The Charge at Feather River

 The Charge at Feather River

Directed by: Gordon Douglas

Written by: James R. Webb

Starring: Guy Madison, Vera Miles, Frank Lovejoy, Helen Westcott

Runtime: 95 minutes

Studio: Warner Bros.

Release: Originally in 3D on July 11, 1953

I'm a sucker for old westerns and this one is no different. 

They called them the Guard House Brigade, a ragtag group of misfits who "volunteered" to rescue two white girls from the clutches of Thunder Hawk. Led by Miles Archer (Guy Madison), these misfits venture deep into Cheyenne territory. However, when they succeed in their mission, the young women aren’t exactly eager to be rescued, especially Thunder Hawk’s bride-to-be. What follows is a running gun battle that builds up to the intense final scenes at Feather River, leaving you guessing who will survive.

Vera Miles plays Anne McKeever, Thunder Hawk's would-be bride, resisting her rescuers at every turn, while her sister Jennie, portrayed by Helen Westcott, fears returning due to the judgment of other women. 

Frank Lovejoy shines as Sergeant Charlie Baker, one of the few soldiers not from the guardhouse, and Onslow Stevens portrays Grover Johnson, a civilian sketch artist documenting the brigade’s journey to the final battle.

Overall, the movie delivered plenty of action and maintained a gripping level of tension right up to the climactic conclusion. 8/10

Trailer

 

  Raw Edge

Released: 1956 

Director: John Sherwood 

Production Company: Universal Pictures 

Written by: Harry Essex and Robert Hill (screenplay) 

William Kozelenko and James Benson Nablo (story)

Cast:

Rory Calhoun as Tex Kirby

Yvonne De Carlo as Hannah Montgomery

Neville Brand as Tarp Penny

Mara Corday as Paca

Herbert Rudley as Gerald Montgomery

John Gavin (credited as John Gilmore) as Dan Kirby

Raw Edge (1956), directed by John Sherwood, is set in 1842 Oregon, the film imagines a frontier society where widowed women are “claimed” by the first man who stakes a physical or verbal claim—a law enforced by land baron Gerald Montgomery. Rory Calhoun stars as Tex Kirby, a drifter seeking revenge for his brother’s unjust hanging, while Yvonne De Carlo plays Hannah Montgomery, the land baron’s wife caught in the crosshairs of male ambition and frontier lawlessness.

The film is visually striking in Technicolor and features a strong cast. Even the story is good. But for what it is, there are a lot of mistakes such as wrong weapons. It also left a few threads hanging like what happened to the men who were with Montgomery at the end? It is up to the viewer to make the assumption that they died at the hands of the Indians as Paca, the wife of Kirby's brother, takes her revenge.  However I'm willing to overlook the mistakes for the sake of the story. 

Not one or Rory Calhoun's best. 6/10   

The Man from Bitter Ridge

Universal Pictures 

Release Year: 1955

 Director: Jack Arnold

Main Cast:

Lex Barker as Jeff Carr

Mara Corday as Holly Kenton

Stephen McNally as Alec Black

John Dehner as Ranse Jackman

Writers:

Screenplay by Lawrence Roman

Adaptation by Teddi Sherman

Based on a novel by William MacLeod Raine

The Man from Bitter Ridge is a no-frills Western that delivers exactly what fans of the genre love. It has a principled hero, a corrupt townsman running for sheriff (John Dehner), and a trail of gunfire leading to justice. Lex Barker plays Jeff Carr, a state investigator who arrives in Tomahawk to solve a series of stagecoach robberies. Initially suspected himself, a telegram from a nearby town clears his name. He discovers a town bubbling with political tension ahead of an election and a power-hungry villain who flaunts his authority like the badge he desires.

Stephen McNally portrays Alec Black, a hardened, no-nonsense gunslinger leading and protecting a group of sheep farmers who have united to resist those in Tomahawk determined to drive them out. The farmers become an easy target for blame in the recent string of stagecoach robberies.

John Dehner portrays Ranse Jackman, the refined villain. Once again, Dehner takes on one of his suave badman roles. 

Mara Corday plays Holly Kenton, a gun-toting young woman who is just as tough as the men around her. However, her beauty catches Carr's eye, sparking his interest and the jealousy of Alec Black, who has plans to marry her.

I really enjoy the older westerns, and this one is no different. There’s something about the way they were filmed back in the day that completely captivates me. The lead characters were great, and Dehner was fantastic in his role as the badman.

RATING 8/10