The Battle of the Apache Pass
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The Battle of the Apache Pass |
| Original title | The Battle at Apache Pass |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1952 |
| length | 85 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | George Sherman |
| script | Gerald Drayson Adams |
| production | Leonard Goldstein |
| music | Hans J. Salter |
| camera | Charles P. Boyle |
| cut | Ted J. Kent |
| occupation | |
| |
The Battle of the Apache Pass is an American western film directed by George Sherman from 1952.
action
The New Mexico Territory in 1861: Because of the outbreak of civil war , US Army units leave their forts. The Bedonkohe hateful leader - Apache Geronimo (Jay Silverheels) observes such a withdrawal; in his wake is the little elk (Tommy Cook), younger brother of Chiricahua chief Cochise (Jeff Chandler). On his return to the village, the little elk is reprimanded by Cochise for his arbitrariness and subjected to so-called female labor, but at the same time the tribal leader, who lives in peace with the troops in the neighboring Fort Buchanan, is worried and wants to join his wife Nona (Susan Cabot) provide instant assurance. His personal friend, the commander of the military post, Major Jim Colton (John Lund), dispelled his concerns: he had even waived promotion if he participated in the war so as not to endanger the laboriously achieved coexistence between reds and whites.
A little later, a reinforcement force led by the inexperienced Lieutenant George Bascom (John Hudson) moves into Fort Buchanan. There are also two civilians in his wake: a government-appointed Indian commissioner named Neil Baylor (Bruce Cowling) and the extremely seedy scout "Mescal Jack" (Jack Elam) who knows the area well. Colton is no stranger to the latter, as he had referred him to another fort two years ago because of the illegal sale of whiskey to the Indians. It turns out in the first few conversations that both of them are up to no good. On the advice of certain circles in Washington, Baylor wants to have the Apaches resettled in the extremely hostile San Carlos reservation, if necessary by force - Colton strictly rejects this in the knowledge of Cochise's loyalty.
So trouble is programmed, which quickly intensifies when a small motorcade is ambushed by Geronimo's warriors on their way from the stagecoach station Apache Pass in the direction of Tucson ; except for the attractive teacher Mary Kearney (Beverly Tyler) all travelers are killed. After receiving the report, Colton, accompanied by Baylor, immediately sets off to Cochise, who promptly denies himself any responsibility for the massacre and shows the new Indian commissioner who has made a thoughtless threat the skeleton of a Spanish conqueror kept in his hut. For his part, Cochise now sets off to a meeting of the tribal elders, during which Geronimo's further fate is discussed. During this meeting, the latter appears himself as a triumphant, but cannot avert his banishment. Cochise also demands the surrender of the Mary he was carrying, but the warrior Niga (Fred Carson) sees the redhead as his prey and challenges the chief to fight. Niga dies and Cochise has a problem because Nona - who watched everything - has, according to Indian custom, strong cause for jealousy because of her husband's struggle for the white woman.
This can be remedied quickly, however, by Cochise delivering the teacher to the fort, where his battle wound is immediately given by the military doctor Dr. Carter (Regis Toomey) is treated. Baylor and "Mescal Jack" realize that it will be difficult to undermine this harmonious coexistence. But they quickly take advantage of Geronimo's exile by meeting him and promising weapons and the like. a. convince them to attack Johnny Ward's (Jack Ingram) ranch, in which his young son is kidnapped. Again Colton is forced to move out - the two schemers use this circumstance to incite Bascom to undertake a punitive expedition against the unsuspecting Cochise. Demanding the surrender of the boy, the lieutenant wants to arrest the chief, his wife and three tribal brothers at a meeting, but Cochise escapes and rallies his warriors to counterattack. Nona is sent to him with a white flag, but when Bascom still refuses to release the three other prisoners (including the little elk) at another meeting, the matter escalates: Cochise snatches the stationmaster Culver (Richard Garland), who is actually well-meaning to him. and has him dragged to death, whereupon Bascom hangs the three Chiricahuas and places Sergeant Bernard (Richard Egan) under arrest, who repeatedly defends Colton's guidelines of fairness against the Indians.
Colton is appalled by the new situation on his return, but has little time to deal with the culprits Bascom and Baylor, as the Apaches are now attacking the fort. The commander, irritated by the events, wants to make sure that all the tribes have now united against the cavalry; the Bascoms troop falls into a trap from which he barely escapes. Colton sees only one option: retreat to Fort Sheridan. The departments, including the cannons they carried with them, have to pass through the Apache Pass, on the slopes of which the forces of the Apaches, who have now actually united - Cochise and Geronimo have fraternized again - are already waiting. Baylor tries at the last second to escape to his "friend" Geronimo, but the latter shoots him freezing for missing arms deliveries ("Mescal Jack" had already been killed on the orders of Cochise). While the bloody firefight breaks out, Nona, who is now heavily pregnant, leads the tribal women close to the action. Because the situation of the blue coats in the valley basin is unfavorable, Colton decides to use the cannons, which inflict heavy losses on the Indians. When Nona, who has rushed to meet her husband, is hit by a splinter, Cochise rides again with a white flag to Dr. Calder to ask for help. However, the cessation of the fighting provokes again Geronimos fierce anger, who urges his warriors to ignore the truce. The snubbed Cochise rides to Geronimo and is challenged to a duel, which he wins without killing the adversary - Geronimo is an outlaw of his tribe for a second time and has to withdraw. With the support of Carter and Mary (who has since fallen in love with Colton and will remain with the cavalry), Nona gives birth to a son, and Cochise lets the units move on to Fort Sheridan unmolested to later return to peace with his friend Colton.
Reviews
"Western that seeks an objective distribution of moral weights, but does not come close to the level of" The Broken Arrow ", which refers to the same historical facts."
Others
- In Austria the film was released as The Battle of the Apache Pass
literature
- Gregor Hauser: Muzzle flashes: The 50 best B-Westerns of the 50s and their stars . Verlag Reinhard Marheinecke 2015, ISBN 978-3-932053-85-6 . Pp. 47-50.
Web links
- The battle at Apachenpaß in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Battle of the Apache Pass. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .