Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Brooklynn There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

JohnHowardReid Copyright 1958 by Batjac-Romina. No New York opening. U.S. release: January 1959. U.K. release: 2 November 1958 (sic). Australian release: 23 April 1959. 6,856 feet. 76 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Soon after the end of the Civil War, an ex-Confederate captain and his young daughter make a perilous journey through Indian country as they seek a new future in the north-west. VIEWERS' GUIDE: Lots of action, but the British Board of Film Censors didn't cut so much as a foot and they awarded the film a Universal Exhibition certificate way back in 1958. So who are we to argue?COMMENT: A taut and exciting little western, with more than enough action to satisfy the most demanding fans. In fact there's enough plot twists to keep any audience involved. True, the characters are much the usual stereotypes, but the players put them all across with commendable force and vitality. Even Victor Mature paints a likable portrait. It must be admitted that neither Elaine Stewart nor Faith Domergue are overly well-groomed or super attractively made up. This lack of superficial beauty may disappoint some of their followers, though I thought it made their presence in the picture more realistic. CinemaScope is engagingly utilized in the capable hands of director Francis D. Lyon. Not only is the action presented with maximum impact, but the frame arrangements — especially during early dialogue scenes — often make strikingly effective use of the full width of the anamorphic screen. Speaking of dialogue, it's indisputable that many "B" westerns fall down badly in this respect. But not "Escort West". No doubt actor Leo Gordon who co-wrote the screenplay, saw to it that the talk was much more natural and far less clichéd than the norm. Production values are well above average. Executive producer John Wayne has not stinted on funds for location filming and has engaged a most competent team of technicians to support the first-rate cast. If you don't like "Escort West", better give all "B" westerns a miss. This is as good as they get.

bsmith5552 "Escort West" is interesting little low budget Black and White western about the efforts of an ex-confederate soldier Ben Lassiter (Victor Mature) and his daughter Abbey (Reba Waters) to reach Oregon and a new life.Set in 1865 just after the Civil War, Lassiter finds that not all of the old wounds have healed. At a way station he meets two sisters Beth Drury (Elaine Stewart) and her sister Martha (Faith Domergue) who are in the company of a cavalry detachment. Martha bears a resentment of Lassiter because of the war.Later on the trail Lassiter finds the cavalry detachment massacred except for quartermaster Nelson Walker (Rex Ingram) and the two ladies whom he had hidden away. The unlikely party then proceeds toward another army group who unbeknownst to them is pinned down under fire from the Indian renegade Tago (X. Brands) who is also in pursuit of the Lassiter group.Director Francis D. Lyon had the luxury of a seasoned cast of veterans although in some cases he doesn't take advantage of them often under utilizing their talents. Also in the cast are Noah Beery Jr., Leo Gordon (who co-wrote the story), Ken Curtis, William Ching, John Hubbard, Harry Carey Jr., Slim Pickens and Roy Barcroft as various soldiers.Victor Mature was always an under rated actor. He was usually better than his material as is the case here. Acting kudos in this film go to the veteran actor Rex Ingram who gives a sympathetic performance as the doomed Walker. Faith Domergue is one who never quite made it but is probably best remembered for her dalliance with Howard Hughes. Ken Curtis went on to portray "Festus Hagen" in the long running TV series "Gunsmoke".

doug-balch This is a low budget Western that is a little corny, but highly watchable. Here are its good points:Excellent Civil War theme.Victor Mature is pretty good in the leadVery nice supporting cast with Slim Pickens, Harry Carey Jr., Leo Gordon and Ken Curtis.Story moves along nicely and holds interest. Only a couple of plot holes/inconsistenciesfilmed on location, although only in greater L.A. area, not "Nevada".Here's what dragged it downLittle girl is horribly corny and almost ruins movieFemale lead characters are weak and the actresses are lousy.Whole plot is on the thin side i.e. not that much really happens in this.Indians are not characterized.

bkoganbing Escort West finds Victor Mature as a former Confederate escorting his young daughter out to Oregon territory. They meet up with a troop of cavalry at a stagecoach station, some of whom are hostile. Not nearly as hostile as Faith Domergue who lost a fiancé during the Civil War who is accompanying her sister Elaine Stewart out west to marry cavalry captain William Ching. After Mature and daughter Reba Waters meet some hostile Modocs and find what they did to part of the cavalry troop they go back to the station where all they find alive are the two women and the sutler, Rex Ingram. Ingram's been wounded and left for dead with a broken leg.At this point the group sets out to find help and safety, whichever comes first. Escort West bares a similarity to the Richard Widmark western of the previous year, The Last Wagon. If you've seen that you might figure out how it all turns out. Or just if you've watched a whole lot of westerns.Escort West barely runs 75 minutes, it played at the bottom of double features in the Fifties. It was produced by John Wayne and folks like Ken Curtis, Leo Gordon, and Noah Beery, Jr., all of whom worked with the Duke before are in the cast. Best in the cast is Leo Gordon who also wrote the script and is one nasty deserting cavalry trooper.It's a nice action western with some adult themes mixed in with enough action for the kids.