS, equally bad (of course) in DVD.
The joy of watching this low budget Civil War era movie is seeing our brave men fighting against the invaders entering our Confederacy. Others might care who gets Barbara Peyton, but I simply care about whether cannons are in place to effectively blast General Sherman.
Although the North was industrial and more populated compared to the South's agriculture, the more numerous and well equipped army of the North was ill-matched against the Southern sharpshooters. With slavery continuing in Northern states while supposedly fighting to end slavery in the South, Union forces were also ill-matched in righteous motivation. The result was that although the North ultimately prevailed, it was at the expense of their taking 67% of the casualties. The North lost 2 men in battle for every 1 man Southern man lost. This is the kind of spirit that keeps a pro-Southern movie on the market -- and remembered -- 57 years after it was made.
The joy of watching this low budget Civil War era movie is seeing our brave men fighting against the invaders entering our Confederacy. Others might care who gets Barbara Peyton, but I simply care about whether cannons are in place to effectively blast General Sherman.
Although the North was industrial and more populated compared to the South's agriculture, the more numerous and well equipped army of the North was ill-matched against the Southern sharpshooters. With slavery continuing in Northern states while supposedly fighting to end slavery in the South, Union forces were also ill-matched in righteous motivation. The result was that although the North ultimately prevailed, it was at the expense of their taking 67% of the casualties. The North lost 2 men in battle for every 1 man Southern man lost. This is the kind of spirit that keeps a pro-Southern movie on the market -- and remembered -- 57 years after it was made.
A Woman Torn Between Her Husband, Her Lover and the Civil War
Uriah438 December 2021
This film begins in Georgia shortly before the start of the American Civil War with a recently married man by the name of "Braxton Summers" (Craig Stevens) hosting two friends named "Clay Clayburn" (James Craig) and "Will Denning" (Guy Madison). As it so happens, Braxton's new bride "Kathy Summers" (Barbara Payton) and Clay Clayburn had a previous romantic relationship which ended when Clay ventured out to sea for financial reasons with Will. Yet having now returned to Georgia both Clay and Kathy suddenly realize that their love for one another still endures. Even so, with the war commencing immediately afterward they again separated and her marriage to Braxton remains intact. What she doesn't count on, however, is Clay returning as an officer in the Confederate Army a couple of years later with a mission to delay an advancing Union Army near her husband's plantation while he is serving on another battlefield far away. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an okay film for the most part but it started off rather slow and the ending wasn't quite to my liking either. In addition to that, the picture quality wasn't nearly as sharp as it could have been as well. Be that as it may, even though it's certainly not a great movie by any means, those viewers interested in a film about the Civil War may enjoy this one and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
Gone with the mountain.
mark.waltz10 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The goal of the north is to blow up a loan small mountain in the middle of nowhere that southern soldiers are utilizing to try to sabotage northern army trains heading through. James Craig, Guy Madison and Craig Stevens are all old friends from West Point, but now two of them are enemies because they are fighting on opposite sides, and they both love the alluring Barbara Payton who is married to one of them but determined to keep the other from being killed. This film takes a while to get going and there really isn't much backstory about the actual war outside of battle scenes and attacks on the train. It's obvious that the cannon that is shooting at the train so it is placed just out of reach from meeting its target which really doesn't have much impact on the train getting through. Payton plays both sides against the middle, hoping for her side to achieve victory, but not at the expense of seeing friends killing friends.
I found Payton a much more interesting character than the three men, although it's mostly based on the actress herself who is starting to show the signs of a hard life lived even though her performance is quite convincing. The color photography is quite good, and shots of this Devil's Mountain stuck in the middle of nowhere makes for a great hiding place as well as a target. Veteran character actor Barton MacLane really doesn't have much to do so his familiar growl is wasted in this film. Probably not one of the better movies about the Civil War because it seems to be obviously fictional, but it's a noble time filler and one where the female character, usually stuck in the background, takes a major part in the action going on around her.
