THE LAST OUTPOST aka CAVALRY CHARGE 1951
This one has the North against the South, brother against brother, Cavalry against the Apache along with a little romance thrown in. This 1951 Technicolor western was made by Pine-Thomas Productions and released through Paramount Pictures. The film stars, Ronald Reagan, Rhonda Fleming, Bruce Bennett, Noah Beery Jr, Hugh Beaumont, John Ridgely and Lloyd Corrigan.
The action is set in Arizona where Ronald Reagan is in charge of a small band of Confederate Cavalry. The unit is raiding Union wagon trains along the Santa Fe Trail. They take what they need and then burn the rest. Union Headquarters in Washington sends out a new officer, Bruce Bennett, to take charge of hunting down the Confederates.
Bennett plans an operation to rid the area of the Confederate gnats. The plan backfires and Bennett and his detachment are captured by Reagan and his men. Now the viewer finds out that Bennett and Reagan are actually brothers. One had stayed Union, and the other went with the Stars and Bars. Reagan takes the Union weapons, boots and then sets them free. Needless to say that Bennett is fuming by the time he and his men straggle back to the fort.
Complicating matters is local store-owner and whiskey trader, John Ridgely. Ridgely wants the US Army to enlist the aid of the local Apache tribes in the fight against the Confederates. Ridgely has sent this idea on to Washington. Ridgely of course would profit from this by selling rotgut and poor quality rifles to the Apache. Also in town is Ridgely's wife, Rhonda Fleming. Fleming and Bennett's brother, Reagan, had been an item back east before the war. When Reagan had left to join the South, Fleming had married Ridgely out of spite. The marriage is not a happy one.
Reagan and his merry band now capture a high ranking Union officer, Ewing Mitchell. Mitchell is out from Washington to see if Ridgely's idea of enlisting the Apache is valid. Reagan is horrified at the idea of the Apache on the warpath. He knows that they would attack everyone, north or south, once the blood lust set in.
Reagan dresses up in Mitchell's uniform and keeps the meeting with the Apache chiefs. He tells them that they should remain out of the war. Of course the old fly in the ointment appears. It seems that Ridgely has been killed by several warriors for selling them bad whiskey. The men had been captured are sitting in the town jailhouse. The Apache want Reagan to have them released. If Reagan can do this, the Apache will remain at peace. He is given 24 hours. Reagan agrees and heads for town.
Reagan and two of his men, Richard Crane and Noah Beery Jr, still dressed as Union types, hit town. They try to bluff their way into getting the prisoners released. Also in town is a government bigwig from Washington, Lloyd Corrigan. Corrigan is also looking into the Apache matter. Reagan's cover as a Union officer is nearly blown when Miss Fleming shows.
Matters do go sideways for Reagan when he is collared by his brother Bennett. Bennett, not wanting to have his own brother shot, lets him get away after he promises to leave the area. Reagan had no chose but to go along with the deal.
The next day, as Reagan and his unit are riding off they hear gunfire in the distance. The Apache have gathered and are attacking the town to recover their warriors. The badly outnumbered garrison is getting beat with the heavy end of the stick.
The Confederates come in hard and fast into the flank of the Apache attack. The fighting is brutal with plenty of dead and wounded on all sides. The Apache finally decide that they have had enough and retreat back into the hills.
The Union and Confederate types are momentarily comrades while the dead are buried, and the wounded patched up. Reagan and Bennett shake hands and Fleming promises to wait for Reagan till after the war ends.
For a Pine-Thomas production, this one has some heavy action. The "Dollar Bills", as William Pine and William Thomas were called, were known for mostly low end B films. This was their most expensive film to date, and was also their biggest moneymaker.
The director was the reliable B-film veteran, Lewis R Foster. Foster was a two time Oscar nominated and one time winning writer. (Mr. Smith goes to Washington)He also directed with, EL PASO, CAPTAIN CHINA, THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK, CRASHOUT and MANHANDLED as examples of his work. Handling the cinematography is another Oscar type, Loyal Griggs. The four time nominated, and two time winner, Griggs, is best known for lensing, THE TEN COMMANMENTS and the superb western, SHANE.
On the writing front there is also plenty of talent with Daniel Mainwaring, Winston Miller and George W Yates. Mainwaring is well known to noir fans for, THE BIG STEAL, ROUGHSHOD, ROADBLOCK, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and OUT OF THE PAST. Miller's work includes, RED MOUTAIN, THE BOUNTY HUNTER, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, STATION WEST and BRANDED. Yates had a hand in, THE TALL TARGET, THEM and THIS WOMAN IS DANGEROUS.
