Fort Yuma

More Time is Spent on the inter-Racial Love Interests, which was Atypical in Most 50's Westerns.

Few Films had such a Voluptuous Female Native-American at the Center of the Plot and even Fewer Dared to Portray Her in as Many Provocative Shots.

The Contrast Between Her and Blonde-Blue-Eyed Peter Graves is Stunning.

Graves is a Notorious Indian-Hater and Hides His Infatuation with the Woman (Joan Taylor).

But the Plot may have Another Side of His Hypocritical Bigotry to Explore.

If that Wasn't Enough, there is a Second Love-Fest Occurring as Joan Vohs, a White Woman on the Wagon Train, Falls for the Indian Scout.

On Top of the Daring Romance, the Film is Filled with Violent Attacks, with the Body-Count Stratospheric.

Sexy, Brutal, and Philosophical Western that Picked-Up on the Early 50's Trend of a New Approach to Native-American-Anglo Interaction.

Softening the Natives as Almost Human.

A Costume Twist Adds Another Off-Beat Scene.

Above Average for its Type and is Certainly...

Worth a Watch.

This movie begins with Chief Mangas Coloradas and 3 other leaders of the Mimbreno tribe of the Apaches riding into Fort Yuma to negotiate a peace treaty. Unfortunately, a settler goes insane and kills Chief Mangas Coloradas which sets off hostilities between the United States and the Apaches once more. Not long afterward a messenger from the fort is intercepted by the Apaches and they learn that a supply column is headed to Fort Yuma from Fort Apache. This particular wagon train is headed by a cold and cruel officer by the name of "Lt. Ben Keegan" (Peter Graves) who hates Apaches with a passion. Ironically, he is somewhat attached to an Apache woman named "Francesca" (Joan Taylor) who is madly in love with him. Along with Francesca two other people also decide to ride with the supply column. One is a missionary by the name of "Melanie Crown" (Joan Vohs) and the other is the brother of Francesca named "Sgt. Jonas" (John Hudson) who despises Lt. Keegan. None of them know that the Apaches are waiting for an opportunity to ambush them. Anyway, rather than detail the rest of the story and possibly spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was an okay western movie. Not good-but not bad either. The fact that it's in color certainly enhances the film but it's still only a grade-B movie for the most part and I have rated it as such. Average.

This is a so simple but terrific and efficient for the budget, as exciting as any Gordon Douglas or early John Sturges' westerns, and one of Lesley Selander's best. This prolific western provider made so many grade Z stuff that he can only shine here. The director gave us FORT OSAGE, FORT UTAH, FORT COURAGEOUS, REVOLT AT FORT LARAMIE, FORT ALGIERS. So, you have understood that Lesley Selander was the director of forts plots, also with Gordon Douglas - FORT DOBBS, ONLY THE VALIANT, CHUKA.... I am sure that too many movie buffs still despise Lesley Selander for his cheap work, but never forget that he also gave impressive little westerns too, like this one.

A disgruntled settler kills an Apache chief at Fort Yuma, and the fort's commander knows that the chief's son, Manga Colorado, will seek revenge and go on the warpath.

Standard cavalry western with a smattering of character study featuring inter- racial relationships and hatred on both sides. Talky yet an interesting western with vivid colours, the usual great vistas and stalking Apaches. Some good action in the end, but mainly there's talking. Peter Graves does well as the cold lieutenant and the rest of the cast back him up competently. It's not the best western, but it has some moments of interest.

The picture gets Western action , shootouts , US cavalry go riding , a love story with interracial relationship , and it results to be an enjoyable tale . A disgruntled settler kills an Apache chief at a cavalry post , and the fort's commander knows that Mangas Coloradas is dead assigning a dangerous misssion to a tough Lieutenant and then the chief's son , Mangas (Abel Fernández) , will seek vengeance and to go on the warpath. General Crook (Addison Richards) sends word by a courier , behind enemy lines , to Fort Apache , Arizona , where a supply column is due to head across the desert to Fort Yuma , but the courier is killed by Apache Indians . The column along with covered wagons , supplies , repeating rifles , Winchester rifles , ammunition , all of them under the command of a hater officer named Keegan (Peter Graves) who suspects on his assigned scout , Jonas (John Hudson) , the sibling of an Apache woman, Francesca (Joan Taylor) , whom Keegan has been having an affair with. Also accompanying them is Melanie Crowne (Joan Vohs) , who is going to do missionary work among the Indians. Later on , Apache Mangas attacks the column wiping out some soldiers and taking their clothes .

