The Last Frontier (1955)

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

I couldn't help feeling Victor Mature's character here was a complete lunatic, his maniacal rant in front of the assembled cavalry troops in the latter part of the story should have banished him from anywhere near Fort Shallan. But then having Anne Bancroft's Corinna Marston 'sort of' fall for the undisciplined savage, well, that just blew away the whole story for me. It's one thing she wasn't happy in her marriage to the Colonel (Robert Preston), but to be influenced by Jed Cooper's (Mature) affections was simply too incredible for this viewer to fathom.The dynamic between Colonel Marston and Captain Riordan (Guy Madison) was a bit of a puzzler too. As short sighted as Marston was in pursuing his vendetta against Red Cloud's Tetons, he still thought it honorable that Riordan tried and failed to have him removed from his command at the fort. You would think the Colonel would have had his second in command further demoted or sent packing to the brig. I just didn't understand it at all.The over arching theme of the story has to do with civilization snaking it's tentacles further West with the Native American Indians marking time until the last of their way of life makes it's lonely exit. The final battle between the Tetons and the Cavalry has a ring of authenticity to it, but that's about as far as it goes for this frontier Western. Most everything else is as plausible as Jed Cooper being made a sergeant and getting the girl.

Anthony Mann's "The Last Frontier" qualifies as a terrific U.S. Calvary versus the Indians western that is reminiscent of John Ford's "Fort Apache." Victor Mature of "My Darling Clementine" plays the leading character, Jed Cooper, a frontiersman who can get the drop on a Sioux Indian. Jed, his illiterate, surrogate father Gus (James Whitmore), and their Native American friend Mungo (Pat Hogan) are three frontiersmen who almost die when Sioux Chief Red Cloud demands not only their firearms but also their animal pelts. The trio discusses their predicament, and Gus convinces them that their lives are worth far more than their guns and their pelts. They surrender everything, and Red Cloud and his army of Indians allow them to go. Red Cloud warns them that they cannot return least he kill them. Our heroes learn that Red Cloud is agitated because the U.S. Calvary has cut down lots of trees to construct a fortress in the middle of nowhere near Laramie. Captain Glenn Riordan (Guy Madison of "Payment in Blood") and his army engineers have established the fort and have orders to hold it. Our heroic trio marches into Fort Shallan and Captain Riordan hires them as scouts. Deep down inside, Jed wants to become a blue coat, but Riordan refuses to let him enlist because he feels that Jed isn't civilized enough. Riordan explains the concept of civilization. He specifies that a civilized man has a wife, children, and knows and works with many people. Jed is just the opposite. He has no wife, no children, and no sense of responsibility.During the first evening, Jed, Gus, and Mungo get roaring drunk. Jed wanders noisily around the fort and stumbles into a woman's quarters, and Corinna Marston (Anne Bancroft of "The Graduate") tolerates his intrusion, and he notices a photograph of her husband. Corinna's martinet husband, Colonel Frank Marston (Robert Preston of "Best of the Badmen"), reminded me of Henry Fonda's ramrod-stiff, Custer style officer Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday. Marston has a reputation for sacrificing men. He fought in the historic battle of Shiloh and his men were slaughtered in a barrage of cannon. When he arrives as Fort Shallan, Marston orders that Riordan's men must be trained to be soldiers. Odious Sergeant Major Decker (Peter Whitney of "The Big Heat") whips these engineers into shape, but he doesn't cotton to Jed. Eventually, Jed and Decker engage in a knockdown drag-out fistfight. Marston intends to use the soldiers to launch an attack on Red Cloud. Jed warns everybody that Marston will get them killed. One day, Jed and Marston ride out of the fort and spy on Red Cloud's village. Jed explains that the village is only one of many that Red Cloud has established around the fort. Meantime, Jed admires Corinna from afar and she senses his lust. During their surveillance of the Indian camp, Jed warns Marston that they risk their own exposure if they remain too long. On the way back to their horses, Marston plunges into a bear pit. Audaciously, Jed refuses to help Marston out of the pit unless he promises not to attack Red Cloud. Marston refuses and Jed leaves him there for a day or two. Reluctantly, he returns and helps Marston out of the bear trap.Inevitably, Marston attacks Red Cloud, and Gus dies during the battle. Jed warns the infantry that they must retreat to Fort Shallan, while Marston and his horse-mounted troopers are massacred. The ending with Jed ultimately becoming a sergeant is rather to good to be true. Nevertheless, everything about this western looks beautiful, including the massively built fort, and nobody gives a bad performance. This is one of Victor Mature's best performances, and Peter Whitney plays against type as a sadistic sergeant who will perform any task that Marston assigns him no matter how beyond the pale it is. Nothing about this wonderful western seems contrived. "The Last Frontier" is nothing like Mann's westerns with James Stewart.

