Tomahawk Trail (1957)

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

A cavalry detachment must trek across desert badlands because their arrogantly incompetent lieutenant lets the Apaches get their horses. Led now by their sergeant, they eventually hole up in an abandoned fort, only to face another Apache onslaught.Bel-Air was a budget movie outfit, while director Selander was a budget director. So why did this little programmer turn out as well as it did. No, the 60-minutes is nothing memorable, but still there's a good script, okay acting, and generally well-staged action. Add location shooting in Utah, without a single studio set, and I credit producer Howard W. Koch for the generally superior result. (Check his list of later credits that includes The Manchurian Candidate {1962}, and Airplane! {1980}, among others.) Connors is excellent as the stalwart sergeant, commanding but without swagger. Of course, the girls are a slice of eye candy amidst all the men, but are woven pretty well into the plot. And catch those two near-rape scenes, cutting edge for the late 1950's. For a minute, I was afraid the philosophical exchange between the sergeant and Ellen (Cummings) might get heavy-handed. But wisely the scripter raises the pragmatic issue of war-- which is relevant to the cavalry's predicament—without letting it dominate an action movie. Anyway, the parts are shrewdly assembled, not least of which is the towering Connors only a year away from becoming Lucas Mc Cain with a rifle. And, oh yes, the movie made me realize what a superior weapon the pistol, not the rifle, is for close-in fighting, unusual for the usually rifle-bound cavalry.

I'd be curious to find out if this picture had any impact on the creation of the 1965/66 Western TV series "Branded" starring Chuck Connors. The plot of this movie is very similar to Episode #2 of that popular show. In the chapter titled 'The Vindicators' it's revealed that Jason McCord's (Connors) commanding officer, Major James Reed, had been going senile and was mentally incapacitated at the time of a major battle. McCord attempted to relieve him of command on that basis, since the Major refused to order a retreat in the face of overwhelming odds against one hundred forty Apaches.The difference here is that Lieutenant Davenport (George Neise) is an arrogant know-it-all who refuses to accept Sergeant Wade McCoy's (Connors) advice on traveling through Mescalero Apache territory. Compounding Davenport's behavior is a head wound suffered in battle along with the heat of the desert in which they're traveling. The story line creates a bit of an anomaly in the character of the Lieutenant, who alternately appears coherent before becoming irrational again relative to the danger they face. Things get more complicated after the Apaches run off the troop's cavalry horses, and following a skirmish, two women are saved by McCoy who he takes captive as a potential bargaining chip with Apache Chief Victorio. One is an Indian squaw named Tula (Lisa Montell), the other is a white woman (Susan Cummings) who has lived with the Apaches and has become Tula's close friend.There's a meaningful conversation between Ellen Carter (Cummings) and Sergeant McCoy in which the woman gets passionate in her belief that tolerance and hate exists on both sides between Indians and Whites, and that arriving at an understanding between them might lead to peace. That belief system is shattered after one of the hotheaded cavalry soldiers attempts to rape the woman, forcing her to re-examine how some individuals are just plain evil. As the story progresses, McCoy and Carter begin to have feelings for one another, as their situation becomes more precarious with the Apaches preparing for a final attack.With only a handful of other reviews for the movie on this site, and most of them dismissing it as a just another cowboy and Indian flick, my approach is somewhat tempered by the comments I posted here. At only an hour, there's not much time to get more in depth with the characters and story line, but the inclusion of that dialog between Carter and McCoy provides ample food for thought. It also doesn't hurt that Chuck Connors was one of my favorite TV cowboys either, and the similarities in the story to the premise of one of his TV Western series (the other was 'The Rifleman') made it all that more interesting.

Tomawk Trail, where our hero the Sargent, Chuck Conners, must take command away from a green lieutenant who has no clue how to command an Apache outpost, the lieutenant suffers from heat exhaustion & is not capable of leading his men. The movie is predictable & low budget but is interesting because Chuck narrates the thing from time to time. I am a Chuck Conners fan, so i really enjoyed the movie myself & would recommend it to all as good family entertainment.The lieutenant threatens to court marshal our hero but takes an apache arrow through the heart at the end of movie so Chuck is off the hook & can smooch the leading lady at the end. Movie also gives Harry Dean Stanton a big part & I like anything he does, good character actor. Watch this one if you get the chance it is worth the effort. Thank you

This is a hackneyed western with few faults. I found it more interesting than I expected. Chuck Connors plays a young Cavalry Sargent that must take over a unit led by an injured and temporarily demented Lieutenant. This action takes place in Apache territory...the boys in blue hope to find safety in a fort that has already been ravaged. Short, but action packed. Also in the cast are:John Smith, Robert Knapp, Susan Cummings and a young Harry Dean Stanton. Kind of feels like sitting in the Kiddie Matinee on Saturday morning.