Not a bad film: an interesting-looking fort, good scenery, L Q Jones gets some decent screen-time and there's no contrived love interest (just a bit of on-off-on romance between two youngsters in the wagon train). But Peppard's persona is a bit too genial for a disciplinarian CO of an undermanned garrison; it was a bit of a shock when, after it has been surprised by the Indians, he puts enlisted men on 18 hours of duty a day and officers on 24 (for three days); not a good idea when there's meant to be 2,000 hostiles threatening 70 just soldiers. We don't get to see many of the 2,000, and the rescue bid (which, thankfully, doesn't descend into the A-team heroics that Peppard came to be identified with) seems to involve taking on just four or five of them. Funny title: I understand "bravos" to be hired ruffians or killers, and none of the protagonists fill this description. Even the fugitive from justice isn't really a bad guy.
10 Reviews
Average Cavalry Versus the Indians Oater with A Durable Cast and Rugged Scenery
zardoz-137 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
"Hang'em High" director Ted Post's made-for-TV cavalry versus the Indians western "The Bravos" qualifies as a traditional but formulaic horse opera. This predictable outdoors epic benefits from its sturdy cast, particularly L.Q. Jones, Pernell Roberts, John Kellogg, and Bo Svenson, as well as "Journey to Shiloh" cinematographer Enzo A. Martinelli's crisp location lensing around Sedona, Arizona which substitutes splendidly for New Mexico. You won't see anything here that you haven't seen before in a good John Ford cavalry yarn, indeed one of the subplots in "Cimarron Strip" scribe Christopher Knopf's screenplay appears to be a slight reworking of Ford's John Wayne oater "Rio Grande."
Handsome George Peppard, with graying temples, plays the grim fort commandant who serves as the only law and protection for 500 miles. He has his gauntlets full of trouble. He has only seventy-seven troops under his command and they are holed up in a fort with decaying walls, a shortage of ammunition, with thousands of Indians concealed behind a number of mountain ridges that lie without view of their walls. No, Major John David Harkness isn't pleased about this predicament and things predictably grow worse for him as this 97-minute dust-raiser unfolds. The big problem here is not with the lack of action, but with the lack of drama. Our stalwart cavalry commander has to deal with a bloodthirsty Kiowa warrior chieftain, an obnoxious wagon train leader who enjoys shooting Indians in the back, and his rebellious son who has been expelled from a New England boarding school and hates his guts because he doesn't think that he loves him. Meanwhile, Harkness has to contend with his own ill-disciplined troops and fellow officers who have problems following his orders. About the only thing mercifully missing from his sagebrusher is a love interest for Peppard.
The action opens at sunrise with a troop of blue-coated U.S. Cavalry riding into mountainous country to search for Indians. They find a Navajo village, but only an old dying squaw and her dog are around when the cavalry rides in for an inspection. They do find an army coat with a lance thrust through it in a sand painting. Major Harkness wants to know more about these deserted villages, and he persuades his chief scout Ben Lawler (L.Q. Jones of "The Wild Bunch") with a bit of arm-twisting to reconnoiter out the country and learn what has happened to the Navajos. Initially, Lawler had no intention of scouting. He plans to head out to greener pastures, but Harkness confiscates Lawler's army mount to keep the seasoned scout from leaving the fort. Harkness also forbids the camp supply clerk to sell him provisions. Reluctantly, Lawler gives in to Harkness' request and leaves the fort on expedition duty.
Meanwhile, a band of young Kiowa braves attack a wagon train of immigrants under the supervision of Jackson Buckley (Pernell Roberts of TV's "Bonanza") who is determined to see his settlers reach their destination. Buckley negotiates a deal with the braves who only want a horse in exchange for leaving the wagon train alone. The settlers give them a horse. When the braves take the horse, the treacherous Buckley picks them off from behind with his rifle. One of the members of the wagon train is a suspicious, unshaven German, Raeder (Bo Svenson of "North Dallas 40"), who is good with a knife and keeps to himself. He has a shady past that plays a part in the story. The two settlers who get their share of screen time are twenty-somethings, Heller Chase (Belinda Montgomery of "Miami Vice") and Garratt (Barry Brown of "Piranha") who have left St. Louis to make a new life for themselves. Heller decides leave the wagon train and strike out on her own to find the fort. She runs into Raeder but he sends her back to the train. Raeder collapses before he reaches the fort, but Harkness spots him from the stockade wall. Harkness and his men ride out and escort Buckley's wagon train back to the fort.
