La charge de la huitième brigade

The more I watch this, the more I like it. Great epic scenes with a huge cast of soldiers, Indians, and horses in real American West settings. The wide screen Panavision photography (with original release prints in IB Technicolor) is excellent. CGI may be fine, but I have yet to see anything surpass the look of hundreds of REAL men on horses in stunning REAL outdoor settings.

As for the story, while I thought the book was very good, the way the characters are handled in the film is better in some ways, and the ending of the film much more to my liking.

One thing they did have to tone down from the book was the sex element. It appears WB even adjusted one sequence after prints were made up. This appears in Reel Two, where Matt Hazard (Tro Donahue) and Kitty Mainwarring (Susan Pleshette) are in thr cave together overnight. With Pleshette's back to audience line (apparently later dubbed in) says "Good night Matt" and there is an ABRUPT cut to daytime and troops coming into the fort. 35mm and 16mm prints I have seen all contain this SLICED cut. And the original 35mm trailer containing the cave sequence does not contain the "good night" line". I believe that originally there was an embrace and kiss between Troy and Suzanne and a DISSOLVE to the next scene (or fade out & in).

In any event, as Westerns go, this has a good story and looks better all the time, especially wide screen.

Although no one would ever confuse Troy Donahue with John Wayne, Donahue does acquit himself well in A Distant Trumpet which turned out to be Raoul Walsh's final feature film.

Donahue who made his bones in Hollywood playing mostly decent All American type young men. Here he's a fresh West Point graduate assigned to an Arizona frontier post where the army is busy subduing the last of the great Indian tribes, the Chiracauhua Apache. He's under the command of General James Gregory who was a mentor to him at West Point.

In addition to fighting Indians Donahue has a romantic dilemma. He's engaged to Diane McBain who is Gregory's niece. But on the post now is an old flame Suzanne Pleshette who is married to fellow officer William Reynolds.

Donahue has a similar dilemma faced by John Wayne in Fort Apache. As with the Duke, Troy behaves in an honorable fashion. In fact in his private affairs he's honorable if very tempted.

Take note of a good performance by Judson Pratt as a superior and sympathetic officer to Donahue's plight and a really rollicking and unforgettable one by Claude Akins who is quite the flesh peddler to both the red and white race.

A Distant Trumpet is not as sentimental as John Ford's cavalry westerns. But Raoul Walsh ended his career with a good one.

Raoul Walsh's last movie and a western at that! He produced unforgettable classics of the genre such as " Colorado's territory" and "pursued ".

The movie suffers from a desultory script which mixes the Indian's plight with bland love affairs.The lead,Troy Donahue ,lacks charisma and is not very credible as a tough lieutenant .Diane McBain is as expressive as a Barbie Doll ,and only Suzanne Pleshette rises to the occasion.

There's a good use of the wide screen,a superb score by Max Steiner (with trumpets),a general who loves Latin quotations Julius Ceasar style (Veni Vidi Vici) That said,there's never a dull moment with Raoul Walsh .This is not his best or among his best ,but it's always good value.

Is that a western from Lesley Selander, Sidney Salkow, or what? I can't believe that this however good western is from the fabulous Raoul Walsh, his last stand by the way. His last film. Let's be fair, it's a good western, but it's for Walsh the metaphor of THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON, Custer 's last stand. But Errol Flynn is dead now, and Raoul Walsh's career faded out. So sad. The last film of a director is always touching for me. But imagine Troy Donahue as the lead in a Raoul Walsh's film...I did not weep but I feel some grief inside of me. But if you have not seen it yet, don't miss it. Imagine you are watching a Lesley Selander, Gordon Douglas or Sidney Salkow's western; the latest gave us SITTING BULL and GREAT SIOUX MASSACRE during the same period.

Troy Donahue and Warner Bros had a great collaboration starting with "A Summer Place" and following with "Parrish" "Susan Slade" "Rome Adventure" and "Palm Springs Weekend" where Troy was always first billed over stars such as Claudette Colbert, Karl Marlden and Angie Dickinson, etc. Jack Warner obviously decided it was time to ramp up the Troy Donahue films and assigned veteran and legendary director Raoul Walsh who directed many of Warner Bros. greatest stars such as Errol Flynn in this rousing action drama. In addition William Clothier another stalwart professional of great films was the Cinematographer. First rate Warner Bros. production values and great action scenes crafted by Raoul Walsh, and some fine acting by a cast of supporting players makes this a fine film to watch anytime. Thumping Max Steiner score is tops.

Warners in the 1960's had a large group of fine contract players and Jack Warner slotted them in major Warner Bros films when he could so look here for Diane McBain and William Reynolds -both WB contract players- in this film. For Diane McBain this was her second film with Troy Donahue after "Parrish" and Suzanne Pleshette who married Troy Donahue after "Rome Adventure" is also cast.Very effective western with a splendid rousing memorable Max Steiner score.