Set during the Arizona Indian Wars with the violent upheaval of brave chiefs as : Cochise , Jeronimo , Vitorio , Mangas Coloradas , when fear and violence spread throughout the land .This one shows a campy , amusing and entertaining glimpse in the Wild West . The film packs thrills , noisy action , horse pursuits , crossfire , high body-count , cavalry charges and it is fast-moving and quite entertaining . It's a medium budget film with acceptable actors , technicians , functional production values and pleasing results . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes .Bursting with appealing characters, thought-provoking themes as racism and homosexuality as the peculiar relationship among two soldiers , sub-plots , symbols , and with very decent filmmaking and interpretation . There is an odd implementation of shots in the camera work during some particular scenes as the film approaches its climax , as the battles between cavalry and Apaches who dressed in the uniforms of the dead soldiers scheme to gain entrance to Fort Yuma , to carry out a slaughter . Nice production design creating an adequate scenario with luminous outdoors , plains , montains and rocky landscapes under a glimmer sun and atmospheric sets but in B-series style . To avoid the Production Code Administration to rate it as inappropriate because it contained too much sadism and excessive gruesomenes producers Howard W. Koch and Aubrey Schenck reduced the number of murders . It stars the always agreeable Peter Graves, though here in a bigotry role , a Lieutenant called Ben Keegan who hates Apaches but he gets redemption when he realizes how foolish he had been in his prejudice and in keeping a love secret . Peter drafted United States Air Force, he studied drama at the University of Minnesota and then headed to Hollywood, where he first appeared on television and later made his film debut in Rogue River (1951). Numerous film appearances followed, especially in Westerns . However, Graves is primarily recognized for his television work, particularly as Jim Phelps in Mission impossible (1966). He made movies of all kinds of genres , Sci-Fi, drama , Western , Warlike , comedy , such as : Stalag , Beneath the 12-mile reef , It conquered the world , Killers from space , The clonus horror , The court martial of Billy Mitchell , The winds of war , Sergeant Ryker , Cruise missile , Legend of the Sea Wolf , Scream of the Wolf, Texas across the river , The Guns and the Fury , The rebels , Survival run, Let's make up , The night of the hunter , The slipper and the rose , being especially known for his special appearances in : Airplane I and II and Men in Black 2 . Peter Graves died of a heart attack on March 14, 2010, just four days before his 84th birthday. His partenaires are two beautiful and attractive girls : Joan Taylor and Joan Vohs . They are accompanied by a fine support cast , such as : John Hudson , James O'Hara , Abel Fernandez as Mangas and Addison Richards as Gen. Crook .

Thrilling and stirring musical score by Paul Dunlap . And colorful as well as brilliant cinematography by Gordon Avil . The motion picture efficiently produced by Howard W Koch , being professionally directed by Lesley Selander . Selander is generally considered to be the most prolific director of feature Westerns of all time , with at least 107 to his credit between 1935 and 1967. He realized his first feature in 1936, a western , genre in which he would not only excel but one where he would spent much of the rest of his career. Although Selander couldn't be deemed an "A"-list director, his movies had a professionalism and a verve that many of those made by his fellow B directors lacked . As he made a lot of Western , as he began in this genre with series starred by Buck Jones and ¨Hopalong Cassidy¨ series starred by William Boyd such as ¨Silver on the sage¨ , ¨Three men from Texas¨ and ¨Wide open town¨. In Republic production he directed his better movies such as ¨Panhandle¨and ¨Stampede¨ starred by Rod Cameron and in RKO he directed Tim Holt in 20 films such as ¨Rio Grande patrol¨ and ¨Overland telegraph¨. Selander finished directing about 106 horse operas helmed between 1917 and 1949 . He subsequently shot B-movies such as ¨Fort Vengeance¨, ¨Left handed law¨, ¨Heritage of the desert¨, ¨Arrow in the desert¨, ¨Shotgun¨, ¨Town tamer¨ and his last picture ¨Texas Kid¨ filmed in Spain with Audie Murphy . He also filmed detective thrillers, action/adventure motion pictures and even a horror film or two . One standout that is seldom seen nowadays, however, is ¨Return from the Sea¨ (1954), a sentimental and lyrical story . The last few feature films he made, in the mid- and late 1960s, were a string of what's come to be known as "geezer westerns" churned out by producer A.C. Lyles, embarrassing efforts made on the cheap that were meant to give employment to aging cowboy stars , the less said about them . Rating : 5.5/10 . Acceptable and passable . Well worth watching .