★ 7 / 10
Yellow Hair and the real meaning of Horsepower
John Chard
Yellow Hair and the real meaning of Horsepower. Set after the Battle Of Little Big Horn, 7th Cavalry sees Randolph Scott playing Captain Benson, who returns…
Yellow Hair and the real meaning of Horsepower.
Set after the Battle Of Little Big Horn, 7th Cavalry sees Randolph Scott playing Captain Benson, who returns with his future bride to his post commanded by Indian fighter, Colonel Custer. Custer however was gone, he had taken the famous 7th Cavalry to war with the Sioux at Big Horn and lost badly. Guilt ridden and tarnished by whispers of cowardice, Benson volunteers to lead a dangerous mission back to Big Horn to reclaim the bodies of the fallen soldiers.
There doesn't appear to be much much love for this 1956 Columbia Pictures Oater. Seems it's either damned for being too talky, or on the flip side, it's too hokey within its plotting to actually merit worth. Well that's a shame for this has something of a vintage feel to it, the themes of guilt and redemption are Western standards, whilst the story also takes in interesting arcs such as religious beliefs and spiritual meanings. Yes this is definitely a "talky" picture - aside from some mano mano action and single horse pursuits that is - but it's a well thought out screenplay by Peter Packer (adapting from Glendon Swarthout's story). Instances such as a military enquiry and an exchange between Benson and a young Indian warrior are intelligent passages in the story (with Scott doing fine work in the process). What it lacks in gusto action it more than makes up for with the characterisations.
Other plus points are that it's also nicely shot in Mexico, the Technicolor doing justice to the splendid costumes on show. Backing Scott up in support are admirable performers such as Jay C. Flippen, Frank Faylen, Leo Gordon, Michael Pate and Harry Carey Junior. Although the ladies (Jeanette Nolan & Barbara Hale) aren't given too much to do and the score conducted by Mischa Bakaleinikoff is at odds with the tempo of the film, 7th Cavalry still deserves a better reputation than it currently has. If you prepare for a work of fiction that is most assuredly dialogue driven, then hopefully your expectations will at the least be met. 7/10
★ 6 / 10
Generic Western
Bob-45
`7th Cavalry' is blah, disappointing, especially considering the cast and story. Captain Benson (Randolph Scott) returns with his fiance (Barbara Hale) to find…
`7th Cavalry' is blah, disappointing, especially considering the cast and story. Captain Benson (Randolph Scott) returns with his fiance (Barbara Hale) to find the fort, home to the 7th Cavalry, apparently deserted. Surreptitiously entering the fort, Scott eventually finds the wife (Jennete Nolan) of one of the officers who had died the previous day at the Little Big Horn. She blames Scott for the death of her husband, since her husband had led Scott's unit into the massacre during Scott's absence. Searching further, Scott discovers a first sergeant (Jay C. Flippen) watching several prisoners (Frank Faylen, Leo V. Gordon, Denver Pyle) who had been left behind because they had been drunk on duty. Scott orders Flippen to assemble the prisoners and whip them into some kind of military shape to attend to the units returning from Little Big Horn. With just a little effort, this entire sequence could have been suspenseful. Instead, after Scott's confrontation with Nolan, I couldn't understand why Flippen didn't hear Scott or vice-versa.
The entire movie suffers from this problem. Considering the relative lack of action, the inherent dramatics of the story needed to be emphasized. Instead, the movie appears to have been shot quickly and cheaply. Hale, a strong actress (`Della Street' in `Perry Mason'), has little chemistry with Scott. Worse, many plot devices appear to be just that.
Potential Spoilers
For example, Scott is under suspicion because he cannot prove General Custer ordered him to leave his command to go pick up his fiance. Scott has an alibi but fails to reveal it, due to `pride' (as the alibi tells us). However, Scott was being questioned as to his actions by an official inquiry. He had a legal as well as moral responsibility to reveal all pertinent information, including his alibi.
Scott chooses only the drunken brigands to make up his `burial party,' knowing they will volunteer to protect themselves from humiliation and possible courts-martial for dereliction of duty prior to `Custer's Last Stand.' Certainly Scott knew at least a couple of responsible soldiers that would have gone with him as well.
Scott abandons his men in hostile Indian country to pursue a single Indian scout, when he should have sent a reliable soldier and stayed with his command.
Scott's alibi (Harry Carey Jr.), who is acting as a dispatch rider rides off with General Custer's second horse right after telling Barbara Hale he is Scott's alibi. It is not clear as to the urgency of Carey's mission, nor as to why he wouldn't quickly sign a deposition to clear Scott before pursuing another very risky dispatch.
The movie is wrapped up in a safe, indifferent manner.
Although the movie boasts a great set (the fort), fine cinematography, and a couple of good performances, it's blah, blah, blah.
TWO QUIBBLES: Although these are minor, they are good examples of the indifference with which this film is executed.
o The `prologue titles' identifies Custer as a colonel. During the first few lines of dialogue, he is correctly identified as a general. o Not once, but several times, Scott refers to his regiment as the `7th Calvary'. It is the `7th Cavalry'. Calvary is a place in the New Testament. Of course, if two US presidents can say `nucular' when the correct term is `nuclear,' I suppose Scott can be forgiven for this blunder.
INTERESTING SIDE NOTE
I recently watched an `Unsolved History' episode on Custer's Last Stand. It (gasp, gasp) revealed that Custer lost, not only because of his recklessness (not to mention being vastly outnumbered), but also because the Indians had better firepower. This movie tells us that fact, and it is nearly 50 years old.
44%
AUDIENCE
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