Yellowneck (1955)

5 Confederate soldiers desert, make their way through the Everglades and try to make it to Cuba.

Director:

R. John Hugh

Writers:

Nat S. Linden (screenplay), R. John Hugh (story)

Stars:

Lin McCarthy, Stephen Courtleigh, Berry Kroeger

Cast

Cast overview:
Lin McCarthy	...	The Sergeant
Stephen Courtleigh	...	The Colonel
Berry Kroeger	...	Plunkett
Harold Gordon	...	Cockney
Bill Mason	...	The Kid
Al Tamez	...	Seminole
Jose Billie	...	Dead body
Roy Nash Osceola	...	Seminole

Storyline

A disgraced Confederate Colonel who has deserted his command flees to the Everglades where he encounters a disparate group of four other Southern deserters. Togethher they struggle to find their way out of the swamp and resolve their own personal demons under the eyes of hostile Seminoles as they battle to survive the elements and each other.

---

Plot Keywords:

confederate soldier | everglades | army colonel | rattlesnake | pistol | 

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | War

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 March 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cinq déserteurs

Filming Locations:

Everglades Wonder Gardens, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Empire Studios (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA)

Color:

Black and White (Video) Color (Trucolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The forage caps (or kepis) worn by the deserters are of an 1862 pattern that denoted the soldier's branch of service by the color of the sides and crown (red for artillery, yellow for cavalry and sky blue for infantry).

---

Goofs

When Cockney is bitten by a rattlesnake, he instantly dies(1:09:21). Most deaths occur between 6 and 48 hours after the bite.

---

Quotes

Sergeant Todd: [to the Kid] You ain't done enough to run away from. Shouldn't have followed me, kid. Shouldn't have started runnin'. I've been runnin' every since I knowed runnin' from... everything how I never liked. Yeah, I reckon there ain't much to like around this world. I've ben runnin' so long I don't know how to stop! It don't do too much good when you stop and figure why you're runnin'. It catches up to you. You can't run away from yourself. Don't run away from nothin', kid. It don't do no good. ...

---

Crazy Credits

The MPAA seal appears on the opening Republic Pictures logo instead of its usual place in the credits.

---

Soundtracks

"My Old Kenucky Home"
(uncredited)
Composed by Stephen Foster (1852)
Heard briefly when viewing daguerrotype

User Reviews

Stretches What Little It Was Working WithToo Far

This is a strange little film about five confederate deserters trying to make their way through the Everglades to escape capture. They find the wilderness to be a less merciful enemy than the union, as they battle hurricanes, snakes, Senecas, quicksand, and each other. Essentially, this is a raw, real - but not realistic, struggle for survival pitting men who have been branded cowards against nature and other men.

Although the film is over-acted, over-dramatized and over-long, it made a lasting impression on me as an adolescent. I first saw Yellowneck when I was between 9 and 12 years old. When I watched it last night, I remembered having seen it then about a quarter of the way through the film. There are aspects of this film which, at a very young age, I found frightening. As an adult who frequently works in environments such as the one depicted in the film, I can only reflect on my own (and the writer's) ignorant fearfulness today.

The script has too many soliloquies and generally over-dramatizes most of the story. The acting is OK, but the script forces almost all of the cast members to go overboard frequently. Lin McCarthy and Bill Mason both turn in solid performances. The directing, cinematography and editing are all good, but the film could have been 10-15 minutes shorter and just as good. As much as I appreciate character development, a few of the soliloquies and conversation scenes might have improved the film had they been left out.

Weakly recommended.