★ 6 / 10
Jed" (Victor Mature) and his two trapping pals
CinemaSerf
"Jed" (Victor Mature) and his two trapping pals happen upon an army fort in Oregon where the captain (Guy Madison) offers them jobs as scouts. They can't have…
"Jed" (Victor Mature) and his two trapping pals happen upon an army fort in Oregon where the captain (Guy Madison) offers them jobs as scouts. They can't have a Blue-coat, but "Jed" has a hankering to settle down and get married - and this seems like an idea place to start. Thing is though, he aims just a little too high with his aspirations - the wife of the colonel (Anne Bancroft) who has just arrived from his own HQ that has been reduced to ashes by some Sioux led by the fearsome "Red Cloud". Now we soon cotton on that this colonel (Robert Preston) is a bit out of his depth - not just with matters of the heart, but with fighting these natives who know a great deal more about skirmishing tactics than him. "Jed" and the captain try to make him see sense - but well, maybe that writing is already on the wall? Mature holds this together fine when he is on screen, but that's not quite often enough to keep this from dawdling along in an all too familiar fashion - muddling romance and internal squabbling with not enough bow and arrow action. When we do get that, it's quite a lively enterprise though, with a denouement that does remind us that the Sioux didn't actually pick these fights - they largely just wanted to be left in peace. The production looks ok and the acting and writing do enough to keep it watchable, I just don't know that I will remember it.
★ 8 / 10
Allegorical awakenings at Fort Shallan. The Last Frontier
John Chard
Allegorical awakenings at Fort Shallan. The Last Frontier (AKA: Savage Wilderness) is directed by Anthony Mann and adapted to screenplay by Philip Yordan and…
Allegorical awakenings at Fort Shallan.
The Last Frontier (AKA: Savage Wilderness) is directed by Anthony Mann and adapted to screenplay by Philip Yordan and Russell Hughes from the novel, The Gilded Rooster, written by Richard Emery Roberts. It stars Victor Mature, Guy Madison, Robert Preston, James Whitmore and Anne Bancroft. Music is by Leigh Harline and cinematography by William Mellor.
When Chief Red Cloud (Manuel Dondé) - who has had enough of the army's incursions onto his land - evicts three mountain men from the region. Led by untamed Jed Cooper (Mature), the men head to Fort Shallan and take employment as army scouts...
By the time that The Last Frontier appeared on the great Anthony Mann's CV, he had established himself considerably in film noir and Western movie circles. Here he manages to get the best of both worlds incorporated to provide an interesting and entertaining piece.
Filmed on location at Puebla, Mexico, with the Popocatépetl Volcano providing a beautiful and imposing backdrop, the hiring of Mellor is astute, ensuring the CinemaScope/Technicolor aspects boom from the screen. However, it's not just the beauty that demands to be observed, but also the ruggedness - cum - wildness, to which all things that marry up perfectly to the thematic and allegorical beats pulsing away in the story. Of course, nobody who loves Mann's Western work will be surprised by this.
It's a little disappointing that this ultimately isn't a grandiose adventure epic, because all the elements are in place for such, but action exists - with the final battle against Red Cloud's hordes - particularly exciting, but the emotional turmoil, repressed passions and army insanity that resides within Fort Shallan, more than compensates via characterisation weight. Mann throws in some tricksy camera work and neat framing shots to keep the visual experience still further away from the mundane, while Harline provides a compliant and non intrusive musical score.
Cast are doing dandy work. Mature turns in one of his best, blending macho strains with confused sadness, Whitmore is a reassuring presence by being believable, and Preston overcomes his usual woodenness to breathe life into his perf as martinet Colonol Marston. Bonus, and taking the acting honours is Madison, who as Captain Riordan never over does things, ensuring his fulcrum character is the glue holding all together. Bancroft looks wildly out of place, her look and the costuming most strange, yet it's testament to her ability that her key character is no token female role, nailing it without histrionics.
