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IMDbPro

Springfield Rifle

  • 19521952
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
Gary Cooper, David Brian, Frank Davis, André De Toth, Paul Kelly, Phyllis Thaxter, and Charles Marquis Warren in Springfield Rifle (1952)
Major Lex Kearney 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.
Play trailer2:44
1 Video
23 Photos
ThrillerWarWestern
Major Lex Kearney 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.Major Lex Kearney 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.Major Lex Kearney 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.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
    • André De Toth
    • Charles Marquis Warren(screenplay)
    • Frank Davis(screenplay)
    • Sloan Nibley(story)
  • Stars
    • Gary Cooper
    • Phyllis Thaxter
    • David Brian
    • André De Toth
    • Charles Marquis Warren(screenplay)
    • Frank Davis(screenplay)
    • Sloan Nibley(story)
  • Stars
    • Gary Cooper
    • Phyllis Thaxter
    • David Brian
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 35User reviews
    • 19Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:44
    Watch Trailer

    Photos23

    Gary Cooper and Phyllis Thaxter in Springfield Rifle (1952)
    Gary Cooper in Springfield Rifle (1952)
    Gary Cooper and Lon Chaney Jr. in Springfield Rifle (1952)
    Gary Cooper and Lon Chaney Jr. in Springfield Rifle (1952)
    Gary Cooper and André De Toth in Springfield Rifle (1952)
    Springfield Rifle (1952)
    Springfield Rifle (1952)
    Gary Cooper, David Brian, André De Toth, and Phyllis Thaxter in Springfield Rifle (1952)
    Gary Cooper, David Brian, André De Toth, and Phyllis Thaxter in Springfield Rifle (1952)
    Springfield Rifle (1952)
    Gary Cooper in Springfield Rifle (1952)
    Gary Cooper and Phyllis Thaxter in Springfield Rifle (1952)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Gary Cooper
    Gary Cooper
    • Maj. Alex 'Lex' Kearney
    Phyllis Thaxter
    Phyllis Thaxter
    • Erin Kearney
    David Brian
    David Brian
    • Austin McCool
    Paul Kelly
    Paul Kelly
    • Lt. Col John Hudson
    Philip Carey
    Philip Carey
    • Capt. Edward Tennick
    Lon Chaney Jr.
    Lon Chaney Jr.
    • Pete Elm
    • (as Lon Chaney)
    James Millican
    James Millican
    • Matthew Quint
    Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams
    Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams
    • Sgt. Snow
    Alan Hale Jr.
    Alan Hale Jr.
    • Mizzell
    Martin Milner
    Martin Milner
    • Pvt. Olie Larsen
    Wilton Graff
    Wilton Graff
    • Col. George Sharpe
    Vince Barnett
    Vince Barnett
    • Cook
    • (uncredited)
    George Bell
    George Bell
    • Trooper
    • (uncredited)
    Ray Bennett
    Ray Bennett
    • Commissioner
    • (uncredited)
    James Brown
    James Brown
    • Pvt. Ferguson
    • (uncredited)
    Jerry Brown
    Jerry Brown
    • Trooper
    • (uncredited)
    Michael Chapin
    Michael Chapin
    • Jamie Kearney
    • (uncredited)
    Ben Corbett
    Ben Corbett
    • Sergeant Major
    • (uncredited)
      • André De Toth
      • Charles Marquis Warren(screenplay)
      • Frank Davis(screenplay)
      • Sloan Nibley(story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The opening scene has a matte shot with the U.S. capitol dome in the background. The dome was not completed until 1866.
    • Goofs
      At the beginning, General Halleck is wearing a crimson sash. As a General, he should be wearing a cream-colored sash.
    • Quotes

      Austin McCool, Raider Leader: Pick yourself a horse and use this outfit.

      Maj. Alex 'Lex' Kearney: Any one?

      Austin McCool, Raider Leader: Suit yourself!

      Maj. Alex 'Lex' Kearney: I'll take the black.

      Pete Elm, Leader of Non-military Raiders: [Outraged] You ain't givin' it to him?

      Austin McCool, Raider Leader: You got one horse you can ride. Why do you want with another you can't?

    • Connections
      Referenced in La rana verde (1960)

    User reviews35

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Mixed bag in Cooper led espionage Oater.
    Depending on what reviews you read of course, Springfield Rifle is either a slowly paced pot boiler or an action packed suspenser. Such is the diversity of this form of the arts, you could easily favour one or the other and nobody could really argue with you. The truth is that André De Toth's film wants to be both, but with an almost dizzying plot and a misleading title, it winds up being an over ambitious picture that doesn't quite pay off on its promise.

    Gary Cooper stars as Maj. Alex 'Lex' Kearney who gets himself cashiered from the army on a charge of cowardice in order to go undercover to break up a Confederate ring who are stealing horses during the civil war. But Kearney is not the only spy at work so his mission is a touch more complicated than at first thought. Not only that but he is so deep undercover his wife and son believe him to be a real coward and have therefore ostracised him. Oh and the new and war changing Springfield Rifle will have a part to play in the shenanigans.

    Released in the same year as Cooper was wowing genre fans in High Noon, De Toth's movie does actually feel like an attempt to cash in on the big mans star appeal. However, it should be noted that executives at Warner Brothers didn't want Cooper to play the role, fearing his wholesome image just wouldn't suit a role involving cowardice and double dallying for both parties in the war. De Toth stood by his guns and was rewarded, to my mind, by a film saving performance from Cooper. Frank Davis and Charles Marquis Warren adapt from a story written by Sloan Nibley (who is noted in the genre for his numerous work on Roy Rogers scripts), Max Steiner provides the score and Edwin B. DuPar photographs out of Lone Pine and Warner Ranch in California. The film is not shot in Technicolor {as stated by some reviewers}, it was shot in the Warnercolor process. With the result somewhat pleasing on the eye, notably the uniforms of the soldiers and the flame engulfed sequence towards the finale.

    The support cast are fair to middling. Lon Chaney Jr. is sadly a shadow of his former self, tho a good old dust up with Cooper raises the temperature. Phyllis Thaxter, David Brian, Paul Kelly & Philip Carey file in and say their lines. While Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams & Alan Hale Jr. deserved more screen time than they actually got. With surprises in the plot and Cooper adding some quality, Springfield Rifle is entertaining enough. But ultimately it ends up being a modest genre piece that really should have been much much better. 6/10
    helpful•7
    2
    • hitchcockthelegend
    • Mar 23, 2010

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 25, 1952 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 33 minutes

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    Gary Cooper, David Brian, Frank Davis, André De Toth, Paul Kelly, Phyllis Thaxter, and Charles Marquis Warren in Springfield Rifle (1952)
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