Harkness provides them with supplies and manpower to mend their wagons, but he orders Buckley to take them back to St. Louis. Buckley refuses. Lawler finds Heller passed out on the prairie with ice on her eyes and brings her to fort. No sooner has the cavalry gotten the wagon train of pioneers inside the fort than Santanta (Joaquin Martinez of "Joe Kidd") arrives with a small army of Kiowas. Lawler informs Harkness that Santanta is out to recruit the Navajos and if he manages to pick up the 2000 Navajos in the mountains, Harkness and company won't stand a chance against their superior numbers. Eventually, Harkness' son Peter (Vincent Van Patten) arrives at the fort and nothing that Harkness tries wins him any sympathy from his son. Santanta's braves attack the fort. During the attack, the Indians sneak into the fort and abduct Peter and take him to a high peak where they hold him as hostage. Santanta vows to kill Peter if Harkness doesn't surrender Buckley to him.
"The Bravos" boasts first-rate production values. There are no surprises in this familiar clash of wills both inside and outside of the fort.
Handsome George Peppard, with graying temples, plays the grim fort commandant who serves as the only law and protection for 500 miles. He has his gauntlets full of trouble. He has only seventy-seven troops under his command and they are holed up in a fort with decaying walls, a shortage of ammunition, with thousands of Indians concealed behind a number of mountain ridges that lie without view of their walls. No, Major John David Harkness isn't pleased about this predicament and things predictably grow worse for him as this 97-minute dust-raiser unfolds. The big problem here is not with the lack of action, but with the lack of drama. Our stalwart cavalry commander has to deal with a bloodthirsty Kiowa warrior chieftain, an obnoxious wagon train leader who enjoys shooting Indians in the back, and his rebellious son who has been expelled from a New England boarding school and hates his guts because he doesn't think that he loves him. Meanwhile, Harkness has to contend with his own ill-disciplined troops and fellow officers who have problems following his orders. About the only thing mercifully missing from his sagebrusher is a love interest for Peppard.
The action opens at sunrise with a troop of blue-coated U.S. Cavalry riding into mountainous country to search for Indians. They find a Navajo village, but only an old dying squaw and her dog are around when the cavalry rides in for an inspection. They do find an army coat with a lance thrust through it in a sand painting. Major Harkness wants to know more about these deserted villages, and he persuades his chief scout Ben Lawler (L.Q. Jones of "The Wild Bunch") with a bit of arm-twisting to reconnoiter out the country and learn what has happened to the Navajos. Initially, Lawler had no intention of scouting. He plans to head out to greener pastures, but Harkness confiscates Lawler's army mount to keep the seasoned scout from leaving the fort. Harkness also forbids the camp supply clerk to sell him provisions. Reluctantly, Lawler gives in to Harkness' request and leaves the fort on expedition duty.
Meanwhile, a band of young Kiowa braves attack a wagon train of immigrants under the supervision of Jackson Buckley (Pernell Roberts of TV's "Bonanza") who is determined to see his settlers reach their destination. Buckley negotiates a deal with the braves who only want a horse in exchange for leaving the wagon train alone. The settlers give them a horse. When the braves take the horse, the treacherous Buckley picks them off from behind with his rifle. One of the members of the wagon train is a suspicious, unshaven German, Raeder (Bo Svenson of "North Dallas 40"), who is good with a knife and keeps to himself. He has a shady past that plays a part in the story. The two settlers who get their share of screen time are twenty-somethings, Heller Chase (Belinda Montgomery of "Miami Vice") and Garratt (Barry Brown of "Piranha") who have left St. Louis to make a new life for themselves. Heller decides leave the wagon train and strike out on her own to find the fort. She runs into Raeder but he sends her back to the train. Raeder collapses before he reaches the fort, but Harkness spots him from the stockade wall. Harkness and his men ride out and escort Buckley's wagon train back to the fort.
