Fort Yuma

source: Fort Yuma

More Time is Spent on the inter-Racial Love Interests, which was Atypical in Most 50's Westerns. Few Films had such a Voluptuous Female Native-American at the Center of the Plot and even Fewer Dared to Portray Her in as Many Provocative Shots. The Contrast Between Her and Blonde-Blue-Eyed Peter Graves is Stunning. Graves is a Notorious Indian-Hater and Hides His Infatuation with the Woman (Joan Taylor). But the Plot may have Another Side of His Hypocritical Bigotry to Explore. If that Wasn't Enough, there is a Second Love-Fest Occurring as Joan Vohs, a White Woman on the Wagon Train, Falls for the Indian Scout. On Top of the Daring Romance, the Film is Filled with Violent Attacks, with the Body-Count Stratospheric. Sexy, Brutal, and Philosophical Western that Picked-Up on the Early 50's Trend of a New Approach to Native-American-Anglo Interaction. Softening the Natives as Almost Human. A Costume Twist Adds Another Off-Beat Scene. Above Average for its Type and is Certainly... Worth a Watch.

There's more talk than action in this well-mounted Technicolor Western programmer (set at Christmas, although it makes little of that fact) which could have just as well been called 'Fort Apache' - had that title not already been taken - since most of the story concerns the trek from one fort to the other through hostile Indian territory. To complicate matters, blond, blue-eyed cavalryman Peter Graves hates Indians while drawn reluctantly to dusky maiden Joan Taylor, whose brother John Hudson attracts the interest of missionary Joan Vohs.

A disgruntled settler kills an Apache chief at Fort Yuma, and the fort's commander knows that the chief's son, Manga Colorado, will seek revenge and go on the warpath. Standard cavalry western with a smattering of character study featuring inter- racial relationships and hatred on both sides. Talky yet an interesting western with vivid colours, the usual great vistas and stalking Apaches. Some good action in the end, but mainly there's talking. Peter Graves does well as the cold lieutenant and the rest of the cast back him up competently. It's not the best western, but it has some moments of interest.

Three main weaknesses common to so many old Westerns: 1. Peter Graves looked far too sleek throughout. 2. Sergeant Jonas and his sister were meant to be Apaches, but didn't look as if they were. (I suppose one could imagine that they were of mixed parentage - which would also help to explain their "white" names and Jonas's enmity for his fellow Native Americans.) 3. The improbable introduction of a glamorous woman to provide some sex interest. There is no way that someone like Melanie Crown would have been allowed to have accompanied a detail across such terrain without a chaperone. And for good measure, Francesca is allowed along too. Nor did Hallock impress as a top sergeant - never mind the officer he wanted to be. And the romantic conclusion was improbable. All that having been said, the film was better than I had inferred from reviews here on IMDb. Lieutenant Keegan was rather more complex a character than is usually found in such Westerns, witness his slapping Francesca and his threatened torture and hanging of the prisoner. The colour photography was good, the plot not too hackneyed and the combat scenes graphic for the films of the mid-1950s.The scenes in which Hallock was trying to rescue Taylor were quite moving. I'm glad that I watched it.

This movie begins with Chief Mangas Coloradas and 3 other leaders of the Mimbreno tribe of the Apaches riding into Fort Yuma to negotiate a peace treaty. Unfortunately, a settler goes insane and kills Chief Mangas Coloradas which sets off hostilities between the United States and the Apaches once more. Not long afterward a messenger from the fort is intercepted by the Apaches and they learn that a supply column is headed to Fort Yuma from Fort Apache. This particular wagon train is headed by a cold and cruel officer by the name of "Lt. Ben Keegan" (Peter Graves) who hates Apaches with a passion. Ironically, he is somewhat attached to an Apache woman named "Francesca" (Joan Taylor) who is madly in love with him. Along with Francesca two other people also decide to ride with the supply column. One is a missionary by the name of "Melanie Crown" (Joan Vohs) and the other is the brother of Francesca named "Sgt. Jonas" (John Hudson) who despises Lt. Keegan. None of them know that the Apaches are waiting for an opportunity to ambush them. Anyway, rather than detail the rest of the story and possibly spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was an okay western movie. Not good-but not bad either. The fact that it's in color certainly enhances the film but it's still only a grade-B movie for the most part and I have rated it as such. Average.

Setting aside for a moment the many legitimate problems of political correctness, if you like the classic cavalry and Indian B movie, this mid-50s film, despite its obscurity, may well thrill you--as it did me back when it was in theaters and I was in elementary school. Its color is vivid, it's action scenes compelling, and it has everything one ought to expect from this genre. --Spoiler to follow-- But the most stunning moment is when Corporal Taylor (played by James O'Hara), a man with whom the viewer can readily identify, surprisingly, during a gripping battle scene, takes an Indian spear in the back. He goes down, and his horse with him, in a mass of dust and thunder. His death is agonizing as his fellow troopers continue their retreat and leave him behind. From this scene one comes away with the feeling that, in a heroic Hollywood film, this wasn't supposed to happen. Yet this is one of the film's memorable moments that gives it its edge.

When the lead rider wants the group to stop, he always holds up his right hand as a signal. Apparently if he doesn't hold up his arm, the other riders will just keep going and their horses will crash into him. Then when he wants to group to start again, he waves to go forward and yells "forward." Without doing this, apparently he would ride off alone and the rest of the riders would simply stay there. And of course, the school marm is the hottest chick in the west. Who know? When a gun is fired, it recoils or jumps back and up. In this movie they pretty much stay still. Soldiers are all wearing heavy gloves while handling revolvers making it very difficult to get their finger in the trigger guard. Not very realistic. It's interesting how clean and ironed[everyone's clothes stay. This film could use a big dose of realism.

There's more talk than action in this well-mounted Technicolor Western programmer (set at Christmas, although it makes little of that fact) which could have just as well been called 'Fort Apache' - had that title not already been taken - since most of the story concerns the trek from one fort to the other through hostile Indian territory. To complicate matters, blond, blue-eyed cavalryman Peter Graves hates Indians while drawn reluctantly to dusky maiden Joan Taylor, whose brother John Hudson attracts the interest of missionary Joan Vohs.

This movie begins with Chief Mangas Coloradas and 3 other leaders of the Mimbreno tribe of the Apaches riding into Fort Yuma to negotiate a peace treaty. Unfortunately, a settler goes insane and kills Chief Mangas Coloradas which sets off hostilities between the United States and the Apaches once more. Not long afterward a messenger from the fort is intercepted by the Apaches and they learn that a supply column is headed to Fort Yuma from Fort Apache. This particular wagon train is headed by a cold and cruel officer by the name of "Lt. Ben Keegan" (Peter Graves) who hates Apaches with a passion. Ironically, he is somewhat attached to an Apache woman named "Francesca" (Joan Taylor) who is madly in love with him. Along with Francesca two other people also decide to ride with the supply column. One is a missionary by the name of "Melanie Crown" (Joan Vohs) and the other is the brother of Francesca named "Sgt. Jonas" (John Hudson) who despises Lt. Keegan. None of them know that the Apaches are waiting for an opportunity to ambush them. Anyway, rather than detail the rest of the story and possibly spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was an okay western movie. Not good-but not bad either. The fact that it's in color certainly enhances the film but it's still only a grade-B movie for the most part and I have rated it as such. Average.