When cavalry officer, Randolph Scott returns to Fort Lincoln with hot bride to be, Barbara Hale, the anticipated warm welcome quickly becomes the cold shoulder, from embittered, acid tongued widow, Jeanette Nolan and the few remaining men. Randy soon discovers that everyone else was lost at Little Big Horn......and it was all HIS fault. Had he and his troop been there, EVERYTHING would have been alright!
To add to Scot's woes, the inquest is presided over by Col. Kellogg (Russell Hicks), his future father-in-law. Pleading that Custer had personally granted him leave of absence cuts little ice with the frosty Kellogg, who continues to lambast him with an entire serial of accusations. Scott is left with no option, other than to prove that he is braver than an Indian brave - and that's pretty much all that '7th Cavalry' does.
Scott sets out with a disparate gaggle of drunks, half-wits, slobs and thugs on a do or die (probably die) mission through hostile Indian territory, to reclaim Custer's body. Their plodding assignment being punctuated by a couple of violent outbursts along the way. Scott and hard man Leo Gordon exchange blows in a prolonged punch-up, piling through and displacing what seem like acres of undergrowth. Hopefully it wasn't an R. H. S. Site! While a confrontation with a knife wielding Indian gives an early indication that the natives are not best pleased by Scott's arrival on their land. Having successfully disarmed the Redskin, a moment's hesitation allows him to regain his weapon, missing the opportunity to nimbly boot the knife out of range. It's what Harry Kane would have done!
It all makes for a fairly entertaining watch. Like a 'Cup A Soup', it fills a hole. Also like a 'Cup A Soup', it's nothing exceptional, just a quick fix of a western. There are no jaw dropping twists, turns or surprises. No hidden meanings or subliminal messages. Just Randy setting out to prove he's not the abject coward, the big girl's blouse everyone had him pegged for. As if any of us would have doubted his street cred for a minute!
To add to Scot's woes, the inquest is presided over by Col. Kellogg (Russell Hicks), his future father-in-law. Pleading that Custer had personally granted him leave of absence cuts little ice with the frosty Kellogg, who continues to lambast him with an entire serial of accusations. Scott is left with no option, other than to prove that he is braver than an Indian brave - and that's pretty much all that '7th Cavalry' does.
Scott sets out with a disparate gaggle of drunks, half-wits, slobs and thugs on a do or die (probably die) mission through hostile Indian territory, to reclaim Custer's body. Their plodding assignment being punctuated by a couple of violent outbursts along the way. Scott and hard man Leo Gordon exchange blows in a prolonged punch-up, piling through and displacing what seem like acres of undergrowth. Hopefully it wasn't an R. H. S. Site! While a confrontation with a knife wielding Indian gives an early indication that the natives are not best pleased by Scott's arrival on their land. Having successfully disarmed the Redskin, a moment's hesitation allows him to regain his weapon, missing the opportunity to nimbly boot the knife out of range. It's what Harry Kane would have done!
It all makes for a fairly entertaining watch. Like a 'Cup A Soup', it fills a hole. Also like a 'Cup A Soup', it's nothing exceptional, just a quick fix of a western. There are no jaw dropping twists, turns or surprises. No hidden meanings or subliminal messages. Just Randy setting out to prove he's not the abject coward, the big girl's blouse everyone had him pegged for. As if any of us would have doubted his street cred for a minute!