Harkness provides them with supplies and manpower to mend their wagons, but he orders Buckley to take them back to St. Louis. Buckley refuses. Lawler finds Heller passed out on the prairie with ice on her eyes and brings her to fort. No sooner has the cavalry gotten the wagon train of pioneers inside the fort than Santanta (Joaquin Martinez of "Joe Kidd") arrives with a small army of Kiowas. Lawler informs Harkness that Santanta is out to recruit the Navajos and if he manages to pick up the 2000 Navajos in the mountains, Harkness and company won't stand a chance against their superior numbers. Eventually, Harkness' son Peter (Vincent Van Patten) arrives at the fort and nothing that Harkness tries wins him any sympathy from his son. Santanta's braves attack the fort. During the attack, the Indians sneak into the fort and abduct Peter and take him to a high peak where they hold him as hostage. Santanta vows to kill Peter if Harkness doesn't surrender Buckley to him.
"The Bravos" boasts first-rate production values. There are no surprises in this familiar clash of wills both inside and outside of the fort.
Mildly enjoyable and well made.
planktonrules30 May 2020
"The Bravos" is a made for TV movie which stars George Peppard. It's set in the American west just after the US Civil War.
The story begins with a group of settlers passing through Navajo country. What the settlers don't realize is that the man leading them (Pernell Roberts) is an irresponsible idiot. His actions end up nearly killing all of them, as he thought it was prudent to shoot some natives he saw near their camp....and not surprisingly the dead men's friends and family want vengeance.
This incident with the natives came at a very bad time. It seems that the nearby cavalry unit (led by Peppard) is overextended and can barely take care of themselves...let alone the settlers. Soon both groups are under attack and to top things off, the angry natives kidnap the commander's son!
This is a good film...no doubt about it. The only negative is that so many westerns were made for TV in the 1950s, 60s and into the 70s that I am sure this one kind of got lost among them. But it is well written, well acted and tense. Not a great movie...but a very good one.
The story begins with a group of settlers passing through Navajo country. What the settlers don't realize is that the man leading them (Pernell Roberts) is an irresponsible idiot. His actions end up nearly killing all of them, as he thought it was prudent to shoot some natives he saw near their camp....and not surprisingly the dead men's friends and family want vengeance.
This incident with the natives came at a very bad time. It seems that the nearby cavalry unit (led by Peppard) is overextended and can barely take care of themselves...let alone the settlers. Soon both groups are under attack and to top things off, the angry natives kidnap the commander's son!
This is a good film...no doubt about it. The only negative is that so many westerns were made for TV in the 1950s, 60s and into the 70s that I am sure this one kind of got lost among them. But it is well written, well acted and tense. Not a great movie...but a very good one.
Not Too Compelling Despite Cast and Production
richlandwoman3 July 2020
The Bravos was a failed TV pilot that became an ABC Sunday night movie in early 1972. Despite a first-rate cast and surprisingly high production values, it isn't very interesting. I stuck with it to the end, mostly because I was glad to see LQ Jones in a fairly large role.
boring failure
chipe13 January 2014
I like Westerns and was hopeful for this one, which I had never seen before. Didn't like it. It seems like a failed pilot for a Western series on TV. And it happens to be a TV movie. It's long, filled with a lot of characters and plot (young lovers' quarrel, convict on the run, insubordinate officers, etc.), and is -- boring, still... .... On second viewing, it seems better. Well acted, interesting, moves a long.
***lots of spoilers****
The movie is unique to its detriment. There is no love interest for the star, Peppard. And Peppard is the commanding office of this little military post 500 miles from civilization. It would have been more interesting if he had a middle rank and bucked the system to achieve final success. Those are clichés but would have made for a more interesting movie.
