Fort Bowie (1958)

At Fort Bowie, Captain Thompson favors peace talks but Major Wharton advocates war with the renegade Apaches led by Chief Victorio.

Director:

Howard W. Koch

Writer:

Maurice Tombragel (screenplay)

Stars:

Ben Johnson, Jan Harrison, Kent Taylor

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ben Johnson	...	Capt. Thomas Thompson
Jan Harrison	...	Alison Garrett
Kent Taylor	...	Col. James Garrett
Maureen Hingert	...	Chanzana (as Jana Davi)
Peter Mamakos	...	Sgt Kukas
Larry Chance	...	Victorio
J. Ian Douglas	...	Maj. Wharton
Jerry Frank	...	Capt. Maywood
Barbara Parry	...	Mrs. Maywood

Storyline

Fort Bowie commander Colonel Garrett, suspecting that his wife Alison is having an affair with good-looking Captain Thompson, sends him on a dangerous mission to try to persuade renegade Indian leader Victorio to cease his attacks against white settlers and soldiers.

---

Plot Keywords:

laundry | apache indian | arizona territory | apache territory | fort bowie arizona | 

---

Taglines:

When America's frontier fort became an Apache massacre-ground !

---

Genres:

Western

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

De röda djävlarna

Filming Locations:

Kayenta, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aubrey Schenck Productions,Bel-Air Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the 32-minute mark, three clipboards are shown hanging on a wall. Clipboards were invented in 1908.

---

Quotes

[Major Wharton's men massacre a band of Indians who approached his company under a flag of truce]
Maj. Wharton: Look at 'em, Captain - not the slightest attempt at rescue or revenge; slinking away like scared desert rats!
Capt. Thomas Thompson: More like foxes than rats. You can hardly blame them if they want to fight on their terms. After all, sir, didn't you?

---

Connections

Featured in Fort Courageous (1965)

User Reviews

A "B" western featuring Ben Johnson and beautiful Jana Davi

When a ruthless and bloodthirsty major slaughters a band of Apaches who have come with a white flag looking to surrender, the U.S. army finds itself in an all out war with Apaches under Victorio, who has left the reservation. The commander of Fort Bowie, Col. Garrett, finds his job to contain the hostiles complicated after his wife, unhappy in her situation, makes false allegations of improper advances against Captain Thompson. The colonel then decides to send the captain on a suicide mission, to find and order Victorio back to the reservation.

Very much a "B" western, with script and acting to match, it features the always entertaining Ben Johnson in a rare leading role. His horsemanship is very much on display, at one point jumping his horse over the walls of Fort Bowie to get at the Apaches, who have overrun the fort. Beautiful Jana Davi also graces the screen as the half Mexican, half Apache Chanzana, one of Victorio's former wives. She has her heart set on landing Captain Thompson, but he is distracted by Alison Garrett, thinking her an ideal army wife.

Though "Fort Bowie" will never be mistaken for one of John Ford's western classics, there is plenty of action to satisfy most fans of the genre.