The Last Outpost (1951)

Simply A Masterpiece

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

RELEASED IN 1951 and directed by Lewis R. Foster, "The Last Outpost" (re-released in 1962 as "Cavalry Charge") chronicles events in Arizona during the Civil War where two brothers, officers for the Confederacy and Union (Ronald Reagan and Bruce Bennett), have to settle their differences to protect the outpost/town of San Gil from an Indian attack. Rhonda Fleming plays the former's maybe babe. The old-fashioned style of filmmaking takes a while to acclimate to if you're used to newer movies. It doesn't help that the talky, contrived story is so convoluted that it takes forever to become engrossed into the characters and events. But there are some highlights: It's great seeing Reagan when he was young; and curvy Fleming is jaw-dropping. The climax is action-packed, but with those eye-rolling stunt hits (i.e. someone gets shot or arrowed and throws his hands in the air in a melodramatic manner, falling to the ground). THE FILM RUNS 1 hour & 29 minutes and was shot in Old Tucson and surrounding areas (e.g. Sierrita Mountains). GRADE: C

THE LAST OUTPOST aka CAVALRY CHARGE 1951This one has the North against the South, brother against brother, Cavalry against the Apache along with a little romance thrown in. This 1951 Technicolor western was made by Pine-Thomas Productions and released through Paramount Pictures. The film stars, Ronald Reagan, Rhonda Fleming, Bruce Bennett, Noah Beery Jr, Hugh Beaumont, John Ridgely and Lloyd Corrigan. The action is set in Arizona where Ronald Reagan is in charge of a small band of Confederate Cavalry. The unit is raiding Union wagon trains along the Santa Fe Trail. They take what they need and then burn the rest. Union Headquarters in Washington sends out a new officer, Bruce Bennett, to take charge of hunting down the Confederates. Bennett plans an operation to rid the area of the Confederate gnats. The plan backfires and Bennett and his detachment are captured by Reagan and his men. Now the viewer finds out that Bennett and Reagan are actually brothers. One had stayed Union, and the other went with the Stars and Bars. Reagan takes the Union weapons, boots and then sets them free. Needless to say that Bennett is fuming by the time he and his men straggle back to the fort. Complicating matters is local store-owner and whiskey trader, John Ridgely. Ridgely wants the US Army to enlist the aid of the local Apache tribes in the fight against the Confederates. Ridgely has sent this idea on to Washington. Ridgely of course would profit from this by selling rotgut and poor quality rifles to the Apache. Also in town is Ridgely's wife, Rhonda Fleming. Fleming and Bennett's brother, Reagan, had been an item back east before the war. When Reagan had left to join the South, Fleming had married Ridgely out of spite. The marriage is not a happy one. Reagan and his merry band now capture a high ranking Union officer, Ewing Mitchell. Mitchell is out from Washington to see if Ridgely's idea of enlisting the Apache is valid. Reagan is horrified at the idea of the Apache on the warpath. He knows that they would attack everyone, north or south, once the blood lust set in. Reagan dresses up in Mitchell's uniform and keeps the meeting with the Apache chiefs. He tells them that they should remain out of the war. Of course the old fly in the ointment appears. It seems that Ridgely has been killed by several warriors for selling them bad whiskey. The men had been captured are sitting in the town jailhouse. The Apache want Reagan to have them released. If Reagan can do this, the Apache will remain at peace. He is given 24 hours. Reagan agrees and heads for town.Reagan and two of his men, Richard Crane and Noah Beery Jr, still dressed as Union types, hit town. They try to bluff their way into getting the prisoners released. Also in town is a government bigwig from Washington, Lloyd Corrigan. Corrigan is also looking into the Apache matter. Reagan's cover as a Union officer is nearly blown when Miss Fleming shows.Matters do go sideways for Reagan when he is collared by his brother Bennett. Bennett, not wanting to have his own brother shot, lets him get away after he promises to leave the area. Reagan had no chose but to go along with the deal. The next day, as Reagan and his unit are riding off they hear gunfire in the distance. The Apache have gathered and are attacking the town to recover their warriors. The badly outnumbered garrison is getting beat with the heavy end of the stick. The Confederates come in hard and fast into the flank of the Apache attack. The fighting is brutal with plenty of dead and wounded on all sides. The Apache finally decide that they have had enough and retreat back into the hills. The Union and Confederate types are momentarily comrades while the dead are buried, and the wounded patched up. Reagan and Bennett shake hands and Fleming promises to wait for Reagan till after the war ends.For a Pine-Thomas production, this one has some heavy action. The "Dollar Bills", as William Pine and William Thomas were called, were known for mostly low end B films. This was their most expensive film to date, and was also their biggest moneymaker.The director was the reliable B-film veteran, Lewis R Foster. Foster was a two time Oscar nominated and one time winning writer. (Mr. Smith goes to Washington)He also directed with, EL PASO, CAPTAIN CHINA, THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK, CRASHOUT and MANHANDLED as examples of his work. Handling the cinematography is another Oscar type, Loyal Griggs. The four time nominated, and two time winner, Griggs, is best known for lensing, THE TEN COMMANMENTS and the superb western, SHANE. On the writing front there is also plenty of talent with Daniel Mainwaring, Winston Miller and George W Yates. Mainwaring is well known to noir fans for, THE BIG STEAL, ROUGHSHOD, ROADBLOCK, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and OUT OF THE PAST. Miller's work includes, RED MOUTAIN, THE BOUNTY HUNTER, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, STATION WEST and BRANDED. Yates had a hand in, THE TALL TARGET, THEM and THIS WOMAN IS DANGEROUS.