The ending, sadly, is rubbish, completely at odds with all before it, so it's no surprise to find that it was studio imposed and against Mann's wishes (vision). Still, forgive them for they know not what they do eh... 7/10
★ 6 / 10
Riveting Western full of action , drama and gorgeous landscapes by expert maestro Anthony Mann
ma-cortes
This first-rate Western draws its fascinating tale and power from the interaction of finely drawn roles with acting of great nobility as well as adventure and…
This first-rate Western draws its fascinating tale and power from the interaction of finely drawn roles with acting of great nobility as well as adventure and action . Good adult Western with exciting battle of wits between an obstinate , savage scout and a veteran cavalry commander officer set in a remote Oregon army fort . It deals with a wilderness frontiersman named Jed Cooper (Victor Mature) and his two pals (James Withmore , Pat Hogan) see their lives change when takes place the coming of a military outpost called Fort Shallan and they then sign up as scouts . The rough explorer , flirting with the idea of leading a more settled life , decides he needs a spouse and selects Corinna Marston (Anne Bancroft) , but she results to be the wife of cavalry martinet Marston (Robert Preston) , commanding officer of the next fort down the line and manned chiefly by untrained rookie troopers . Marston arrives Fort Shallan and announces to Captain Riordan (Guy Madison) and official Phil Clarke (Russell Collins) that he has lost his fort and most of his men to an Indian attack led by chief Red Cloud and is assuming command on the outpost .This excellent , meaty Western contains interesting plot , outlandish characterizations , a love story , climatic shootouts , Indian attacks spectacular outdoors and is quite entertaining . This outstanding Mann Western balances action , suspense , thrills , drama and battles remain bloody and indisciplined . The usual wooden Victor Mature does surprisingly a good performance as a crude and illiterate uncivilized backwoods trapper . Top-notch Robert Preston as an embittered Major for having lost his 1500-man command during a Civil War battle . Special mention to a sensational James Withmore as old friend , almost father of protagonist Mature and helped raise him , despite the fact that Mature was actually eight years older than Whitmore . Furthermore , the sympathetic Pat Hogan , a real Native , whose career would play Native Americans in approximately eight out of every ten projects he appeared . Anthony Mann does a good work , an energetic and exciting movie , pitting two antagonist characters against the rugged toughness forced a vast natural environment and for love a good woman . Highlight the exemplary value of the landscape as essential dramatic figure, and the narrative takes a brisk pace but not fast , a dash dense but not cumbersome . This cavalry drama contains a traditional story and exciting screenplay by prestigious Philip Yordan . Wonderful cinematography in magnificence color is superbly caught by cameraman William C. Mellor in widescreen "scope" by placing major action on both the far left and right edges of the frame . Atmospheric and lively musical score by Leigh Harline .This first-class rugged Western is masterfully directed by Anthony Mann - including his characteristic use of landscape which is visually memorable - . Mann established his forte with magnificent Western almost always with James Stewart . In his beginnings he made ambitious but short-lived quality low-budget surroundings of Eagle-Lion production as ¨T-men¨ , ¨They walked by night¨ , ¨Raw deal¨ , ¨Railroaded¨ and ¨Desperate¨ . Later on , he realized various Western , remarkably good , masterpieces such as ¨The furies¨ , ¨Devil's doorway¨ and ¨Man of the West¨ and several with his habitual star , James Stewart, as ¨Winchester 73¨ , ¨Bend the river¨ , ¨The far country¨ , ¨Man of the West ¨. They are characterized by roles whose determination to stick to their guns would take them to the limits of their endurance . Others in this throughly enjoyable series include ¨Tin star ¨ that is probably one of the best Western in the fifties and sixties . After the mid-50 , Mann's successes came less frequently . And of course ¨The last Frontier¨ also titled ¨Savage wilderness¨ that turns out to be stylish , fast paced , solid , meticulous , with enjoyable look , and most powerful and minus-considered . This well acted movie is gripping every step of the way . An unjustly forgotten film turns to be a splendid western and remains consistently agreeable . Rating : Above average ; in spite of absence his ordinary star , Stewart , being perfectly replaced by Victor Mature . Well worth watching and it will appeal to Victor Mature fans
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