L'expédition du fort King

I have been all over Florida, but have never seen anywhere so exotic looking as the swamp in the film where they paddled through. I have been throughout the Everglades and recognize similarities with much of the film's scenes. Though it is beautiful, I have never seen the unreal beauty shown in the film in the one scene where they are paddling. Where is it... exactly. Someone thought it may be someplace in Tarpon Springs. But, I have searched the internet for a place that might match it. Still nothing. There are plants in the scene that I don't even recognize. They look Floridian, but better than real. My suspicion is that it was what Florida looked like in a less touched era. It is so beautiful that I want to go there tomorrow. But where?

Rock Hudson fans, rent Seminole. He's so ridiculously handsome, it makes you want to make an optometrist appointment for Barbara Hale. In the movie, he's a lieutenant from West Point who comes back to his hometown after many years. His sweetheart Barbara isn't exactly glad to see him. Why? Because she's got another sweetheart on the side. Magnetic and passionate Anthony Quinn is Rock's rival, but since he plays an American Indian, it's a taboo romance. At that time, it was pretty racy of Hollywood to take an interracial romance seriously, let alone to show smooches!

The love triangle alone makes Seminole an interesting movie, but the side plot is also compelling. Rock is under the command of the stern, unfeeling Richard Carlson, and they constantly struggle with how to deal with the American Indians. Richard wants to obliterate them and take the territory, but Rock knows them-and is even friends with one of them, namely Anthony Quinn. And yes, that makes things even more complicated!

If you're don't really like Cavalry vs. Indians movies, you won't like this one. I wasn't really happy with the way things ended up, so this isn't a movie I'll watch over and over, but it was entertaining for the first hour.

Most people, especially in the future, will see the credits, and miss a lot of the plot simply looking for the Professor. Russell Johnson barely appears.

This is a fairly decent adventure. It's tempting to call it a Western, but technically that would be hard to do. It's West of Europe, but the location of Florida is more of a "Southern".

Still, this is a basic Western adventure. We have the hero struggling against a thick headed officer in handling the local natives.

The truth be known, most Westerns of the golden era were like this, depicting the native Americans as basically honorable and victims of corrupt white men. Here, we get the super honorable natives, and a few honorable white men, trying to "do the right thing" with a few malcontents messing things up.

What sets this above the average "western" or "southern version of a Western", is the famous battle scene. This was one of the most dramatic skirmish scenes ever filmed. It involves about twenty five soldiers against hidden natives, who do appear from hiding to attack. It is well blocked, and very exciting. It ranks as one of the most memorable battle scenes ever.

The journey through the swamp is also well done, and dramatic.

Aside from that, the story is a little routine. Sme major stars, and a beautiful woman add to the attraction.

This is a fairly well done film, that should rank moderately over a "5" in a realistic rating. Not as slow paced as most modern movies, but not as fast paced as most golden age Westerns.

An extremely clean-cut Rock Hudson is a West Point graduate sent to help the Major at Fort King flush out some Seminole who live in the Floridian swamps. He has some history with the tribe, and it's leader - a rather unconvincing Anthony Quinn, so wants to try finding a peaceable solution to their relocation. Needless to say, they have no intention of being sent to a reservation and the battle lines are drawn. Add to the mix an intransigent by-the-book Major (Richard Carlson) whose only objective is to obey his orders - regardless of casualties; and Barbara Hale as the go-between for the parties and we get quite an enjoyable, if not particularly action-packed adventure story told by way of a retrospective at Hudson's court martial for murder and treason. The photography is lovely, and the script and direction are sufficient to pass the time.

Better than average drama with a decidedly pro Indian slant was one of the many films Rock cranked out on his way up, this was one of seven pictures he made in 1953. He gives a good performance, one of his better early ones, as the resolute soldier who is on trial for his life.

The cast is full of familiar faces most of whom were also just starting out and would go on to greater fame like Lee Marvin, in good guy mode here, and Russell Johnson. Richard Carlson is the sore spot in the picture, he starts out okay but ends up chewing the scenery in an over the top performance.

Barbara Hale was never particularly well served by films having much more success on TV as Della Street on Perry Mason nor is she very well used here but she looks probably the best she ever did on screen beautifully shot in Technicolor and as Revere Muldoon has one of the greatest character names ever. Not really a western, not even set in the west but Florida this is an enjoyable picture especially for military history buffs.