Fort Massacre (1958)

Great Film overall

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

If you've stuck through at least a season of just about any western television serial, you'll be familiar with FORT MASSACRE's plot, involving a troop crossing Apache territory. As a fan of RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY, I expected Joel McCrea would be the sole reason for reinvesting myself in this film's well-trodden set-up. While McCrea's performance is certainly a draw (especially given his character's hard edge, usually reserved for a supporting or villainous character) the real standout here was John Russell as Private Travis. I've never encountered a character like his--in this or any other film genre--solely driven by his indecision. You might expect that this is because such an arc wouldn't make for a compelling lead, but damn if FORT MASSACRE doesn't become his film by the end. Thanks to some interesting and revealing exchanges between McCrea and Russell, as well as superb cinematography by Carl Guthrie (BACKFIRE, THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL), this obscure "B" western deserves more recognition than it currently receives.

There are a few decent elements in this tough, brief cavalry-western along with some tiresome and unentertaining ones. McCrea (always an easy, attractive presence on the screen) plays a sergeant who's left in charge of his regiment after a particularly lethal skirmish with the Apaches. Most of the men bellyache constantly about wanting to ignore their mission to join up with a wagon train and go home, but he presses on, even if it means inciting more violence along the way. He carries a chip on his shoulder from the death of his wife and children at the hands of Indians. The biggest battle involves the taking of a desperately needed water hole with McCrea's men outnumbered four to one. Eventually, even though McCrea has managed to get the men through various tough scrapes, they can no longer tolerate his vicious attitude towards the Indians and his seeming disregard for human life in general. The climax occurs at an abandoned set of buildings built into a cliff wall, which one of the men dubs Fort Massacre. Here they encounter an elderly Piute man and his granddaughter who are scratching to survive on anything they can find. McCrea's character is complex for a film as seemingly unimportant as this one and his less likable traits are made all the more perplexing because of the actor's innate charm and likability. He does an admirable enough job in the film, but the direction, script and supporting cast keep him from really making a historic impact in the role the way John Wayne was able to in "The Searchers." Some familiar faces are peppered amongst the cavalrymen, notably Pyle (of "Dukes of Hazard" fame) and Tucker as a cantankerous Irishman. Russell has a significant part as a rather aimless fellow officer who waffles between believing in and doubting McCrea. Unfortunately, his Rod Serling-esque manner of speaking hampers his authenticity. There is unwelcome camp and comedy present in the performance of veteran western actor McDonald as the Piute man. Cabot has little to do as his granddaughter (and at 31, she's hardly right to be playing an innocent Indian maiden!) It's worth a glance for McCrea fans and for its beautiful mountain scenery, but can't quite cut it as a classic. If the scenes of travel on horseback were trimmed, the movie might be 45 minutes long! Maybe this should have been an episode of "Death Valley Days" instead.

The best thing about this film is that there is no humor in it, unlike some westerns like the searchers. The plot has Joel McCrea in charge since all the officers have been killed and the men don't trust McCrea since he has such a deep hatred of the Indians, who killed his wife and kid. This is a lot like The Lost Patrol when which not too many are going to make it out alive.

Standard fare beautifully shot. Joel McCrea and Forest Tucker give good performances in this story about a cavalry troop under move, constantly under attack. The real star is the cinematography, shot in beautiful color and featuring some of the best scenery outside a John Ford western. Be sure to see it in wide screen!