I didn't like the soap opera little disputes among the characters. I didn't like the way Peppard's trusty scout L.Q. Jones was constantly going out alone into barren hostile Indian territory finding all sorts of things and information and returning quickly and safely, as though he had strolled through his own backyard.
One example of the flatness of the movie is that the little wagon train that gets to the fort for safety, at the end of the movie decides to return to St Louis for safety. The other main plot of the movie is this trite and incredible happening: the fort is attacked by Indians, and Peppard's young antagonistic son, who was just kicked out of boarding school in the East, is kidnapped by one of the Indians! So Peppard and L.Q. Jones go off alone into the wilds to rescue him.
***lots of spoilers****
The movie is unique to its detriment. There is no love interest for the star, Peppard. And Peppard is the commanding office of this little military post 500 miles from civilization. It would have been more interesting if he had a middle rank and bucked the system to achieve final success. Those are clichés but would have made for a more interesting movie.
I didn't like the soap opera little disputes among the characters. I didn't like the way Peppard's trusty scout L.Q. Jones was constantly going out alone into barren hostile Indian territory finding all sorts of things and information and returning quickly and safely, as though he had strolled through his own backyard.
One example of the flatness of the movie is that the little wagon train that gets to the fort for safety, at the end of the movie decides to return to St Louis for safety. The other main plot of the movie is this trite and incredible happening: the fort is attacked by Indians, and Peppard's young antagonistic son, who was just kicked out of boarding school in the East, is kidnapped by one of the Indians! So Peppard and L.Q. Jones go off alone into the wilds to rescue him.
Refuge out of necessity
bkoganbing14 June 2015
George Peppard stars in The Bravos a cavalry western where Peppard is a captain in charge of a badly located fort some weather beaten troops and a wagon train that has taken refuge in his post out of necessity. It seems as though they have a martinet of a wagon-master in Pernell Roberts who went and shot a Kiowa chief's son and now he wants protection. The Kiowas want Roberts and to insure they get him they take Vincent Van Patten playing Peppard's son who is visiting.
The Bravos is a routine cavalry western to be sure. Some of the themes however could have used a more poetical director. Coming to mind immediately is Rio Grande where John Ford gets the most out of scenes involving Claude Jarman, Jr. with his parents John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Would that Ford been directing Peppard and Van Patten.
Pernell Roberts between his television series Bonanza and Trapper John, MD. played a lot of villains. His arrogant wagon-master is someone you love to hate and is the highlight of the film.
This one is OK for western fans.
The Bravos is a routine cavalry western to be sure. Some of the themes however could have used a more poetical director. Coming to mind immediately is Rio Grande where John Ford gets the most out of scenes involving Claude Jarman, Jr. with his parents John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Would that Ford been directing Peppard and Van Patten.
Pernell Roberts between his television series Bonanza and Trapper John, MD. played a lot of villains. His arrogant wagon-master is someone you love to hate and is the highlight of the film.
This one is OK for western fans.
Sleepy Feel
dhodges-1374927 June 2019
Peppard In Charge
boblipton8 August 2020
George Peppard is the commander of a cavalry regiment out west in Apache territory. His motherless young son has just been sent out to him. Pernell Roberts is a civilian who wants him to do lots of stuff that Peppard resists. And the natives are restless.
It's an episodic TV movie, and shows all the signs of being a pilot for a series that was never picked up. Peppard plays his usual post-60s larger-than-life character, but there's still a blankness to him; earlier in his career it lent a certain juvenile appeal to his roles; now it's just..... impenetrable. Ted Post offers his usual competent but bland direction.
It's an episodic TV movie, and shows all the signs of being a pilot for a series that was never picked up. Peppard plays his usual post-60s larger-than-life character, but there's still a blankness to him; earlier in his career it lent a certain juvenile appeal to his roles; now it's just..... impenetrable. Ted Post offers his usual competent but bland direction.
Boring.
tommagnenorbom24 January 2021
It's movies like this that give westerns a bad name. Yes, it was made for TV, but that's no reason to bore the viewers. But at least the Kiowas were played by Native Americans and not not a bunch of white guys with feathers in their rugs.
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