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.

Director:

André De Toth (as Andre DeToth)

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
Paul Kelly	...	Lt. Col John Hudson
Philip Carey	...	Capt. Edward Tennick
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Pete Elm (as Lon Chaney)
James Millican	...	Matthew Quint
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Sgt. Snow
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:

american civil war | freebooter | new mexico territory | courage | cavalry | 

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Taglines:

The Gun... The Girl... They Made One Man The Equal Of Five!

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

A Wilhelm Scream is heard when a Confederate solider is killed with a saber near the end of the raid where McCool is killed.

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Goofs

As they are unstrapping the rifles from the wagon section before attacking the raiders, Major Kearney says, "Sgt. Snow, Lieutenant, come with me." Then his mouth keeps moving but no dialog is heard.

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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 La rana verde (1960)

User Reviews

" No Man is really what he appears to be, that is until he's dead "

The dates of the civil War stem from 1861 to 1865. In between, half a million men fought and died on both sides. Then Hollywood introduced the Western and then writers quickly retold the history depicting the many facets within the ranks of the two opposing camps. Here is one such story which if you don't look too closely, is interesting and confusing at the same time. The movie is called " Springfield Rifle " and stars one of the most enduring actors to filled the Silver Screen. Gary Cooper plays Maj. Alex 'Lex' Kearney a Union Officer who is cashiered out of the U. S. Army and branded a traitor. The audience however understands his cover as he joins the renegade outlaws who have been stealing herds of horses for the Confederacy. With danger threatening him on both sides, Kearney walks a tight-wire as he seeks out the ringleader of the outlaws. The movie is a cat-and-mouse game and Cooper is aptly supported with other notable western stars like. David Brian, Paul Kelly, Lon Chaney Jr. Alan Hale Jr. and Martin Milner as Pvt. Larsen. The entire cast assembles to provide real shoot-em-up action with the new Springfield Rifle and plenty of hair-raising excitement. Excellent western fare. ****

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Springfield Rifle

Filming Locations:

Mount Whitney, 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