Escape from Fort Bravo [Blu-ray]

Director: John Sturges John Sturges

Overview

A nail-biting Indian deadlock remains the climax of this otherwise overly verbose Western filmed in M-G-M's then-new Ansco colors (forerunner of Eastmancolor). After ruthlessly dragging an escaped prisoner through the Arizona desert, Union Army Captain Roper (William Holden) suffers rebuke from both the rebel prisoners and his commanding officer (Carl Benton Reid). Things settles down a bit with the arrival of Carla Forester (Eleanor Parker), with whom Roper falls in love. But Carla proves to be a Confederate spy assigned to engender the escape of Captain Marsh (John Forsythe), the Rebel leader. The plan succeeds to a point but the escapees are hunted down by Roper and Lieutenant Beecher (Richard Anderson). Returning to Fort Bravo with his prisoners, Roper and his captives ride right into a Mescalero Apache hunting party. Filmed on location at California's Death Valley, Escape from Fort Bravo was co-written by Australian-born actor Michael Pate.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/18/2021
UPC:	0883929740987
Original Release:	1953
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Language:	English
Time:	1:38:00
Sales rank:	24,467

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

William Holden	Capt. Roper
Eleanor Parker	Carla Forester
Polly Bergen	Alice Owens
John Forsythe	Capt. John Marsh
William Demarest	Campbell
William Campbell	Cabot Young
Richard Anderson	Lt. Beecher
Carl Benton Reid	Col. Owens
John Lupton	Bailey
Howard McNear	Watson
Alex Montoya	Chavez
Forrest Lewis	Dr. Miller
Fred Graham	Jones
William 'Billy' Newell	Symore,Symore
Frank Matts	Kiowa Indian
Charles Stevens	Eilota
Michael Dugan	Sims
Valerie Vernon	Girl in Bar
Phil Rich	Barman
Glenn Strange	Sgt. Compton
Harry Cheshire	Chaplain
Eloise Hardt	Girl
Richard P. Beedle	Confederate Lieutenant
Chet Brandenburg	Confederate Prisoner
Roy Bucko	Barfly
Chick Hannan	Mescalero Indian
Jack Kenny	Barfly
Paul Kruger	Confederate Prisoner
Jack Montgomery	Confederate Prisoner
Carl Andre	Trooper
Harry V. Cheshire	Chaplain
Jeff Alexander	Composer

Technical Credits

Michael Pate

Frank Fenton

John Sturges	Director
Michael Pate	Screenwriter
Frank Fenton	Screenwriter
Nicholas Nayfack	Producer
Warren Newcombe	Special Effects
Michael Dugan	Stunts
Douglas Shearer	Sound Effects
Finn Ulback	Sound Effects
Kendrick Kinney	Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

Buoyed by a couple of fine performances and the aforementioned climactic Indian attack, Escape from Fort Bravo may not be John Sturges' finest hour and a half but remains a fairly entertaining if somewhat talky action thriller. The climactic standoff, in which most of the cast members are pinned down in the middle of the desert while the Apaches prove themselves efficient in psychological warfare, is a standout, but to get there you'll have to dispense with a great deal of disbelief. Eleanor Parker makes a very fetching spy indeed but the screenplay fails to make the ensuing romantic triangle drama little more than a contrivance.

All Movie Guide - Hans J. Wollstein