La Rivière de la mort

Saw this when it first came out and have seen it several time over the years. Still stands up and is worth watching.

The performances, story and production are tops and keep you glued to the screen through the entire movie.

The attention to detail of uniforms and other costumes is excellent, along with the horse handling.

It is well photographed and edited, with good lighting, especially the night scenes.

I haven't seen it in about 20 years, wish they would put it on television again.

Hope they at least bring it to my local video store.

Perhaps the finest film to come from 'quickie' producer Lippert, this grim story of a band of calvary attempting to warn Custer holds up well after almost 50 years. Outstanding performances by a great supporting cast over-shadow what must have been a miniscule budget. Although the film claims to be based on a true incident, the curator of the Custer Battlefield Monument denies such an occurrence. Nonetheless, if you can find this one on video(not likely)or on the late show, it is well worth while.

When one looks at lists of all time great westerns, its not likely that you'll see "Little Big Horn" among them. It is nonetheless worthy of greater appreciation. Produced by the small independent Lippert Company and directed by first time director Charles Marquis Warren, it has a riveting storyline and contains some great performances.

Captain Phil Donlin (Lloyd Bridges) returns home from a patrol to find his wife Celie (Marie Windsor) in the arms of fellow officer Lieutenant John Haywood (John Ireland). Donlin accepts his fate (for the moment) and leaves on a three week patrol. On patrol, Donlin learns of the impending ambush of Colonel George Custer and his men at Little Big Horn. Still distraught over his wife's unfaithfulness, he decides to embark on a three day 250 mile journey to warn Custer of the oncoming attack.

Haywood meanwhile, has been ordered to call in all patrols from the field due to the Sioux threat. When he reaches Donlin's patrol, Donlin decides to "take the long way around" in obeying his superior's orders to return to the fort. As a measure of revenge, orders Haywood to accompany him on his suicide mission. Haywood decides to prove that he is a worthy soldier and not let the love triangle interfere with his duties.

One by one the patrol are being killed off by the Sioux as they press on toward their objective. The tension grows between Donlin and Haywood until the two finally come to blows. And then...............

Bridges, in one of his rare starring parts is excellent as the leader of the patrol. Ireland as well, stands out among the cast of familiar western movie faces. Reed Hadley plays S/Sgt. Grierson a former officer who had been a Major in the Civil War, Jim Davis as Cpl. Moylan, Hugh O'Brian as the card playing Pvt. DeWalt, Wally Cassell as Pvt. Zecca who is in and out of trouble, Sheb Wooley as the scout, Quince, Rodd Redwing and King Donovan and John Pickard as other members of the patrol.

Given the historical events of the Little Big Horn, the ending of the story is fairly obvious, but nevertheless, you'll find yourself rooting for the patrol that they will somehow achieve their objective.

Probably the best film to ever come from Lippert.

This western from B picture studio Lippert Productions is one of the best films to come from that small budget outfit. If you're expecting a telling of the defeat of General Custer by the Sioux and Cheyenne at Little Big Horn that would require a far bigger budget than Lippert ever spent on its films.

What this story is about is a small patrol headed by Captain Lloyd Bridges and Lieutenant John Ireland who hear of the big four figure number Indian war party out to meet Custer and they ride hard to try to warn him. A daunting task under normal circumstances.

But these circumstances are far from normal. Lloyd Bridges is married to Marie Windsor who's been two timing Lloyd with Ireland. And everyone knows about it especially those on the patrol and the men are taking sides as well. Doesn't make for a good command structure to say the least. They've even got a sergeant major along in the person of Reed Hadley who thinks he could do better than both of them. He was an officer in the Civil War, but it was one of those brevet promotions and when the army shrunk after the war, Hadley like thousands of others was reduced in rank if he wanted to stay in the army. If you'll recall that happened to both the Henry Fonda and Ward Bond characters in the John Ford classic Fort Apache.

Some others on the patrol include Wally Cassell, Rod Redwing, Jim Davis, and Hugh O'Brian and these guys would not be at home in John Ford's conception of the cavalry. Still they go on this mission which they know may be sheer futility.

In its slightly less than 90 minute running time Little Big Horn gave us lots of action and some of it not for the Saturday matinée kiddie crowd and some finely etched character studies. Since they don't make B westerns any more we can really say they don't make them like that any more. But Little Big Horn is a great example of how to make a good B western.

Cuckolded Cavalry officer Lloyd Bridges forces his wife's lover, fellow Calvaryman John Ireland, to accompany him and his troop on a suicide mission to intercept General Custer on his way to the Little Big Horn and warn him of the impending ambush by the Souix forces amassing against him.

What could have been corny and silly is instead made believable and compelling, thanks in part to some good interplay between Bridges and Ireland, with Bridges hell-bent on performing his duty to the greater good, while Ireland sees the futility of the mission and not being content with needlessly sacrificing men for a lost cause.

Although low-budget, this is well made in all departments. A great cast of actors and a well-written script do a good job of making the characters and situations three-dimensional and realistic.

The large amount of violence and death also helps set this apart from other early-fifties westerns. There's no cheap heroics here either.