Fuerte perdido

Paul Driscoll arrives in Arizona looking to settle down in Arizona Territory after the Civil War and ends up marrying a beautiful singer out of convenience. She's eager to escape her current surroundings, partly because she's hoping to escape with former lover Jeffrey Wall (Mariano Vidal Molino).

Three days later, he leaves with a caravan of settlers escorted by a military patrol. But they are attacked by the Indian chief Gerónimo and his men, having to take refuge in an abandoned fort, where the attacks of the Apaches, the boredom and the scarcity of water make the settlers' strength fail.

Doomed Fort ( Fuerte perdido) is a Spanish western in traditional form with a trail that is well worn, which isn't really a criticism if you are looking for the usual cavalry under attack coupled with intrigue and some skirmishes. The latter is a little lacking, however it's a decent story told efficiently and has some good characters/situations like the hero's wife's ulterior motive to get hitched to him. Can be a bit talky but the landscape, the fort as well as the efficiently watchable plot keep you from snoring.

This thrilling Pasta/tortilla Western packs zooms , thrills , shootouts , go riding , noisy action , chases and Indian attacks . A group of cavalry soldiers arrives in ¨Doomed Fort¨ , an old , puny fort in ruins , they find out it has been attacked by Indians and there are several casualties and , suddenly , appearing a wounded insane man shooting and shouting , he is called Paul Driscoll . Paul (German Cobos) is detained , judged and accused by a martial court presided by a judge (Rufino Inglés) and a public prosecutor (Santiago Rivero) . Then Paul tells his previous existence at the fort by means of flashbacks : As Driscoll arrives in Arizona to take possession lands given by the US government and marries a beautiful Saloon singer (Marta May) . Three days later , Paul sets out in wagon train along with a number of settlers , being protected by a small detachment commanded by an Union Lieutenant (Julio Pérez Tabernero) . Across the way they meet a thirsting and injured Sioux Indian (Ethel Rojo) and subsequently take refuge at a scrawny fort . The Indians led by Geronimo attack the fort commanded by the lieutenant who is mortally wounded and then takes command a Southern Sergeant (Hugo Pimentel) .

This average vintage Chorizo Western packs thrills , horse pursuits , action , brawls , assaults and drags at times , balancing in ups and downs . The plot summary is plain and simple : a caravan is attacked by Apache Indians and then they take shelter at a fort , being besieged by Geronimo . It's a low budget film with fine actors , technicians, decent production values and middling results . This moving Tortilla Western blends decent action scenes , shootouts , stirring Indian charges , colorful as well as evocative cinematography and many other things ; all meld together under Jose Maria Elorrieta's mediocre direction . Although the story has been told before , ordinary filmmaking and nice acting win out , but it results in an acceptable Western adventure flick . It is a combination of overwhelming crossfires and full of villainy , romance , fights and heroism . This is one of the few Chorizo Westerns in which appear Indians , including Apache Chief Geronimo , using Spanish people as extras and stunts . Passable Gazpacho Western with a professional Spanish filmmaker , B-actors , a lot of Spanish secondaries and expert technicians . All in all , this film is predominantly a Spanish film rather than an Italian one . It's a utterly Spanish Western , though by that time to be ordinary Spanish/Italian co-productions in which were clearly dominated by the Italian contingent and the traditional leanings of the Spanish producers of the time have their stamp on the entire proceedings . The Spanish westerns of this era were far more likely to try and emulate their American source material than cultivate a distinctive style of their own the way the Italians were doing but their product , if you like traditional westerns remains watchable . Customary Western that doesn't follows the Sergio Leone wake , but it is proceeded in American models . It's an exciting western with overwhelming shootouts and facing off between cavalry and Indians . Fun acting by German Cobos as a settler who uses all kind of shrewdness in order to destroy his enemy well played by Mariano Vidal Molina as Joffren , a gunrunner who attempts to smuggling weapons , rifles , ammunition , and whiskey to Indians . The film is well starred by German Cobos who played a lot of Paella/Chorizo or Tortilla Western filmed in Spain , such as : ¨Hombre De La Diligencia¨ by Jose Maria Elorrieta¨, ¨Valor De Cobarde¨ by Leon Klimowsky , ¨Wanted¨ by Giorgo Ferroni , and ¨Blood calls to Blood¨ by Luigi Capuano . Producer and director took advantage of the atmospheric exteriors from Seseña , Toledo , Colmenar Viejo and Manzanares Del Real , Aranjuez , Madrid and shooting a hastily assembled passable picture . In the movie appears usual support actors of the sixties such as Aldo Sambrell , Jose Canalejas , Julio Perez Tabernero , Guillermo Méndez , José Sancho , Chris Huerta , Rafael Albaicín , Luis Barboo , Frank Braña , Pastor Serrador , Alfonso De La Vega ; all of them performed a great number of Spaghetti/Paella Western .

This is a good-natured Eastmancolor romp with atmospheric cinematography from Pablo Ripoll , though a perfect remastering being necessary because of the film copy is washed-out ; in addition an evocative musical score by Fernando Garcia Morcillo , including catching songs by José Guardiola . ¨Massacre at Fort Grant" or "Doomed Fort" or "Massacre at Fort Perdition" was middlingly directed by José Maria Elorrieta , a hard-working craftsman who had already filmed other Westerns and adventures . He was a writer and director , especially known for Rosa De Lima (1961), Muchachas En Vacaciones (1958) , and made many other films until his early death at 53 . Spanish writer/filmmaker Jose Maria Elorrieta so consistently mixed the good with the mediocre that it became quite impossible to know what to expect from him next . As Elorrieta had prolific career , working from the 40s to 70s he directed all kind of genres such as Terror : ¨Escalofrío Diabólico¨, ¨La LLamada Del Vampiro¨, ¨El Espectro del Terror¨, ¨Las Amantes Del Diablo¨; Western : ¨Los Siete De Pancho Villa¨, "If You Shoot... You Live!", ¨Hombre De La Diligencia¨ , and adventures as ¨La Muchacha Del Nilo¨, ¨Conquistadores Del Pacifico¨, El Tesoro De Makuba¨, ¨La Esclava Del Paraíso¨ and ¨Hawk of Castile¨. Rating : 5 , mediocre Western movie , entertaining stuff that provides audience amusement . Enjoyable but ordinary production packs enough breathtaking fights , tempestuous romance and exciting situations for a good time . It will appeal to Eurotrash fans and Western movies aficionados .