With the officers killed, Sergeant Joel McCrea finds himself in command of a patrol that's supposed to meet up with a larger column of men at a water hole. McCrea and his patrol find that larger group of men, but they turn out to be hostile Apaches.
That's the beginning of Fort Massacre, a tough and brutal western about an army patrol trying to get back to their lines. The problem they have isn't just the Indians, it's McCrea. He lost his wife and children to the Apaches a few years before and it's unhinged him and clouded his judgment. At least that's the considered opinion of most of the men.
The main problem with Fort Massacre is the miscasting of Joel McCrea who usually made it point of always being an upright hero in his films. In fact when his swan song picture was originally being cast, Ride the High Country, McCrea insisted on being the hero Steven Judd because he knew it would be better on him instead of the original casting of Gil Westrum the former deputy who was turning bad. Randolph Scott agreed to the switch and it worked out all for the better.
In fact Fort Massacre would rate a lot higher with me if Randolph Scott had done the lead. In his later westerns Scott's heroes had a real edge to them, the film would have worked better with him. I'm not sure producer Walter Mirisch didn't send this script for Scott to McCrea by mistake. McCrea's sergeant had a lot of similarities to the revenge crazed character Alan Ladd played in One Foot In Hell.
The rest of the cast does nicely in parts that fit them. Denver Pyle, Forest Tucker and John Russell are other troop members. Anthony Caruso is a laconic Pawnee Indian scout for the patrol who's full of a lot of wisdom. Susan Cabot and Francis McDonald are a Paiute cliff dweller and his granddaughter with whom the troop take refuge and Irving Bacon and Claire Carlton are a pair of Indian traders.
Fort Massacre is a grim western with no frills, it could have been a lot better if Randolph Scott had done this one though.
That's the beginning of Fort Massacre, a tough and brutal western about an army patrol trying to get back to their lines. The problem they have isn't just the Indians, it's McCrea. He lost his wife and children to the Apaches a few years before and it's unhinged him and clouded his judgment. At least that's the considered opinion of most of the men.
The main problem with Fort Massacre is the miscasting of Joel McCrea who usually made it point of always being an upright hero in his films. In fact when his swan song picture was originally being cast, Ride the High Country, McCrea insisted on being the hero Steven Judd because he knew it would be better on him instead of the original casting of Gil Westrum the former deputy who was turning bad. Randolph Scott agreed to the switch and it worked out all for the better.
In fact Fort Massacre would rate a lot higher with me if Randolph Scott had done the lead. In his later westerns Scott's heroes had a real edge to them, the film would have worked better with him. I'm not sure producer Walter Mirisch didn't send this script for Scott to McCrea by mistake. McCrea's sergeant had a lot of similarities to the revenge crazed character Alan Ladd played in One Foot In Hell.
The rest of the cast does nicely in parts that fit them. Denver Pyle, Forest Tucker and John Russell are other troop members. Anthony Caruso is a laconic Pawnee Indian scout for the patrol who's full of a lot of wisdom. Susan Cabot and Francis McDonald are a Paiute cliff dweller and his granddaughter with whom the troop take refuge and Irving Bacon and Claire Carlton are a pair of Indian traders.
Fort Massacre is a grim western with no frills, it could have been a lot better if Randolph Scott had done this one though.