I found Payton a much more interesting character than the three men, although it's mostly based on the actress herself who is starting to show the signs of a hard life lived even though her performance is quite convincing. The color photography is quite good, and shots of this Devil's Mountain stuck in the middle of nowhere makes for a great hiding place as well as a target. Veteran character actor Barton MacLane really doesn't have much to do so his familiar growl is wasted in this film. Probably not one of the better movies about the Civil War because it seems to be obviously fictional, but it's a noble time filler and one where the female character, usually stuck in the background, takes a major part in the action going on around her.
Invaders From Mars Meets Gone With The Wind
gftbiloxi19 April 2005
Although he designed and directed a number of notable films, today William Cameron Menzies is best recalled as the director of the "so bad it's good" 1953 INVADERS FROM MARS. His work with the 1951 DRUMS IN THE DEEP SOUTH might be considered a build up to that ham-fisted style, for it has the same flatness. Sad to say, it has none of the same fun.
The story concerns a Confederate effort to thwart Sherman's advance on Atlanta. Strange to say, however, Georgia seems to have been transplanted to the wild west for purposes of the film, which comes complete with a mesa on which the Confederates desire to plant their cannon and fire upon the railroad below. Throw in a love triangle and some of the most uninspired acting you can obtain and you have DRUMS IN THE DEEP SOUTH.
Today the film is best recalled for the presence of actress Barbara Payton (1927-1967), a performer who trembled on the brink of stardom in the late 1940s and early 1950s before she self-destructed in a hog-wallow of sex, booze, drugs, and front page scandal. It is easy to see what the fuss was about: she has a dead-pan sexuality, larger-than-life beauty, and memorable speaking voice. Unfortunately, none of these qualities have much to do with either film or role, and even her cult-status can't make up for what is basically a remarkably shallow, incredibly silly, and deadly dull film.
Unless you are desperate to see what Payton looked like on the screen before she ended up as a five dollar hooker working the Sunset Strip, DRUMS ALONG THE DEEP SOUTH is a film to avoid at all costs. Treat it as you would the plague.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
The story concerns a Confederate effort to thwart Sherman's advance on Atlanta. Strange to say, however, Georgia seems to have been transplanted to the wild west for purposes of the film, which comes complete with a mesa on which the Confederates desire to plant their cannon and fire upon the railroad below. Throw in a love triangle and some of the most uninspired acting you can obtain and you have DRUMS IN THE DEEP SOUTH.
Today the film is best recalled for the presence of actress Barbara Payton (1927-1967), a performer who trembled on the brink of stardom in the late 1940s and early 1950s before she self-destructed in a hog-wallow of sex, booze, drugs, and front page scandal. It is easy to see what the fuss was about: she has a dead-pan sexuality, larger-than-life beauty, and memorable speaking voice. Unfortunately, none of these qualities have much to do with either film or role, and even her cult-status can't make up for what is basically a remarkably shallow, incredibly silly, and deadly dull film.
Unless you are desperate to see what Payton looked like on the screen before she ended up as a five dollar hooker working the Sunset Strip, DRUMS ALONG THE DEEP SOUTH is a film to avoid at all costs. Treat it as you would the plague.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
A modest Civil War classic
DigitalRevenantX712 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The year is 1861, on the eve of the American Civil War. In Georgia, Atlanta, cotton plantation owner Braxton Summers invites two of his former West Point classmates, Clay Clayburn & Will Denning, to dinner with him & his new wife Kathy (who was formerly in love with Clay). But before they can eat, war is declared. Fast forward to 1864 & Will & Clay are fighting on opposite sides of the war. Clay, now a major with the Confederates, is picked to infiltrate the same area & find a way to sabotage a Union railway & cut off supplies to the Yankees. Placing three cannons on a mountaintop, Clay & his team of volunteers manage to blow up the tracks & a couple of Union trains passing through. They are so good at keeping the area locked down that Will, now an officer in the Union army, is sent in to prevent any further damage. Kathy, who is still living in the old mansion (Braxton has been captured by the Yankees), tries her best to help her former lover fight the enemy. But Will & Clay, who are still best friends, each don't realise that the other is in the area.
