"Only the Valiant" is another U.S. Cavalry tale. Gregory Peck plays hard line by the books Captain Richard Lance whom certain soldiers resent to the point of wanting to see him dead.
A fort called "Invincible" placed at the entrance to an Apache encampment, has been wiped out by Tuscos (Michael Ansara) and his band. Lance is sent in to clean up and manages to capture Tucsos in the process whom he brings in. Col. Drumm (Herbert Hayes orders that Tuscos be moved to Fort Grant.
Lance and Lt. Bill Holloway (Gig Young) are both courting Cathy Eversham (Barbara Payton) with her favoring Lance. When Lance see Holloway giving what Lance thinks is a passionate embrace, he assumes the worst. Lance had assumed that he would be in charge of transporting Tuscos but Col. Drumm orders that he stay behind unbeknownst to Cathy, Holloway and the soldiers. Lance names Holloway to lead the troops transporting the Apache chief.
Unfortunately, Holloway is brutally murdered by the Apaches who have freed their chief. Cathy thinks that Lance assigned Holloway to his fate out of spite as do the troopers.
Lance offers to take a small group to the abandoned Fort Invincible to block the canyon opening through which the Apaches will mount their attack, until a relief column arrives. Lance chooses a group of misfits, all of whom hate his guts, to accompany him. He chooses Sgt. Murdock (Neville Brand), Cpl. Timothy Gilchrist (Ward Bond), Trooper Kebussyan (Lon Chaney), Trooper Ruteledge (Warner Anderson) a former officer, Trooper Onstat (Steve Brodie) a former rebel and deserter whom Murdock despises, Trooper Saxton (Terry Kilborn) a trumpeter, Joe Harmony (Jeff Corey) a scout and a sickly lieutenant who ultimately rides for help.
As the group gets thinned out they recognize that Lance being a good soldier is their best chance for survival. Murdock and Onstat are captured by the Apaches and wind up fighting each other to amuse their captors. Then the Apaches attack the fort and...................................................................................
Peck as always, is great as the duty first Captain keeping a painful secret within. The supporting cast is great as well. Ward Bond does his best whiskey loving Irishman, Brand and Brodie as the two hostile soldiers make for some interesting twists, Lon Chaney as the brutish Kebussyan stand out as well. Barbara Payton seemed to be in every movie made by William Cagney productions, Gig Young's part was all too brief and Michael Ansara makes a fearsome enemy.
I found that the premise of the Apache encampment being in a secluded valley with only a narrow passage from which to mount their attacks, a little hard to believe. But, it was a better than average western nonetheless.
A fort called "Invincible" placed at the entrance to an Apache encampment, has been wiped out by Tuscos (Michael Ansara) and his band. Lance is sent in to clean up and manages to capture Tucsos in the process whom he brings in. Col. Drumm (Herbert Hayes orders that Tuscos be moved to Fort Grant.
Lance and Lt. Bill Holloway (Gig Young) are both courting Cathy Eversham (Barbara Payton) with her favoring Lance. When Lance see Holloway giving what Lance thinks is a passionate embrace, he assumes the worst. Lance had assumed that he would be in charge of transporting Tuscos but Col. Drumm orders that he stay behind unbeknownst to Cathy, Holloway and the soldiers. Lance names Holloway to lead the troops transporting the Apache chief.
Unfortunately, Holloway is brutally murdered by the Apaches who have freed their chief. Cathy thinks that Lance assigned Holloway to his fate out of spite as do the troopers.
Lance offers to take a small group to the abandoned Fort Invincible to block the canyon opening through which the Apaches will mount their attack, until a relief column arrives. Lance chooses a group of misfits, all of whom hate his guts, to accompany him. He chooses Sgt. Murdock (Neville Brand), Cpl. Timothy Gilchrist (Ward Bond), Trooper Kebussyan (Lon Chaney), Trooper Ruteledge (Warner Anderson) a former officer, Trooper Onstat (Steve Brodie) a former rebel and deserter whom Murdock despises, Trooper Saxton (Terry Kilborn) a trumpeter, Joe Harmony (Jeff Corey) a scout and a sickly lieutenant who ultimately rides for help.
As the group gets thinned out they recognize that Lance being a good soldier is their best chance for survival. Murdock and Onstat are captured by the Apaches and wind up fighting each other to amuse their captors. Then the Apaches attack the fort and...................................................................................
Peck as always, is great as the duty first Captain keeping a painful secret within. The supporting cast is great as well. Ward Bond does his best whiskey loving Irishman, Brand and Brodie as the two hostile soldiers make for some interesting twists, Lon Chaney as the brutish Kebussyan stand out as well. Barbara Payton seemed to be in every movie made by William Cagney productions, Gig Young's part was all too brief and Michael Ansara makes a fearsome enemy.
I found that the premise of the Apache encampment being in a secluded valley with only a narrow passage from which to mount their attacks, a little hard to believe. But, it was a better than average western nonetheless.