The survivors of a cavalry patrol ambushed by Apaches try to make their way through dangerous territory to an awaiting wagon train, all the while trying not to get wiped out by pursuing Indians and riven by tensions within the unit.
It's a fairly familiar theme in westerns, but director Joseph Newman does quite a lot with it. The script by Martin Goldsmith is tight and tough, the cinematography by Carl Guthrie of the territory around Kanab, Utah, and the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico are breathtaking, far better than you would expect in a "B" western. The performances are universally excellent, although Forrest Tucker's tough Irish sergeant--a role he has played before--keeps losing his Irish accent, Joel McCrea does a top-notch job as a sergeant who has to assume command after all the officers are killed, and he doesn't want the job--partly because he doesn't particularly like most of the men in his unit. Veteran western performers Denver Pyle, Robert Osterloh and Rayford Barnes turn in their usual solid performances, but a standout is John Russell--soon to come into his own in his own western series, "Lawman" (1958)--who plays a college-educated private who joined the army to "find himself" but doesn't particularly like what he's found.
Some surprising themes are dealt with that you wouldn't expect to see in a "B western, such as racism, introspection and "heroic" characters who may not be quite as heroic as they appear. Combine this with some well-staged action scenes and you've got a crackerjack little western on your hands.
It's a fairly familiar theme in westerns, but director Joseph Newman does quite a lot with it. The script by Martin Goldsmith is tight and tough, the cinematography by Carl Guthrie of the territory around Kanab, Utah, and the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico are breathtaking, far better than you would expect in a "B" western. The performances are universally excellent, although Forrest Tucker's tough Irish sergeant--a role he has played before--keeps losing his Irish accent, Joel McCrea does a top-notch job as a sergeant who has to assume command after all the officers are killed, and he doesn't want the job--partly because he doesn't particularly like most of the men in his unit. Veteran western performers Denver Pyle, Robert Osterloh and Rayford Barnes turn in their usual solid performances, but a standout is John Russell--soon to come into his own in his own western series, "Lawman" (1958)--who plays a college-educated private who joined the army to "find himself" but doesn't particularly like what he's found.
Some surprising themes are dealt with that you wouldn't expect to see in a "B western, such as racism, introspection and "heroic" characters who may not be quite as heroic as they appear. Combine this with some well-staged action scenes and you've got a crackerjack little western on your hands.