Herr der rauhen Berge

Errol Flynn's last western is a fine one. The story begins near the end of the Civil War. Confederate soldiers led by Flynn are sent to California to recruit more men. But that mission is sidetracked when the men spot a stagecoach under attack by Indians and rush to help. They soon find themselves stranded on Rocky Mountain, along with Union hostages, as they await an Indian assault.

This is a pretty underrated western. I didn't give it a chance for years simply because it was one of the movies made later in Errol Flynn's career and a lot of those depress me. It helps that this is in black & white, so the effects Flynn's lifestyle had taken on him aren't quite as noticeable as his color movies from the same period. It also helps that Flynn's character is supposed to be beaten down by the war. The movie has a simple story but it's told effectively with good performances and an elegiac quality about it that you might not expect. It's better than average for what is basically a cowboys vs Indians tale. Flynn's leading lady in this film, Patrice Wymore, would become his third and final wife in real life. It's a nice cast with some colorful characters actors like Guinn Williams, Howard Petrie, Chubby Johnson, Dickie Jones, and Slim Pickens in his film debut. Jones has a nice monologue about meeting Robert E. Lee. It's a fitting end to Errol Flynn's western career. Definitely one his fans will want to see.

This movie has a few surprises that make it far better than one might expect from a "forgotten film".

What I was surprised most about was the directing, which comes across as almost an homage (or "rip-off", if you're cynical) to the great John Ford. What Mr. Ford did for Monument Valley, William Keighley tries to do for Gallup, New Mexico. And, for my money, he does an extremely respectable job of it. The scenery is really beautiful, and all the more dramatic due to the fact this is shot in black and white. There are some great angled shots, clever compositions, and the director does well with the action sequences.

The screenplay dispenses with all the heavy-handed messages and over-the-top, unfunny comedy sequences one might find in a Ford film, and aims its sites on a human drama of confederate soldiers on a mission who are forced to go to Plan B, C, and D in order to not only complete their mission, but to get two Yankee civilians to safety in spite of entanglements with Union soldiers and Indians on the war path. I agree with another IMDb reviewer who commented on the middle of the film dragging, and the suspense that should have been building never quite gets a full head of steam, but there are some really nice moments that make it worth sitting through the few dull spots. And I must admit to being utterly shocked by the ending...I really never saw it coming...which made the final moments in this film extremely poignant.

For it being 1950, I was stunned to find so many real and honest performances. There was none of that obnoxious "Studio Acting" where everyone is chewing scenery and pretending to be their character...everyone in this movie WAS the character they were playing. Errol Flynn is one of my all-time favorites and his restrained performance here was wonderful. This was my first time seeing Patrice Wymore on screen and I really enjoyed her performance...it could have easily become an annoying, whiny, shrill character, but Ms. Wymore made some very nice acting choices and created a believable character. The supporting cast is all solid, but three must be mentioned as stand-outs: 1) The great Chubby Johnson as the stage driver has a small but wonderful role. You might not know his name, but you'll know his face and voice immediately...one of the all-time great Western character actors. 2) A very young Slim Pickens has a wonderful role and proves himself the master horseback rider he was in real life. Great riding, great acting, and pure fun to watch. 3) The real surprise here for me was young Dickie Jones. What an absolute pleasure he was. And, in my opinion, he steals the movie away from all of the far more experienced and well-seasoned actors. He is genuine and earnest throughout, with a great monologue in the middle of the film that sucked me right in and made me believe. He was absolutely wonderful in the part and it's a shame he quit the business to go into real estate...I really think he might have had an Oscar in his future had he continued making movies.

This is not a perfect film by any means, but with strong performances, beautiful scenery, and interesting direction, this "John Ford Lite" Western has enough going for it to make up for any of its shortcomings. It's a real tough movie to find, but if you run across it, I sincerely believe it is worth a viewing.

Hope you enjoy!

Errol Flynn brings a world-weary look and an understated performance to this William Keighley directed Western. The film features several gifted horsemen Dickie Jones, Buzz Henry, Slim Pickens, Sheb Wooley and the legendary Yakima Canutt. It was the first film for both Pickens and Wooley who both became journeymen character actors.

It is also interesting to see Errol Flynn and Patrice Wymore (Mrs. Errol Flynn) work together in their only pairing on screen. The presence of Flynn's carousing companion Guinn "Big Boy" Williams also puts Flynn at ease in this role.

Rocky Mountain blends a Civil War chapter, rampaging Indians and a love triangle all in a solitary location shoot. One of the last black & white Westerns, it holds up well more than 50 years after it was filmed.

It's 1865. In a desperate last move, Lee had sent eight men led by Captain Lafe Barstow (Errol Flynn) to recruit Cole Smith and his 500 men for an attack on California. They save a stagecoach from a Shoshone war party. Passenger Johanna Carter (Patrice Wymore) is on her way to join her Union Army fiancé Lt. Rickey (Scott Forbes).

I don't like the narrations. It sounds like someone lifelessly reading a book. This has the potential to be a western classic. The story is good old fashion civil war fighting Indians. It has Errol Flynn. It has the epic landscape. They keep cutting to the little dog for the animal lovers. It has the fighting and the melodrama. It's an old fashion western. It's not a classic, but it is better than most.

Very refreshing western film starring Errol Flynn and Patrice Wymore, his last wife/widow who remembers Flynn much more gently than previous wives. For me, the script was fresh, not-so-predictable nor of the same campy flavor of previous Flynn westerns. I'm happy this one turned out so well. Another hidden gem. This film sketches out the story of a tiny band of rebel soldiers led by Flynn's character, Lafe Barstow, whose mission is to wait for a rebel renegade to rendezvous with them atop Rocky Mountain, originally called Ghost Mountain. They save a stagecoach from raiding Shoshone which carries a Northern lady on her way to meet her Yankee fiancée, a lieutenant at a nearby garrison. For the rest of this story, you'll have to rent and watch it yourself! But it's captivating, not the usual cheesy, run-of-the mill cookie cut westerns Flynn often had to play for his studio. The film draws the viewer in emotionally by focusing on each rebel band members individual stories from their homes in the South starting with a fantastic introduction of each by Flynn at the beginning. Trivia: Flynn met his future, final wife during this film. The film was shot in Gallup, New Mexico. This was the last Western film Flynn starred in and it's one he gives a solid performance. Great stuff all way around!