Slaughter Trail
Slaughter Trail
| 15 October 1951 (USA)
Slaughter Trail Trailers

Three outlaws rob the stage and then flee. When their horses give out they murder some Indians to get fresh ones. But this puts the Indians on the war path and they have to take refuge in an Army fort to avoid them. The Indians then arrive offering peace if the three men are turned over to them. The fort's commanding Officer wants peace but the rules say the men must be tried in a white man's court leaving the Indians no choice but to attack.

Reviews
CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!
Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.
Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.
Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
calvinnme Leonard Maltin must have delicate ears. He called 1951's "Slaughter Trail" soundtrack "indescribably awful." Something "indescribably awful" to hear is a Siamese cat giving birth. The soundtrack is like the Sons of the Pioneers with below-par lyrics, with an occasional zinger mixed in. This is a sublimely stupid Western, where the "Indians" wear obvious wigs, the makeup people painted their chests but forgot their backs, the soldiers throw up their arms and fall and die before the sound effects tell the viewer they've been hit, the leading lady smooches with a highwayman and her very obvious lipstick is on his face and yet nobody comments on it. When asked if anyone was killed during a robbery, Andy Devine says "just the stagecoach driver. No one important"(!?) Another line that seems to indicate the film was meant as a satire (or maybe just poorly written). Devine asks if an Indian had been hit. Soldier: "No, but he won't be riding a horse for a longgg time." I'd pass on this one. The western genre was big in the 50's because so many social issues could be discussed in the context of the old west rather than cause controversy by discussing them in a modern setting. But then there was always a film just trying to make a buck off the popularity of the genre. This is one of those films.
Doodlesweaver You know, this is CRAZY but that song in SLAUGHTER TRAIL has kept running through my mind ever since I first saw the film.If you have any other film remembrances of that movie...I'd like to hear them.I think Brian Donlevy had something so "serious" about him that it lent a "feeling" to the film and made that song a mind sticker. Anyway--it's like a miracle that other people still sing that song too.And--I remember it as well as any song from any "A" musical. So, I had to rate it as "Excellent." Gosh, why not? And, I thought I was the only one whose head it kept running around in!
robertinlosangeles Once in a while Turner Classic Movies will air a movie that most people aren't familiar with. Such was the case with "Slaughter Trail." Good on-location photography, a fast-moving script, characters worth caring about, and a look at life in the wild west all make the grade. Add an interesting color palate-- Cinecolor-- with its subtle tones, light-years from Technicolor, and you've got an sense of open-air realism to it all. The use of the narrative ballad, a la "High Noon", makes it well worth a look. TCM's Robert Osborne said that Brian Donlevy's part was initially filmed with Howard da Silva in the role, but da Silva got caught up in the Hollywood Blacklist and producer Howard Hughes, being the staunch anti-Communist he was, re-shot all of da Silva's scenes with Donlevy prior to its release. Interesting tidbit, not at all visible in the final product.
kornholeme There are some good things to say about "Slaughter Trail." For instance, seeing Brian Donlevy and Gig Young in an oater IS different. But the annoying song that runs throughout, seems to have been written by a third-grader. There is much use of stock footage for the Indian wars, and the plot is predictable and pedestrian. This one is very easy to pass up.