William Cameron Menzies is legendary in the field of production design for Hollywood's early era. Having won awards for his work on such films as 1924's The Thief of Bagdad & of course his magnum opus, Gone with the Wind, Menzies was so good at his job that when the chance came to finally direct a film himself, he jumped at the chance.
With Menzies at the helm, what was essentially a B-grade film made on a limited budget instead looks like a big budget production. It doesn't have the same resources as something like Gone with the Wind but Menzies makes it feel about as large with his resourcefulness.
The story is a passably moving tale of a woman caught between two best friends fighting on opposite sides in a war that will end with one side losing badly. James Craig & Barbara Payton both make a good couple & Payton's willingness to spy on her captors in order to help her old flame sabotage the enemy's supply train is both brave & ultimately reckless. The film has one flaw & that is the lack of funds to make the battles look anything but cramped, but Menzies does his best with the limited budget. He even manages to throw in a couple of reasonably exciting moments, with Payton trying to signal Craig while a Union soldier searches for her & Craig's first attack on the enemy train. The cast make the most out of their roles & the film's unusually high production values elevate what is essentially a low budget Civil War drama into a modest war classic.
William Cameron Menzies is legendary in the field of production design for Hollywood's early era. Having won awards for his work on such films as 1924's The Thief of Bagdad & of course his magnum opus, Gone with the Wind, Menzies was so good at his job that when the chance came to finally direct a film himself, he jumped at the chance.
With Menzies at the helm, what was essentially a B-grade film made on a limited budget instead looks like a big budget production. It doesn't have the same resources as something like Gone with the Wind but Menzies makes it feel about as large with his resourcefulness.
The story is a passably moving tale of a woman caught between two best friends fighting on opposite sides in a war that will end with one side losing badly. James Craig & Barbara Payton both make a good couple & Payton's willingness to spy on her captors in order to help her old flame sabotage the enemy's supply train is both brave & ultimately reckless. The film has one flaw & that is the lack of funds to make the battles look anything but cramped, but Menzies does his best with the limited budget. He even manages to throw in a couple of reasonably exciting moments, with Payton trying to signal Craig while a Union soldier searches for her & Craig's first attack on the enemy train. The cast make the most out of their roles & the film's unusually high production values elevate what is essentially a low budget Civil War drama into a modest war classic.
Not So Interesting
denis8883 May 2014
Poor quality of the film is one aspect that it is almost impossible to watch. Copies made of copies are just a hissing track with mono sound, glitches and low level music. The plot caoud have been great - Cofederates staying on Devil's Mountain and hindering Union train supply to General Sherman attacking Atlanta in 1864. Union army is trying to get them out of there and finally, there is the only drastic measure they can take to achieve it. Yeah, but execution is poor - low budget brings us to poorly panted back-ups instead of real nature, low level of effects brings us very funny artillery shots. Actors? Nothing memorable - rather average performance, not so deep or really exciting. A period piece, with several goofs this is a curio to watch once and let it slip off your memory for ever
The Confederacy Chalks Up A Victory!!!
zardoz-1323 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Although the South lost the war, the Confederates win the battle in "Drums in the Deep South!" Oscar-winning art designer William Cameron Menzies helmed this Civil War yarn based on a screenplay by "Whistle Stop" scribe Philip Yordan and Sidney Harmon from a story by Hollister Noble. Later, Yordan collaborated with "Talk of the Town" writer Harmon on "Battle of the Bulge," but Harmon was now a producer. One of the best B-movie directors in the business, B. Reeves Eason of "The Phantom Empire" handled the second-unit action. Menzies treats us to a glimpse of slaves in the fields and those who worked in the houses. As many commentators have written, movies about the Civil War are few in number and the good ones even fewer. Guy Wilkerson has a bit part as a Confederate sentry and Denver Pyle is cast as a antagonistic Union guard.
