Fort Massacre (1958)

Director:

Joseph M. Newman

Writer:

Martin Goldsmith (written by)

Release Date:

May 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

THE WEST'S MOST SAVAGE STORY OF HATE, PRIDE AND CUNNING! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

A cavalry troop finds itself under constant attack by Indians.

Plot Keywords:

Cavalry | Indian Attack | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Joel McCrea	...	Sgt. Vinson
Forrest Tucker	...	Pvt. McGurney
Susan Cabot	...	Piute Girl
John Russell	...	Pvt. Robert W. Travis
George N. Neise	...	Pvt. Pendleton
Anthony Caruso	...	Pawnee (Indian scout)
Robert Osterloh	...	Pvt. Schwabacker
Denver Pyle	...	Pvt. Collins
Francis McDonald	...	Old Piute Man (as Francis J. McDonald)
Guy Prescott	...	Pvt. Tucker
Rayford Barnes	...	Pvt. Moss
Irving Bacon	...	Charlie the Trader
Claire Carleton	...	Adele (Charlie's wife)
Larry Chance	...	Moving Cloud

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (as De Luxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:U | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Gallup, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

In 1958, United Artists released this film on a double bill with The Steel Bayonet (1957).

Quotes:

Sgt. Vinson: I need a six-foot hole dug. Any volunteers?
Pvt. McGurney: Don't look at me, Sergeant. I'm too overcome with grief.
Pvt. Pendelton: Well, I certainly can't do that!
Pvt. Collins: All right, I'll be the goat. Half the tobacco?
Pvt. McGurney: Collins, three feet will be plenty. He was only half a man.

As hard as a carbine butt.

Unlike John Ford's celebrated cavalry Westerns, there's no humor or sentimentality in this film. It shows the grim situations and less than stellar personnel that cavalry commanders often faced. The interplay between Sergeant Vinson, Private McGurney, and Scout Pawnee is interesting and incisive. McGurney shows how a miscreant within a unit can be as great a menace as the enemy. The cinematography is excellent, paricularly during riding and water hole sequences. Worth looking at, especially for Western fans interested in the cavalry.