Springfield Rifle (1952)

Major Lex Kearny becomes the North's first counterespionage agent as he tries to discover who's behind the theft of Union cavalry horses in Colorado during the Civil War.

Director:

André De Toth

Writers:

Charles Marquis Warren (screenplay), Frank Davis (screenplay),

Stars:

Gary Cooper, Phyllis Thaxter, David Brian

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gary Cooper	...	Maj. Alex 'Lex' Kearney
Phyllis Thaxter	...	Erin Kearney
David Brian	...	Austin McCool, Raider Leader
Paul Kelly	...	Lt. Col John Hudson (Ft. Hedley CO)
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Pete Elm, Leader of Non-military Raiders (as Lon Chaney)
Philip Carey	...	Capt. Edward Tennick
James Millican	...	Det. Matthew Quint
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Sgt. Snow (as Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams)
Alan Hale Jr.	...	Mizzell
Martin Milner	...	Pvt. Olie Larsen
Wilton Graff	...	Col. George Sharpe

Storyline

Major Lex Kearney, dishonorably discharged from the army for cowardice in battle, has actually volunteered to go undercover to try to prevent raids against shipments of horses desperately needed for the Union war effort. Falling in with the gang of jayhawkers and Confederate soldiers who have been conducting the raids, he gradually gains their trust and is put in a position where he can discover who has been giving them secret information revealing the routes of the horse shipments.

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Plot Keywords:

horse | cavalry | colorado | jayhawker | cowardice | 

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Taglines:

The right man... for the right gun!

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Genres:

War | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gegenspionage

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (WarnerColor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Film is set during the Civil War which took place in 1861-1865, yet one of the characters is seen to be using what appears to be a model 1873 Colt Army revolver.

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Quotes

Austin McCool, Raider Leader: Kind of used to givin' orders, ain't you?
Maj. Alex 'Lex' Kearney: What's worse, I'm used to bein' obeyed.

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Connections

Referenced in Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs (2000)

User Reviews

4 out of 5 action rating

See it- This is a diamond in the rough. It is relatively unknown but a must-see for Gary Cooper fans. Cooper plays his usual character of a man on a mission to redeem himself, but this is not a typical western. Exciting from start to finish, it's the story of the inception of counterintelligence used by the Union in the Civil War. It is not necessarily James Bond with a cowboy hat. It is still very much a western, and a refreshingly good Civil War movie for a change. Movie buffs will also get a kick out of a young Fess Parker. Full of twists and lots of battle scenes, it's a good old-fashioned, fun movie. 4 action rating