Die Teufelspassage

As a longtime Joel McCrea fan, I thought I had seen most all, if not all, of his westerns. But I evidently was wrong (for once in my 75 years!!!), as I had never seen this one until it showed up on the Western Channel recently.

As westerns go it was "Ho-um", which was surprising considering the cast: Joel McCrea, Luscious Yvonne De Carlo, and the always hilarious Alfonso Bedoya; who's animated performance steals every scene he is in.

Other reviewers have criticized this film for its sympathetic portrayal of Southern rebels trying to get stolen Yankee gold to the Confederacy, but this is not the first film to do a similar story. Virginia City with Errol Flynn & Randolph Scott, and Great Day in the morning with Robert Stack are two that come to mind. All three of these are fanciful Civil War out west tales about a Confederate scheme at the last minute to smuggle several millions in gold bullion into the South for supplies to keep the war going. And what happens in the end of all of these strains credulity to say the least.

BUT, these are movies, NOT documentaries, and made for entertainment, to sell tickets & popcorn, not to pay homage to the South, and not to be to closely analyzed as there are plenty of ridiculous plot holes and unreal situations.

Since this film was directed by George Sherman I had expected it to have the same quality great action scenes that he had been known for in all his many westerns from the 30's & 40's. Needless to say it fell flat there for the most part.

One area that they tried to be accurate on was the type of handgun every one carried: the Remington 1858 Cap & ball, fairly correct for the period. Except during the final showdown/shootout they more conveniently substituted the Single Action Colt, which was modified to look like the Remington. My guess is that this was more economical as it allowed used of the then popular 5-in-1 blanks used in most Westerns. For the uninitiated, these were blanks that would fit & fire in any revolver of 38-40, 44-40, 45 Colt calibers, and lever actions of 38-40 or 44-40 calibers.

The best part of any western, especially ones shot in color, are the beautiful outdoor location scenes, and here they almost overshadow the weak script.

This could've been a really good western, it's a shame it didn't live up to its potential, but its worth watching if only for the two leads.

Border River at it's time was one of a dwindling band of westerns where you could have a Confederate hero as the lead. Joel McCrea plays a man who was a major on Robert E. Lee's staff. He's pulled off one very big heist at the Denver Mint and he's got 2 million in gold bullion. But what to do with it? Actually the miracle is how he got it from Colorado to Texas, the stuff is pretty bulky.

McCrea crosses the Rio Grande to a place called Zona Libre where neither the writ of Emperor Maximilian nor that of Benito Juarez runs. Instead the guy in charge is Pedro Armendariz who's a tin-pot tyrant and his right hand man is Alfonso Bedoya who revs up his Gold Hat character from The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre. There's also saloon entertainer Yvonne DeCarlo who's the general's personal squeeze, but she takes a fancy to McCrea and later proves invaluable to him.

McCrea's interest is to buy supplies for the Confederate army with the stolen gold. But there's a real lack of trustworthy people around from Armendariz on down. There's a whole lot of intrigue going on in the Zona Libre. There's also the looming shadow of Juarez who'd really like to put Armendariz and remove a real problem from his rear.

Border River is a competently made western with the truest cowboy hero around Joel McCrea in the lead. He and DeCarlo work well together. But the ones to watch are Armendariz and Bedoya trying to outdo each other in evil. Bedoya looks like he's having a great old time out-acting the cast of about ten different films.

terrible screenplay, terrible actors, bad and weak screenplay, ridiculous scenarios and plots. there's nothing worth praising whatsoever. guy was chased by soldiers, was shot crossed the river, then woke up in the hotel, then suddenly wearing all custom made new shirt, jacket and pants and hat showed up in the bar, then again, he kept changing into tailor made dresses after finished one scene. those dresses were ironed and pressed and so fit on his body. all the fights were poorly carried out. the dialog and acting by most supporting actors were just overly exaggerated and pretentious to the extreme. you need to turn of your I.Q. to watch this stupid western movie. the heist of the gold about two million dollars worth was another joke. the scenes by the river with stupid quick sand also was just too stupid to watch. all the fighting scenes just looked stupid and fake. there are so many good western movies from 1940 to 1970, but this one definitely is not one of them.