The explosive action unfolds in Georgia in 1861. The first scene occurs at an antebellum mansion. Colonel Braxton Summers (Craig Stevens of "Peter Gunn") has returned from Atlanta. According to Summers, the South has been planting too much cotton. Uncle Albert cannot believe Braxton's news. "Cotton is king. The whole south is built on it. And the world is knocking down our doors for more." Braxton tells his beautiful wife, Kathy (Barbara Payton), Atlanta is a powder keg. Furthermore, the militia has been called up. He adds all West Pointers are being summoned for duty. Like Uncle Albert, Kathy believes the storm over succession will abate. Brax lacks her confidence. Meantime, he shows Kathy a black scarf he purchased for her. She isn't overjoyed when he tells her about encountering two of his former West Point roommates.
The soap opera component of "Drums" rears its amorous head. Kathy refuses to see Clay Clayburn (James Craig of "Flying G-Men") who has never stopped loving her. She assures Brax anything she felt for Clay has passed. Brax tells Kathy that Clay has changed. As it turns out, Clay and Will Deming (Guy Madison of "Seven Winchesters for a Massacre"), lie about their thriving shipping business. They ship cotton from New Orleans to Liverpool and then take wool to Boston. At dinner, Brax reveals he is experimenting with a new cotton seed for export. After Brax and Will excuse themselves to discuss his experiment, Clay confronts Kathy. He admits he is not a ship captain but a common seaman. Moreover, he has neither repaid his father's debts nor bought back the family plantation. Outside the mansion roars a storm that possesses all the fury of Armageddon. Later, Albert forsakes his chair and proclaims amid thunder and lightning that the South has bombarded Fort Sumter.
Menzies stages a time line as the years march past to an artillery barrage. By 1864, the Union Army has compelled the Confederacy to retreat. General Sherman's Army is threatening Atlanta. General Joseph Johnston (Lewis Martin of "Operation Pacific") selects Major Clayburn for the mission. Johnston orders Clayburn to sneak twenty men with four cannon through occupied lines and position them atop Devil's Mountain to blunt the Federal advance. Johnston's closest officers have doubts about Clayburn's qualifications. "Clayburn is reckless beyond all risk. He exposes himself to enemy fire on all occasions. How he has come through this war and still be alive . . ., one officer cannot understand Clayburn's incredible luck. Another officer observes, "The man seems to be seeking death." "A good soldier," Johnston points out, "dies only once. And death is someone he knows."
When Clayburn enters the headquarters tent, Johnston informs him he has "a difficult job for him." Johnston explains, "Sherman's whole army poured out of Chattanooga three weeks ago. They are moving straight along this single railroad and heading for Atlanta. If he takes Atlanta, we're doomed. Our only chance is to draw him deep in Georgia, cut off his supply lines and destroy his army bit by bit. The bulk of his supplies are pouring through this same railroad and as fast as we destroy it, his men rebuild it. What we've got to do is find a weak link in this railroad so we can keep destroying it faster than Sherman's men can repair it."
Clayburn is familiar with the terrain since he grew up there. Johnston indicates Devil's Mountain dominates the railway where it swings through Snake Gap. The General believes this constitutes "the weak link in Sherman's supply line." Johnston wants Clayburn to blast the railroad until the Confederate Army can regroup and counter-attack. "General, Devil's Mountain is a sheer cliff," Clayburn warns. "I might be able to get twenty men up there, but four cannon that's another question." Johnston relieves him when he tells him about a scout who can guide them from inside the cave to the top. "General, if I can get the cannon on top of Devil's Mountain, I could fight there until doomsday," Clayburn vows with a gleam in his eyes. "You may have to, Major," they warn him. No sooner have they embarked on their mission than things turn sour. When our protagonists rendezvous with their guide, they find him dangling from a noose.
Menzies never shows the Confederates whistling Dixie as they trundle their cannons across rugged terrain through enemy country to Devils' Mountain. Once they get inside the mountain, it's quite a chore getting the artillery up to the top. Menzies does a competent job of driving the action along without sacrificing momentum. It takes him approximately 26 minutes to get the Southerners to their objective. Devils Mountain resembles the "Close Encounters of a Third Kind" mountain. This is a rare Civil War epic with an interesting premise that anticipates the blockbuster 1961 World War II mission movie "The Guns of Navarone." The music is excellent! Composer Dimitri Tiomkin provides an atmospheric orchestral soundtrack. "Drums in the Deep South" is an entertaining epic.
