Die blaue Eskadron

Raoul Walsh's last movie and a western at that! He produced unforgettable classics of the genre such as " Colorado's territory" and "pursued ".

The movie suffers from a desultory script which mixes the Indian's plight with bland love affairs.The lead,Troy Donahue ,lacks charisma and is not very credible as a tough lieutenant .Diane McBain is as expressive as a Barbie Doll ,and only Suzanne Pleshette rises to the occasion.

There's a good use of the wide screen,a superb score by Max Steiner (with trumpets),a general who loves Latin quotations Julius Ceasar style (Veni Vidi Vici) That said,there's never a dull moment with Raoul Walsh .This is not his best or among his best ,but it's always good value.

The more I watch this, the more I like it. Great epic scenes with a huge cast of soldiers, Indians, and horses in real American West settings. The wide screen Panavision photography (with original release prints in IB Technicolor) is excellent. CGI may be fine, but I have yet to see anything surpass the look of hundreds of REAL men on horses in stunning REAL outdoor settings.

As for the story, while I thought the book was very good, the way the characters are handled in the film is better in some ways, and the ending of the film much more to my liking.

One thing they did have to tone down from the book was the sex element. It appears WB even adjusted one sequence after prints were made up. This appears in Reel Two, where Matt Hazard (Tro Donahue) and Kitty Mainwarring (Susan Pleshette) are in thr cave together overnight. With Pleshette's back to audience line (apparently later dubbed in) says "Good night Matt" and there is an ABRUPT cut to daytime and troops coming into the fort. 35mm and 16mm prints I have seen all contain this SLICED cut. And the original 35mm trailer containing the cave sequence does not contain the "good night" line". I believe that originally there was an embrace and kiss between Troy and Suzanne and a DISSOLVE to the next scene (or fade out & in).

In any event, as Westerns go, this has a good story and looks better all the time, especially wide screen.

Bringing closure to the Apache hostilities on the Arizona frontier is the subject of this cavalry-Indian dust-up. William Clothier's wide screen CinemaScope camera captures the colorful vistas and expanses of the southwest where the battles take place. The casting of the picture is somewhat off-beat, from the heroic Matthew Hazard to the Latin-quoting General Alexander Upton Quait and finally, and tragically, to the cowardly Private Cranshaw. The Indian scouts serve the cavalry with bravery and dignity while their wild and fierce brethren ride the warpath a final time to hold on to their way of life. There is also a romantic triangle that complicates matters at the post. Director Raoul Walsh, an old hand at action westerns, serves up several Indian-trooper clashes and Max Steiner contributes a very nice score that is reminiscent of his earlier music in John Ford's legendary westerns.

A majestically simple Cavalry Western concerning the savage and stirring story of the last of the Great Indian Wars . Dealing with West Point graduate Lt. Hazard : Troy Donahue taking on lax discipline , a loving triangle : Suzanne Pleshette , Diane McBain , and eventually fighting brave Indians in impressive battles . Pulitzer Prize Winner Paul Hogan's epic novel of Indians and Indian-fighters !

Raoul Walsh's last movie saddled with a regular storyline but with vivid pacing and action enough . Decent Western emerging as a sweeeping and spectacular cavalry story with noisy action , thrills , emotion and breathtaking battles . It displays astounding massacres before introducing the ordinary liberal message of the Sixties . An enjoyable cavalry and Indians film in which Raoul Walsh letting them to speak their own language , by using subtitles on screen . A little reminiscent of John Ford trilogy : "Fort Apache , She wore yellow ribbon, Río Grande" , in mood and manner. Although , the film relies heavily on the romantic complicaciones among three protagonists . Main and support cast are acceptable. Troy Donahue gives a colourless acting as the stiff-uper-lip officer , while Suzanne Pleshette and Diane McLean play well as his beautiful lovers . Along with the familiar secondaries as William Reynolds , Claude Akins , Kent Smith , Larry Ward , Russell Johnson and especial mention for James Gregory as the proud Maj. General Alexander Quaint .

It is brilliantly and colorfull photographed by William Clothier . Rousing and moving musical score by the classic Max Steiner , including attractive leitmotif . The motion picture was competently directed by Raoul Walsh. The laconic mastery here denies the aacusations of decline levelled at Walsh , even if many of his later movies were disappointing . Raoul Walsh was a prolific filmmaker who made a lot of films in all kinds of genres with penchant for adventures, Noir Film and Western , outstanding the following ones : " The Thief of Bagdag , Big Trail , The Roaring Twenties , They Drive By Night, Dark Command , They Died With boots On , Strawberry Blonde , High Sierra , Gentleman Jim, Desperate Journey, Northern Pursuit, , Background to Dager , Uncertain Glory , Objetivo Burma, Pursued, Silver River , The Enforcer, Distant Drums , White Heat , Along the Great Divide , The World in his Arms , The Lawless Bread , Blackbeard , Sea Devils , A Lion in the Streets , Gun Fury, Band of Angels The Tall Men The Naked and the Dead , Esther and the King" and many others .

Although no one would ever confuse Troy Donahue with John Wayne, Donahue does acquit himself well in A Distant Trumpet which turned out to be Raoul Walsh's final feature film.

Donahue who made his bones in Hollywood playing mostly decent All American type young men. Here he's a fresh West Point graduate assigned to an Arizona frontier post where the army is busy subduing the last of the great Indian tribes, the Chiracauhua Apache. He's under the command of General James Gregory who was a mentor to him at West Point.

In addition to fighting Indians Donahue has a romantic dilemma. He's engaged to Diane McBain who is Gregory's niece. But on the post now is an old flame Suzanne Pleshette who is married to fellow officer William Reynolds.

Donahue has a similar dilemma faced by John Wayne in Fort Apache. As with the Duke, Troy behaves in an honorable fashion. In fact in his private affairs he's honorable if very tempted.

Take note of a good performance by Judson Pratt as a superior and sympathetic officer to Donahue's plight and a really rollicking and unforgettable one by Claude Akins who is quite the flesh peddler to both the red and white race.

A Distant Trumpet is not as sentimental as John Ford's cavalry westerns. But Raoul Walsh ended his career with a good one.