This film begins with a Confederate officer by the name of "Major Clete Mattison" (Joel McCrea) barely escaping from Union cavalry by crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico. Although he is shot and wounded for his efforts he is allowed sanctuary into that specific part of the country by a corrupt Mexican Army commander named "General Calleja" (Pedro Armendariz) who has received intelligence reports that Major Mattison has stolen over $2 million in gold-and both he and several of his business associates want it badly. Further complicating matters for him is that there is a specific woman named "Carmelita Carias" (Yvonne De Carlo) who has caught his eye and the fact that Major Mattison has begun spending some time with her infuriates him to no small extent as well. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a mediocre Western which suffered somewhat by the rather bland acting of all of the aforementioned actors involved. Likewise, I didn't quite care for the abrasive character of Major Mattison either. Be that as it may, while I don't consider this to be a terribly bad film, it didn't really impress me that much and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

During the war between Maximilian and Juarez in 1865 , there was a small territory on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande known as Zona Libre , Free Zone . It was dominated by a man who called Eduardo Calleja (Pedro Armendariz) and he made it a haven for any man outside the law . This is the story of Zona Libre . Newly arrived is Clete Mattson (Joel McCrea) who has $2million in gold and he is grimly determined to buy guns for the Confederacy . He is a Confederate officer and along with his men journey to Mexico to buy guns to continue the war effort and they wind up in an area known as Zona Libre. As Mattson in a gun-running mission and transporting a treasure , as he finds out the blessings , and along the way delivering the gold proves harder . Then an Union officer determines to stop them. Meanwhile , being developed a triangular love story among Mattson , General Calleja and the eye-catching Carmelita (Yvonne De Carlo who puts deep personalility into the charming heroine) . However , the nasty General has his own plans for both the gold and the Confederate officer whom the girl he loves has fallen for. The General believes she's his property but she seems rather to fancy Mattson . As Clete Manson/McCrea and General Calleja/Armendariz battling for a beautiful girl/Yvonne . Throughout the dangerous paths , the tough Confederate Mattson carrying the valuable hidden treasure and being chased by the ambitious General Calleja , and Union agents , in pursuit, too . A slice of living history out of Mexican frontier's fabulous saga! With gust and gunfire and more dangers lurk. ¡ , they blasted their way into history! Zona Libre ... where everything had its price ... but her kind of trouble was free !..filmed in Morelos (Mexico)'s wild regions where it once happened, as it once happened! The cry that rooked the world'd hottest strip the hell ¡.They Had a Date With Destiny in the Powder-Keg of the West...ZONA LIBRE.