The explosive action unfolds in Georgia in 1861. The first scene occurs at an antebellum mansion. Colonel Braxton Summers (Craig Stevens of "Peter Gunn") has returned from Atlanta. According to Summers, the South has been planting too much cotton. Uncle Albert cannot believe Braxton's news. "Cotton is king. The whole south is built on it. And the world is knocking down our doors for more." Braxton tells his beautiful wife, Kathy (Barbara Payton), Atlanta is a powder keg. Furthermore, the militia has been called up. He adds all West Pointers are being summoned for duty. Like Uncle Albert, Kathy believes the storm over succession will abate. Brax lacks her confidence. Meantime, he shows Kathy a black scarf he purchased for her. She isn't overjoyed when he tells her about encountering two of his former West Point roommates.
The soap opera component of "Drums" rears its amorous head. Kathy refuses to see Clay Clayburn (James Craig of "Flying G-Men") who has never stopped loving her. She assures Brax anything she felt for Clay has passed. Brax tells Kathy that Clay has changed. As it turns out, Clay and Will Deming (Guy Madison of "Seven Winchesters for a Massacre"), lie about their thriving shipping business. They ship cotton from New Orleans to Liverpool and then take wool to Boston. At dinner, Brax reveals he is experimenting with a new cotton seed for export. After Brax and Will excuse themselves to discuss his experiment, Clay confronts Kathy. He admits he is not a ship captain but a common seaman. Moreover, he has neither repaid his father's debts nor bought back the family plantation. Outside the mansion roars a storm that possesses all the fury of Armageddon. Later, Albert forsakes his chair and proclaims amid thunder and lightning that the South has bombarded Fort Sumter.
Menzies stages a time line as the years march past to an artillery barrage. By 1864, the Union Army has compelled the Confederacy to retreat. General Sherman's Army is threatening Atlanta. General Joseph Johnston (Lewis Martin of "Operation Pacific") selects Major Clayburn for the mission. Johnston orders Clayburn to sneak twenty men with four cannon through occupied lines and position them atop Devil's Mountain to blunt the Federal advance. Johnston's closest officers have doubts about Clayburn's qualifications. "Clayburn is reckless beyond all risk. He exposes himself to enemy fire on all occasions. How he has come through this war and still be alive . . ., one officer cannot understand Clayburn's incredible luck. Another officer observes, "The man seems to be seeking death." "A good soldier," Johnston points out, "dies only once. And death is someone he knows."
When Clayburn enters the headquarters tent, Johnston informs him he has "a difficult job for him." Johnston explains, "Sherman's whole army poured out of Chattanooga three weeks ago. They are moving straight along this single railroad and heading for Atlanta. If he takes Atlanta, we're doomed. Our only chance is to draw him deep in Georgia, cut off his supply lines and destroy his army bit by bit. The bulk of his supplies are pouring through this same railroad and as fast as we destroy it, his men rebuild it. What we've got to do is find a weak link in this railroad so we can keep destroying it faster than Sherman's men can repair it."
Clayburn is familiar with the terrain since he grew up there. Johnston indicates Devil's Mountain dominates the railway where it swings through Snake Gap. The General believes this constitutes "the weak link in Sherman's supply line." Johnston wants Clayburn to blast the railroad until the Confederate Army can regroup and counter-attack. "General, Devil's Mountain is a sheer cliff," Clayburn warns. "I might be able to get twenty men up there, but four cannon that's another question." Johnston relieves him when he tells him about a scout who can guide them from inside the cave to the top. "General, if I can get the cannon on top of Devil's Mountain, I could fight there until doomsday," Clayburn vows with a gleam in his eyes. "You may have to, Major," they warn him. No sooner have they embarked on their mission than things turn sour. When our protagonists rendezvous with their guide, they find him dangling from a noose.