This one has the North against the South, brother against brother, Cavalry against the Apache along with a little romance thrown in. This 1951 Technicolor western was made by Pine-Thomas Productions and released through Paramount Pictures. The film stars, Ronald Reagan, Rhonda Fleming, Bruce Bennett, Noah Beery Jr, Hugh Beaumont, John Ridgely and Lloyd Corrigan.
The action is set in Arizona where Ronald Reagan is in charge of a small band of Confederate Cavalry. The unit is raiding Union wagon trains along the Santa Fe Trail. They take what they need and then burn the rest. Union Headquarters in Washington sends out a new officer, Bruce Bennett, to take charge of hunting down the Confederates.
Bennett plans an operation to rid the area of the Confederate gnats. The plan backfires and Bennett and his detachment are captured by Reagan and his men. Now the viewer finds out that Bennett and Reagan are actually brothers. One had stayed Union, and the other went with the Stars and Bars. Reagan takes the Union weapons, boots and then sets them free. Needless to say that Bennett is fuming by the time he and his men straggle back to the fort.
Complicating matters is local store-owner and whiskey trader, John Ridgely. Ridgely wants the US Army to enlist the aid of the local Apache tribes in the fight against the Confederates. Ridgely has sent this idea on to Washington. Ridgely of course would profit from this by selling rotgut and poor quality rifles to the Apache. Also in town is Ridgely's wife, Rhonda Fleming. Fleming and Bennett's brother, Reagan, had been an item back east before the war. When Reagan had left to join the South, Fleming had married Ridgely out of spite. The marriage is not a happy one.
Reagan and his merry band now capture a high ranking Union officer, Ewing Mitchell. Mitchell is out from Washington to see if Ridgely's idea of enlisting the Apache is valid. Reagan is horrified at the idea of the Apache on the warpath. He knows that they would attack everyone, north or south, once the blood lust set in.
Reagan dresses up in Mitchell's uniform and keeps the meeting with the Apache chiefs. He tells them that they should remain out of the war. Of course the old fly in the ointment appears. It seems that Ridgely has been killed by several warriors for selling them bad whiskey. The men had been captured are sitting in the town jailhouse. The Apache want Reagan to have them released. If Reagan can do this, the Apache will remain at peace. He is given 24 hours. Reagan agrees and heads for town.
Reagan and two of his men, Richard Crane and Noah Beery Jr, still dressed as Union types, hit town. They try to bluff their way into getting the prisoners released. Also in town is a government bigwig from Washington, Lloyd Corrigan. Corrigan is also looking into the Apache matter. Reagan's cover as a Union officer is nearly blown when Miss Fleming shows.
Matters do go sideways for Reagan when he is collared by his brother Bennett. Bennett, not wanting to have his own brother shot, lets him get away after he promises to leave the area. Reagan had no chose but to go along with the deal.
The next day, as Reagan and his unit are riding off they hear gunfire in the distance. The Apache have gathered and are attacking the town to recover their warriors. The badly outnumbered garrison is getting beat with the heavy end of the stick.
The Confederates come in hard and fast into the flank of the Apache attack. The fighting is brutal with plenty of dead and wounded on all sides. The Apache finally decide that they have had enough and retreat back into the hills.
The Union and Confederate types are momentarily comrades while the dead are buried, and the wounded patched up. Reagan and Bennett shake hands and Fleming promises to wait for Reagan till after the war ends.
For a Pine-Thomas production, this one has some heavy action. The "Dollar Bills", as William Pine and William Thomas were called, were known for mostly low end B films. This was their most expensive film to date, and was also their biggest moneymaker.
The director was the reliable B-film veteran, Lewis R Foster. Foster was a two time Oscar nominated and one time winning writer. (Mr. Smith goes to Washington)He also directed with, EL PASO, CAPTAIN CHINA, THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK, CRASHOUT and MANHANDLED as examples of his work. Handling the cinematography is another Oscar type, Loyal Griggs. The four time nominated, and two time winner, Griggs, is best known for lensing, THE TEN COMMANMENTS and the superb western, SHANE.
On the writing front there is also plenty of talent with Daniel Mainwaring, Winston Miller and George W Yates. Mainwaring is well known to noir fans for, THE BIG STEAL, ROUGHSHOD, ROADBLOCK, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and OUT OF THE PAST. Miller's work includes, RED MOUTAIN, THE BOUNTY HUNTER, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, STATION WEST and BRANDED. Yates had a hand in, THE TALL TARGET, THEM and THIS WOMAN IS DANGEROUS.