This isn't one of those "researched" cavalry Westerns. This is just a fun fest. It's everything that is cool in a film. It is Raiders of the Lost Ark, only it's an old fashioned Western.First, we have the "cool" Robin Hood style hero, this time in the guise of a Confederate officer, along with his cool merry men, particularly the affable Noah Beery.Then we have his old sweetheart married to a sneaky bad guy.Then we have the older brother as a more officious officer on the Union side. Naturally, they clash.Then we have the noble native American chiefs. This is middle of the road in treatment of the Indian. The Indians are treated with great dignity and respect, and like most old Hollywood Westerns, they are never bad, but misled by evil white men.However, as many note, this is almost like two different movies from the first two thirds to the last third. In the end, although the evil guys are a pair of white men, the Indians get the brunt of the assault.The other major problem is that the main bad guy is killed almost immediately, and we're left without a villain, until a towns-person takes the role, but it looks like an afterthought, as though there was a contract dispute with an actor somewhere. It is a novel idea, but not dramatic, and certainly not Hollywood.However, this is an Indiana Jones style adventure, filled with humor and pathos along the way. We know a few good men will die. We aren't sure who, but there are clues that give us good ideas.This isn't a "look for reality" movie, nor does it pretend to be. It is a barroom brawl fun-house film, made to be cool. And it succeeds.

Ronald Reagan's first starring western occurred in 1951 when he did this horse opera for the Pine-Thomas Paramount B picture unit. Reagan was always a good rider and would have loved to do more westerns in his career. But according to the Citadel Film series book on The Films of Ronald Reagan the real clincher for him okaying the Pine-Thomas deal was a chance to ride his own horse in the film. So Reagan's horse which was named Tarbaby got some screen immortality.The Last Outpost casts Reagan and Bruce Bennett who are brothers and who have split their loyalties during the Civil War. Fate has brought them together in the west with Bennett taking command of a Federal outpost in Arizona territory to deal with a band of pesky Confederate raiders. Little does Bennett know that Reagan is commanding those raiders and little does Reagan know that the girl he left behind played by Rhonda Fleming is out west and unhappily married to trading post owner John Ridgely.Ridgely gets killed early on in the film, but not before he sets in motion a plan whereby he will be legally allowed to sell whiskey and arms to the Apaches in exchange for them just taking out the men in gray. In fact Lloyd Corrigan has come east as a member of the government to implement said plan. Reagan refers to him as 'the expediter' and he's the kind of government bureaucrat Reagan would make fun of when he later got into politics.Bennett is the solid dependable brother, but Reagan invests his part with a certain dash and rakish charm which if you didn't know better you would swear was coming from Errol Flynn. But the most interesting role came from actor Charles Evans playing Apache Chief Grey Cloud who is a disgraced former American general who left the army because his society wouldn't accept the Apache woman he married. Evans really makes his few scenes count and I wish we had seen more of him.The Last Outpost is a solidly entertaining western with the cast giving fitted performances in the roles they are doing.