Column South

An Audie Murphy Western from 1953. Murphy plays a cavalry officer stationed at a fort just before the outset of the Civil War. He is adept w/dealing w/the Navajos particularly the leader named Menguito, played by Dennis Weaver of TV's McCloud fame, but he continues to butt heads w/his superior officer, a transplant from the old South who has recently been joined by his self-righteous sister who has an axe to grind w/any natives (a telling episode occurs when the scout of the base is seen at her window & she raises holy hell). The noose is tightened when a shipment of rifles goes missing & the military higher-ups suspect the Navajos of the theft so Murphy dejectedly conducts an investigation, finds the missing arms & orders Menguito & his tribe to a reservation but Murphy suspects foul play & as his suspicions are deepened, a more insidious plot asserts itself putting all parties on the road to an inevitable clash. More heft is given to this particular story-line then the majority of Murphy's oater output & this one ranks as one of his best which deftly fuses action, drama & racism in a well told package. Along for the ride are Russell Johnson & James Best as Murphy's subordinates & a special mention should go to Joan Evans who's portrayal of an uptight bigot who changes her ways is very vivid & telling.

This is a passable western but no extraordinary, a routine cavalry versus Indians yarn with thrills, attacks, treason and fort assaults. A standard Western in which Audie and the US cavalry face off and defeat the enemy. Set 1961, New Mexico, earlier the American civil war with Lt. Jed, Audie Murphy, who really efforts to conciliate his troops and the local war-crazed Navajo tribe commanded by Menquito : miscast Dennis Weaver. But his attempts are undermined by the superior officer, Captain Lee : Robert Sterling and a racist commandant : Ray Collins. Along the way Murphy is sent to command a detachment forming a long column across Indian territory while are assaulted by Indians .There are some Confederate sympathizers who undertake dark machinations to Indians follow a warpath. At the end occurs the last flamingo stand at Fort Union . Against treason and Navajo fury, the US cavalry rides!

This is an acceptable, but nothing special Western in which Indians are coerced to go on war by scheming US commanders who try to gain control Southern territories when next to take place the imminent American Civil War : 1861 to 1865. The picture with various pacing threads was well starred by Audie Murphy, playing in his usual style as an officer who fights to prevent war tensions and quell the impeding battles while has a peculiar love/hate with the heroine . Audie was the most decorated soldier in WWII and performing his self-bigraphy : To hell and back. And he starred a lot of Westerns as Texas Kid, Legend of Sam Guard, Cimarron Kid, Sierra, Legend of Billy Kid, Apache rifles, Night passage, Posse from hell, Arizona raiders, The unforgiven, Red badge of courage, 40 guns to Apache Pass, Guns of Fort Petticoat, among others. Remaining cast formed by nice actors as a tough officer interpreted by Robert Sterling, his beautiful sister played by Joan Evans who falls for Murphy and Ray Collins as cunning commanding who attempts to trigger war between Navajo Indians and cavalry to his command as for the Confederates can gain control of the South territory. And support cast with plenty of familiar faces as Dennis Weaver, Russell Simpson, James Best, Gregg Palmer, Johnny Downs, Ralph Moody, Richard Garland , Bob Steele, Denver Pyle, among others.

It contains a colorful cinematography in Technicolor by Charles P. Boyle, but an allright remastering being extremely necessary. As well as thrilling and atmospheric musical score by uncredited Henry Mancini and Herman Stein. Well produced by Ted Richmond who subsequently to have an important career financing blockbusters as Salomon and queen of Sabah, Villa rides, Red sun, Return of Magnificent Seven and Papillon. The motion picture was professionally directed by Frederick De Cordoba, though with no originality. Cordoba was a craftsman who made all kinds of genres with penchant for comedy, musican and adventure, in films as Buccaner's girl, For the love of Mary, Bedtime for Bonzo, Frankie and Johnny, I'll take Sweden, He come the Nelsons. Rating 5.5/10. Passable and acceptable.

Column South finds Audie Murphy as an army lieutenant in acting command at Fort Union in New Mexico. The new commander Captain Robert Sterling with his sister Joan Evans arrives to take over and he's a spit and polish short and his disposition ain't helped when he comes into the fort and sees a brawl going about politics. It's 1860 and the country is getting ready to divide sectionally.

But it's still one army with a mission to keep the peace with the Navajo represented by Chief Dennis Weaver. But the growing divide may let the Indians conquer and Weaver is one smart and courageous warrior.

In fact Weaver is the best one in the cast, the one who steals the film in every scene he's in. There's also a good performance by Ray Collins who is a visiting general with a big agenda all his own.

Column South is a well done western with a good cast and a good story for this cast to perform. Definitely one of Audie Murphy's better westerns.

The Civil War is about to break out, and there's trouble afoot with the Navajos on their reservation. Let. Audie Murphy has a good relationship with the Indian Chief Dennis Weaver, but his C.O,, Captain Robert Sterling doesn't trust them and is a Southern sympathizer. So when General Ray Collins, who is in on the plans to form the Confederacy wants the Navajos to revolt, he has Sterling plant guns, then issues orders that if they are found among the Indians, to move them to an inhospitable bit of territory.

It's a pretty good Audie Murphy vehicle directed by Grederick de Cordova, who would spend decades producing THE TONIGHT SHOW. Joan Evans is Sterlings Unionist wife, and there a nice small role for Bob Steele, Look quick for Denver Pyle as a Confederate spy for that double BONANZA feeling.

I do not know much about Director Frederick de Cordova but his oversight of COLUMN SOUTH failed to impress me: pedestrian cinematography, plot with a McGuffin (a letter from the fort commander apparently meant to remove the US forces from the fort and allow Navajo Indians to take over... uh?!) and a cast of then unknowns like Dennis Weaver as Menguito, the Navajo leader, and a rather plain-faced Joan Evans.

Thankfully, Audie Murphy saves the film with yet another spirited performance: while kissing Evans, he hears a snake (sounded like a rattlesnake but turned out to be some black reptile that looked suspiciously rubbery), kills it with with a handbag (!), out of which drops the McGuffin letter given by the fort commander. Murphy then has an inkling that that letter might carry dangerous tidings but he does not hesitate to risk court martial by opening and reading it, thereby confirming his worst suspicions.

At that point Murphy's resourcefulness emerges as he goes into the fort's arms depot tunnel, attaches fuses to dynamite and proceeds to blow the occupying Indians to bits - he really puts his shoulder to the wheel and thinks faster than anyone else!

Once the dust settled on the happy ending, I wondered whether I'll remember this film for any length of time (doubt it). 6/10.