Menzies never shows the Confederates whistling Dixie as they trundle their cannons across rugged terrain through enemy country to Devils' Mountain. Once they get inside the mountain, it's quite a chore getting the artillery up to the top. Menzies does a competent job of driving the action along without sacrificing momentum. It takes him approximately 26 minutes to get the Southerners to their objective. Devils Mountain resembles the "Close Encounters of a Third Kind" mountain. This is a rare Civil War epic with an interesting premise that anticipates the blockbuster 1961 World War II mission movie "The Guns of Navarone." The music is excellent! Composer Dimitri Tiomkin provides an atmospheric orchestral soundtrack. "Drums in the Deep South" is an entertaining epic.
Noteworthy but pedestrian Civil War yarn
Miles-101 January 2020
It is worth noting that this movie is actually set during and in the midst of the Civil War (rather than just before, just after, or at a geographical distance from it), "Drums" avoids a cast of thousands by skipping the first three years of the war and then focusing on an apparently fictional skirmish rather than a full battle. (There seems to be no "Devil's Mountain" in Georgia, and the mountain that is located near where this story seems to take place is called Lookout Mountain, which was the site of a large-scale battle during the year before this film is set.)
It is fun to see actors who later had interesting TV careers, including Craig Stevens, and Guy Madison. It is also fun - for me at least - to see Robert Easton as "the kid," Jerry. Easton later became a celebrated dialect coach in Hollywood, and he is one of the few actors in this movie with an authentic Southern accent, but Rodney Amateau, not Easton, is listed as "dialogue director" on this picture.
While we are on the topic of miscellaneous crew, the number of technical goofs listed here for this picture is stunning considering that there are two technical advisors, one of whom appears to style himself as a military expert; yet most of the factual errors listed under goofs are of a military nature. So, do not rely on this movie for historical facts about the Civil War.
Sadly, this was the peak and beginning of the plunge for the career of Barbara Payton who plays the heroine in this movie. She is beautiful and not bad as an actress.
It is fun to see actors who later had interesting TV careers, including Craig Stevens, and Guy Madison. It is also fun - for me at least - to see Robert Easton as "the kid," Jerry. Easton later became a celebrated dialect coach in Hollywood, and he is one of the few actors in this movie with an authentic Southern accent, but Rodney Amateau, not Easton, is listed as "dialogue director" on this picture.
While we are on the topic of miscellaneous crew, the number of technical goofs listed here for this picture is stunning considering that there are two technical advisors, one of whom appears to style himself as a military expert; yet most of the factual errors listed under goofs are of a military nature. So, do not rely on this movie for historical facts about the Civil War.
Sadly, this was the peak and beginning of the plunge for the career of Barbara Payton who plays the heroine in this movie. She is beautiful and not bad as an actress.
Interminable would-be epic
qatmom27 December 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Another treasure from the America One library of public domain movies! "Drums in the Deep South" looks like a good movie, but it lacks something a good movie must have: characters the audience can care about. I looked carefully for such characters, and couldn't find one. In fact, I hardly cared what happened to any of them, even when the would-be adulterous couple was blown up at the end of the movie! I really thought the Vile Yankee Devil was going to throw himself on the fuse wire to save his buddy; he looked ready to cry. But, no; the mountain blew up--where will the aliens land now? Curiously, though this tale is supposed to be in part about a love triangle, the husband-angle goes off to war and is NEVER seen again, but is mentioned briefly to be still alive! We're never ever given a reason why Kathy REALLY preferred Clay to Braxton; Brax used complete sentences, seemed to genuinely care for Kathy, appeared to have a practical attitude towards running pseudo-Tara, and there wasn't the faintest suggestion that Brax so much as ever said a cross word to Kathy. But off he goes and she forgets him, telling Clay to learn Spanish for California, implying that that is their next stop in life.
This is exceeding strange for a movie made in 1951.
If ONLY Kathy had known how KEWEL Brax was going to be in a few years when he morphed into Peter Gunn! Imagine Braxton returning home to Devastation, and lurid tales of fickle Kathy...but the movie was already too long...
This is exceeding strange for a movie made in 1951.
If ONLY Kathy had known how KEWEL Brax was going to be in a few years when he morphed into Peter Gunn! Imagine Braxton returning home to Devastation, and lurid tales of fickle Kathy...but the movie was already too long...
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