This film is set in Oregon during the Civil War. Three trappers (Victor Mature, James Whitmore and Pat Hogan) are dismayed to see that the once-friendly Indian tribe is now angry and are throwing them of the land. This is because the natives are angry that the US Cavalry has been building forts and it's their land.When the trappers go to the nearby fort to complain, they are hired as scouts--mostly because Mature likes the Captain in charge (Guy Madison). However, later, a STUPID Colonel arrives and pretty much ignores Mature's advice. The Colonel (Robert Preston) wants to just blunder into an attack on the Indians--though Mature tells him it's suicide. Why? Because he's afraid being assigned to the wilderness means no medals and promotions in the war. And so, he seems ready to start one himself! What makes this more complicated is that Mature is a bit of a crazy savage. In the meantime, he's fallen inexplicably in love with the Colonel's wife and wants her. And, part of him would be very happy to let the Colonel kill himself so he could have her! The film is interesting and looks nice due to the color film and nice locations in the Pacific Northwest. However, Mature's alcohol-fueled character seemed rather broad--a bit too much like a savage to seem very real. Subtle, he wasn't! Overall, I'd say the film has a bit to like and a bit to annoy. Parts of the film are highly reminiscent of John Ford's "Fort Apache"--but Apache was a masterpiece of subtlety, fine acting and an artisan's touch. "The Last Frontier" is just a bit loud and the characters rather confusing. Interesting but quite flawed and despite the pretty look of the film, it comes off more like a B-movie than anything else.One thing I really, really appreciated about the film was the casting of Pat Hogan. It's rare for a REAL American-Indian to be cast as an Indian in a 1950s western--especially in a major role. He was an Oklahoma-born Native American and not some white guy in dark makeup. For example, Rock Hudson (yes, I am NOT kidding) was cast as an Indian during this same era!

The Last Frontier is a Civil War era west taking place in the Wyoming Territory one of the last refuges of that hardy, but shrinking group of men known as the mountain men. The Civil War has given a temporary stay of execution to their way of life, but the end is most assuredly coming.The point is graphically brought home to trappers Victor Mature, James Whitmore, and Pat Hogan when the Sioux under Red Cloud relieve them of their possessions and work. The Sioux don't mind the mountain men, but don't like what they see with the army building forts in the territory. Go seek refuge with the white soldiers.When they do seek it, temporary commander Guy Madison welcomes the trio to the fort even with Pat Hogan being an Indian himself and offers them work as scouts. They accept, but when spit and polish commander Robert Preston shows up they wish they hadn't, especially Mature.Preston is a glory hunter with a beautiful wife he's also trying to make a big show for in the person of Anne Bancroft. He makes Henry Fonda's colonel in Fort Apache seem warm and fuzzy by comparison. His is the best performance in the film.Mature unfortunately has had too little experience with civilization in his life. He just sees Anne Bancroft and it's the testosterone taking over at that point. His character is a harbinger of what we would see later on in Clint Eastwood films though Mature is more loquacious.The Last Frontier boasts some nice location cinematography and a well staged final battle scene. Unfortunately the 180 degree turn in Victor Mature's character proves ultimately a bit much for me to swallow.