weezeralfalfa
Hope you caught the pun in my title! I much enjoyed this film, which offers a variety of interesting subplots and complex love-hate relationships, along with interspersed action sequences and some lighthearted moments in which the free-spirited mountain men counter regimented army discipline. All the main characters are well cast. Some reviewers question the wisdom of choosing middle-aged Victor Mature as the lead character, Jed Cooper. Yes, he was getting a bit puffy-eyed for a Tarzan-like western hillbilly. Others simply don't go for his personality or acting style. But, overall, I found him quite suitable for his wild man desiring to become marginally civilized role. Robert Mitchum would perhaps have been equally at home in this rile. Several reviewers would have preferred Burt Lancaster. Burt would have his chance as a loner trapper some years later in the eccentric western "The Scalphunters", worth checking out if you like mountain men tales.At first, I thought this story was taking place in Oregon, with the high dome-shaped volcanic cone often in the background and one of the forts named Medford. But, I soon realized that these were false clues. Fort Laramie was repeatedly mentioned as not too far away. Also, Red Cloud was repeatedly mentioned as the war chief of the recently belligerent Sioux. Well, these are strong clues that the story relates to the well-known Powder River War in northern Wyoming, between the US government and an alliance of Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho. Guy Madison's Captain Riordan and Robert Preston's Colonel Marston can be seen as modified versions of the historical Colonel Carrington and Captain Fetterman, respectively. As in the film, the Civil War-experienced, but Sioux -inexperienced overconfident Fetterman led his men into an ambush. As in the film, Fetterman's entire 81-man party was annihilated, considered the worst US cavalry disaster at the hands of Native Americans until Custer's much better remembered debacle. During the battle, Cooper(Mature) takes on the historic role of Captain Ten Eyck, sent to investigate the gunplay heard and deciding it was prudent to retreat.Incidentally, the army did build 3 forts in this area in the late Civil War years, but their names were changed in the film and, by treaty, they were soon abandoned, later burned by the Sioux. The main reason for all this sudden animosity was the discovery of rich placer gold deposits in Montana Territory, just northwest of the present Yellowstone Park. Swarms of draft-dodging prospectors and other sorts had been negotiating the newly established Bozeman Trail across Wyoming to these goldfields, right through the currently favorite hunting grounds of the relevant tribes. The classic Clark Gable-starring western "The Tall Men", released the same year as this film, also relates to this gold fever and he also had to deal with Red Cloud, in a semi-historical script.The main problem I find with the plot is the historical anachronism of the 3 buddy trappers. The era of pure trapper mountain men had pretty much ended 25 years before the end of the Civil War with the collapse of western beaver populations and the simultaneous collapse of a market for such. Thus, these trappers were limited to much less valuable furs and hides. As others have pointed out, the plot bears a striking resemblance to the previous John Ford "Fort Apache", save for the location. In both cases, we have a commander arriving from the east to a frontier post with Native American problems. He underestimates the military prowess of his adversaries, regarding them as little more than easy cannon fodder to promote his career. He pays dearly(dies) for his inexperience and brashness. Also, this commander resents a subordinate who has long experience with the local Native Americans and warns him what is wise and unwise to do. In both films, we have a budding romantic relationship between a woman dear to the commander's heart and a subordinate, which the commander tries to squelch. Clearly, the commander must be eliminated to allow these romances to proceed to completion. In common with director Mann's film "The Far Country", the loner star's long-time partner must be eliminated to allow room for a woman to take his place. In the present film, Cooper has two partners, who independently die or disappear. James Whitmore plays one of them. Yes, he much reminds you of Spencer Tracy. This was Whitmore's second subsidiary role as a mountain man, also being in the Clark Gable-starring "Across the Wide Missouri"I found the verbal confrontation between Cooper and Marsden while the latter was trapped in a bear pit fall, along with the fallout from this incident, the most interesting aspect on this film. Anne Bancroft, as Marsen's conflicted wife, has a most interesting role, especially as it relates to this incident. The theme of most everyone associated with this fort being a misfit surfaces repeatedly. Most of the soldiers, including the commander, were sent here because they have 'problems' or are raw recruits. The trappers are misfits personality-wise with army discipline. Bancroft, as one of the few woman in this fort, is inherently a misfit, and hates it.
Tweekums
When the Blue Coats of the US Army arrive in Oregon Red Cloud, the local Indian chief declares all white people persona non grata. Three trappers, Jed Cooper, Gus and Mungo find themselves relieved of their rifles and the skins they spent a year collecting; debate whether to head north to find work in Canada or head to the nearest army camp to demand compensation. They choose the latter option but end up getting work as scouts. At the fort Cooper meets Corinna Marston, a woman whose husband is the colonel in command of another fort in Indian territory; he believes the man is bound to be dead by now but still heads out to find him. That fort had been attacked but the colonel and some of his men had survived; Cooper brings them back to the fort but soon begins to regret it. Col. Marston immediately takes command and sets about planning a counter attack despite the fort only having a hundred raw recruits. The level headed captain who had commanded the post believes it is unwise but the Colonel is determined to win a great victory to restore his honour after losing fifteen hundred men at Shiloh.This was an enjoyable western with an unconventional protagonist; Victor Mature's did a fine job as Cooper; a crude illiterate man who gets drunk and pursues the colonel's wife... hardly the upstanding hero one expects in such films. Robert Preston's Col. Marston has the heroic look but he is the one who could get everybody killed through his desire for glory. When the fighting comes it is far from glorious; instead it is dirty and brutal, although not graphic, director Anthony Mann did a fine job there. In some ways the romantic storyline seems a bit tacked on but it does serve to show Cooper's lack of concern for 'civilised ways'. The film was shot in stunning scenery; although the slopes of Mt. Popocatépetl in Mexico stand in for Oregon!
rockbroker
While this picture may be minor Anthony Mann, it's a very off-beat, well acted, western. Mature is the anti-thesis of Mann's uber-hero, the driven, edgy loner played to perfection by Jimmy Stewart. Mann plays to Mature's strengths by casting him as the uncivilized, passion driven scout given to bouts of raucous drunkenness. Robert Preston is very good as the obsessed, kill-crazy Colonel whose wife (Anne Bancroft) Mature covets He also slugs her! Wow! Savage Mature!