Western drama set in Zona Libre , a small enclave across the river from America controlled by a renegade Mexican general named Calleja, who agrees to sell foreign people what they need ; it packs dramatic moments , noisy action , shootouts , crosses , doublé crosses and a highly commendable musical score . Bursting with attractive characters, interesting sub-plots , and with very decent filmmaking and interpretation . It is set in 1865 , Mexican Civil War between Juarez and Emperor Maximiliano who finally would be deposed, subsequently executed and where governs another tyrant : General Eduardo Calleja . A rugged B class Western from the unheralded Universal Picture medium-budget stable . It is an action-packed , vivid Western and there's plenty of tough action with Joel McCrea in the lead continuing his image as the quietly spoken but grimly determined man who it's dangerous to double-cross , he puts personality into the headstrong hero .And it contains an excellent final climatic fight betwen Joel McCrea and Pedro Armendariz at the exciting end , both of whom fighting into quicksands , it must have left both heroes needing a bath . Mexican revolution often brings out the best in Hollywood's Soldier Of Fortune action heroes , they are apt to give quite a lift , too, to a routine Western story ; these heroes were usually starred by Robert Mitchum , such as ¨Bandolero¨ by Richard Fleischer with Robert Mitchum , Zachary Scott , Ursula Thies ; ¨Viva rides¨by Buzz Kulik with Mitchum , Yul Bynner , Charles Bronson ; ¨The wonderful country¨1959 by Robert Parish with Robert Mitchum , Julie London , Garry Merrill , Albert Dekker and ¨The treasure of Pancho Villa¨ by George Sherman with Rory Calhoun , Shelley Winters , Gilbert Roland . Photographically with portentous images , being spectacularly filmed among the deserts and treacherous canyons of old Mexico and musically , it's a continuous treat , including an excellently thrilling climax . The picture centers on Joel McCrea as a Confederate officer battling for a fortune in arms , he along with his men rob a $2-million Union gold shipment and travel to Mexico to buy guns and supplies to continue the war effort. , all in aid of the Confederacy . Stars Joel McCrea, a coping six-footer in the Gary Cooper tradition , as he grapples rather unsteadly with his role as a Confederate officer who ends with his heart in the right place . Joel McCrea was a ¨B-actor¨ and ¨A-actor¨at times , who starred a lot of films of all kinds of genres , outstanding in Western . And a nice support cast , standing-out two Mexican actors : Pedro Armendariz as a General who despotically rules a safe haven , as he offers sanctuary to outlaws at a price and Alfonso Bedoya as his drunk henchman who makes a smiling and greasy villian as any Western buffs could possiblr wish . An other notorious secondaries in brief appearances as Howard Petrie, George J. Lewis, Galindo , Fred Beir , Bob Reeves , feature-movie debut of Jody McCrea , Joel McCrea's son, and Lane Chandler .

This modest drama/action/Western picture was professionally and firmly directed by George Sherman , assisted by a Mexico production unit ; though slowly filmed, as I miss more action and shots, but it also has crossfire , pursuits and impressive fights . The movie was a collaboration between independient producer Albert J. Cohen and Universal Pictures , supported by the prestigious craftsman fimmaker Sherman . Colorful and brilliant cinematography by Irving Glassberg shot on location in Courthouse Wash, Arches National Park, Utah, Colorado River, Moab, Utah,Professor Valley, Moab, White's Ranch , Moab and Universal studios . In fact , this was the last film shot in the Three-Strip Technicolor process .As well as an evocative and thrilling musical score by uncredited and Universal's regular : William Lava , Henry Mancini and Herman Stein . The motion picture was professionally directed by George Sherman in B-style , though has some flaws . Entertainment , atmosphere , action and excitement surge along with the tale under the hand of filmmaker George Sherman , who is clearly more at home with the thrilling scenes than with somewhat excessively talking storyline . Sherman made reliable low-budget fare for Columbia between 1945-48, then moved on to do the same at Universal for another eight years , where he directed this ¨War Arrow¨ . Sherman specialized almost exclusively in "B" westerns there , including the "Three Musketeers" series, which featured a young John Wayne. George directed lots of Westerns as ¨The Last of the Fast Guns¨ , ¨The Lone Hand¨, ¨Santa Fe stampede¨ , ¨Red skin¨ , ¨Chief Crazy Horse¨ ¨Calamity Jane¨, ¨Relentless¨ , ¨Comanche Territory¨ , ¨Dawn at Socorro¨, ¨Border River¨ and many others . He also made occasional forays into action and horror themes, often achieving a sense of style over substance . The only "A"-grade films to his credit were two westerns starring John Wayne: ¨Comancheros¨ (1961) (as producer) and ¨The big Jack¨ (1971) . His last films were realized in Spain as "Find That Girl" , ¨The new Cinderella¨ and ¨Joaquin Murrieta¨. Rating : 6/10 . Acceptable and passable . Well worth watching , a decent oater and rousing entertainment with the West as wild you could wish