Ambush at Cimarron Pass (1958)

In 1867, a Yankee patrol joins forces with a group of ex-Confederate soldiers in order to cross Apache territory and reach the nearest fort.

Director:

Jodie Copelan

Writers:

Robert A. Reeds (story), Robert W. Woods (story)

Stars:

Scott Brady, Margia Dean, Clint Eastwood

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Scott Brady	...	Sgt. Matt Blake
Margia Dean	...	Teresa Santos
Clint Eastwood	...	Keith Williams
Irving Bacon	...	Judge Stanfield
Frank Gerstle	...	Capt. Sam Prescott
Ray Boyle	...	Johnny Willows (as Dirk London)
Baynes Barron	...	Corbin - the Gunrunner
William Vaughn	...	Henry - the Scout
Ken Mayer	...	Cpl. Schwitzer
John Damler	...	Pvt. Zach
Keith Richards	...	Pvt. Lasky
John Frederick	...	Pvt. Nathan (as John Merrick)

Storyline

The survivors of an Army patrol ambushed by Indians hook up with a group of cowboys who have also been attacked, and together they try to get to safety at the fort. Unfortunately for them, they're carrying a shipment of several dozen rifles that the Indians want, and are determined to get.

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Plot Keywords:

arizona territory | new mexico territory | apache indian | reference to the battle of apache pass | gunrunner | 

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Taglines:

Savage by savage...they fought out of a deadly Apache torture trap!

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

March 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ambuscadă în trecătoarea Cimarron

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Regal Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After Clint Eastwood became a star in the mid-'60s, Fox re-released this picture, changing the advertising and credits to give Eastwood top billing.

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Goofs

Near the end of movie, at 1:09:40 when a take down is performed a shadow of camera and camera operator can be briefly seen on lower left corner.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Henry the Scout: Campfire in Beekers Rocks. Want me to scout it, Mr. Blake?
Sgt. Matt Blake: If it's an ambush they wouldn't light a fire.
Henry the Scout: Mmm. Not an Apache ambush.
Sgt. Matt Blake: Not if it's any ambush.

User Reviews

Somebody Selling Guns To The Indians Again

Before signing as ramrod Rowdy Yates in Rawhide, Clint Eastwood did a variety of films some of them better than others which if it weren't for his presence they would be obscure and forgotten. Ambush At Cimarron Pass falls in that category.

What Eastwood has is star presence, you can absolutely tell this man was going to have a future in the movie business just looking at him. Not that his character was anything special, someone else described him as petulant and I'm inclined to agree.

Sergeant Scott Brady and a small band of cavalry troopers are escorting Indian gun runner Breton Baynes and a lot of those valuable repeating rifles that he was about to sell to the Apaches. They run across a band of former Confederates, one of them being Clint Eastwood. Later on to make things interesting they pick up Margia Dean stranded out on the prairie courtesy of the Indians.

After that it's just one western cliché after another, nothing terribly original, just the same plot situations that have been done a gazillion times before. Along with the Confederates is Irving Bacon who says he's a judge, Scott Brady doubts it, pretty soon everyone else is also. He's trying to save his own skin, but there seems to be no real rhyme or reason to his character at all. When he's killed nobody mourns.

Other than it's listed in the body of work of a cinema legend, Ambush At Cimarron Pass would be lost to history. Clint Eastwood wishes it were.