La bataille de Rogue River

Battle of Rogue River (1954)

** (out of 4)

Set in Oregon, the Army and Major Frank Archer (George Montgomer) are ordered to make peace with the Indians once and for all. Archer manages to make a deal with the Indian leader but someone goes against both sides and gets a war started.

BATTLE OF ROGUE RIVER is your average Western that features a rather familiar story and in all honesty it really doesn't stand out in a very crowded genre. These type of stories go back to the silent days as you've got good Americans and bad Indians trying to make peace but of course something happens and the good guys have to rise to the fight.

Director William Castle was probably just trying to bring this film in on budget and on time. I'm going to guess that was much more important than actually delivering some sort of masterpiece. As it stands, the film is pretty much average on every level as the story isn't original, the performances are decent and the director at least keeps things moving at a decent pace but there's just nothing here that stands out. I will say that the cinematography was quite good and the final battle sequence was nice.

Battle Of Rogue River is fought by George Montgomery as a newly arrived major in the Oregon territory who is charged to bringing the Indians under Chief Mike down and when that's done the path to admission as a state will be smooth. A very important issue for many reasons, those expressed in the film and with the Civil War looming another free state in the union. Curious that that fact was never brought up in the film.

Montgomery finds the discipline lax at the fort and soon puts that to right. As for the Indians and the tribe is never mentioned it is probably the Shoshone and they've been causing havoc the way Cochise and the Apaches were in Arizona. It's either beat them or deal with them.

His new orders opt for the latter, but some sinister forces have their own reasons for keeping Oregon wild and free. They pull some mighty despicable treason to do it.

Evenly matched against Montgomery is frontier girl Martha Hyer who's full of sass, she's the daughter of the post sergeant Emory Parnell. And leader of the civilian militia Richard Denning has more than a passing interest in her.

Battle Of Rogue River is produced by Sam Katzman who over at Monogram Pictures never saw the kind of budget this B western had. A good western it's still the kind of item that was showing up frequently on the small screen for free.

In this reminder of his journeyman days as a director of westerns for Columbia William Castle was already showing signs of the cynical sense of humour that soon became a feature of his exploitation pictures in his depiction of the US cavalry as an ill-humoured bunch; the Indians not being much better as the chief berates his braves for sustaining insufficient casualties during a raiding party

George Montgomery shows a natural talent for winding his men up the wrong way and certainly lives up to his admonition that "An officer's weakness is measured by every one of his men that likes him personally".

Martha Hyer, meanwhile, as a comely lass in a blouse and tight britches shows she has other fish to fry when she gazes longingly at him and coos "Did you ever notice what blue eyes he has?"; to which Montgomery's idea of banter when he tells Hyer "Not another word" and she replies "Fine!" is to respond "That's another word!"

The Indians, under Chief Mike, have been defeating the Army in Oregon for years. The new commander, Major Archer, plans to defeat the Indians once and for all, but his orders are changed to attempt a peaceful settlement. But there are certain people who do not want Oregon to become a state and they will attempt to keep the Indians on the war path.

The Battle of Rogue River is an unpretentious, straightforward, typical "Cavalry vs Indians" tale from Columbia Pictures . It's paced well, the plot holds things together and it has a modicum of action with a bit of a twist in regard to who is really a bad apple. Richard Denning plays the bad apple. George Montgomery is usually reliable and plays a stern officer with an obsession for following rules. Martha Hyer is quite stunning. The dialogue between Chief Mike and two of his braves when the braves are relating their experience with the "terrible weapons" that the major used against them is quite amusing.

There are a Few Things of Interest in this "Assembly Line" Picture that was made in the Middle of the Decade Long Love Affair with the "Western".

Directed with a Surprising Lack of Style by Horror Manipulator William Castle. It has a Strong B-Movie Cast Playing Cookie Cutter Characters. Nothing here Elevates but it is Competent, in Color, Widescreen and Short (71 min).

It is one of those Professional Only Entertainments that 1950's Movie Going Audiences were Offered that didn't Give a Hoot about Anthony Mann or Budd Boetticher. It's sort of a Pedestrian Escape and one of Many Traditional Following the John Ford Mantra.

Try and Catch all the Interesting Names of the Leading Characters. Slightly Above Average of its Kind and Plays it Safe all the way.

It Stars Middle Budget Stalwarts George Montgomery, Richard Denning, Michael Granger, as "Chief Mike" the most polite and even handed "Savage" You're likely to see, and Martha Hyer as the Only Woman in the Movie, a Feisty Female with Brains and Beauty.