La poursuite fantastique

Marshal Bill Haney, his assistant Tom and driver Jud are transporting prisoners Link Ferris and Tioga through Apache Indian territory and hopefully on to Fort Smith, Arkansas. On an adjacent trail, shifty Indian trader Jonah McAdam happens upon a cavalry troop that has been massacred by the Yellow Claw lead Apaches, the only survivor of the attack is Capt. Riordan, who orders McAdam to take him to Fort Dragoon Wells. Before they set off they are met by the prison wagon and not too long after that a stagecoach carrying Ann Bradley, Phillip Scott and Mexican entertainer Mara Fay also arrives on the scene. All of them now under serious threat of attacks by the Apaches. So Riordan orders the two prisoners to be unshackled so they can aid the defence of the group as they attempt to make it to Fort Dragoon Wells. But the Apache are not the only problem facing them, not all in the group are quite what they seem and with food and water at a premium, the odds are heavily stacked against them making it to safety.

As it was directed by journeyman Harold D. Schuster and coming out of B-studio Allied Artists, the omens weren't that great for Dragoon Wells Massacre being anything other than a poor B Western picture. That it breaks free from budgetary restrains and becomes a fine genre entry is largely down to three key points. First is the screenplay by Warren Douglas, secondly is a few fine acting performances and thirdly is having William Clothier on cinematography duties.

Though very similar in plotting to a number of other Westerns, this boasts a great script that gives weighty substance to the characters, and with Schuster effectively not letting the pace sag, the pic is both entertaining and intriguing. It would have been easy for this to turn out as a bunch of stereotypical caricatures meandering across the plains, but thanks to Douglas these become real people in very real peril. They not only must survive the constant attacks as the Indians try to pick them off at opportune moments, they must also survive each other. Thus with twists and surprising developments popping up during the journey, story doesn't lack for inventiveness.

Casting aside Mona Freeman's awful and grating on the nerves turn as Ann Bradley, the cast deliver some quality characterisations, particularly notable are Barry Sullivan (Ferris), Dennis O'Keefe (Riordan), Jack Elam (Tioga) & Katy Jurado (Mara Fay). While Sebastian Cabot is weasel personified as Jonah McAdam. William Clothier is no strange name to Western fans, his work with John Ford, Howard Hawks & Budd Boetticher ensures he's a name to be excited about on a Western credit list. As usual, he doesn't disappoint. Superbly photographing the rugged terrain (Kanab, Utah) as it imposes on our under duress group, he also does fine work with the close up shots as well. Shot in CinemaScope with De Luxe Color, it's a shame that the print is of average quality.

This is a film that is crying out to be remastered, but its lesser known status lends one to believe that that is unlikely to ever happen. However, it's a testament to Clothier's ability that the piece still manages to look fabulous. There's some bad editing in the mix, and in truth Schuster is no skilled craftsman when it comes to action set pieces. Yet the faults are easily forgiven, for this is all about character emphasis, as nobody on this journey is merely canon fodder, they all are given time and thought to involve the audience. So that coupled with Clothier's work makes this a strong Western that's recommended with confidence to the serious Western fan. 7.5/10

A small group of travellers stranded in the Arizona Desert. One of the group is an outlaw (Barry O'Sullivan) who is being taken to trial, and another is a cavalry captain (Dennis O'Keefe) whose troop has been wiped out by the Apaches. Matters are complicated by the presence of two women and an unscrupulous gunrunner.

Dragoon Wells Massacre is a western featuring an assortment of characters left to fend off the Apaches in the rough terrain, however there's some effort to add some refreshing elements such as fleshing out the characters. It's tautly-drawn, has great cinematography and some good action, but it's the characters that makes this film interesting. The acting is great too, particularly Jack Elam, who plays a misunderstood man. Mona Freeman can be an irritating character with her self-centredness, but the other characters such as Barry Sullivan put her in her place.

Dragoon Wells Massacre is a rare gem. I can say rare, because there are only 11 people commenting on it. The good news is it can now be found on YouTube. There are two characters that stand out. Mona Freeman ( Ann) and Sebastian Cabot ( Jonah). I simply hated these characters ( but for different reasons). Ann because she is a miserable woman always complaining, and Jonah because he is a nasty, evil murdering coward who sells guns and whiskey to the Indians. What makes the movie is the scenery, music and suspense. It is really a 10 Little Indians type story where various people are thrown together and it is a question who survives and who gets killed. The most interesting characters are two who are paired off together. Captain Matt Riordan ( Dennis O'Keefe), the only soldier who survived an Indian massacre and Maria Fay ( Katy Jurado) a Mexican woman who you strongly suspect is a prostitute. These two prove the old adage correct. "Opposites Attract." The question remains: Who survives and who dies ( besides Jonah obviously)? That is why you watch: To find out. I would like to rate this movie higher: Very good instead of just good, but I can't because of Mona Freeman she ruins things. 7/10 stars.

Monogram Pictures changed its name to Allied Artists in an effort to change its image from that of a cheap B-studio. For the most part, it didn't really work. Allied Artists' product suffered from the same deficiencies that Monogram's did: shoddy production values, lesser talent--both in front of and behind the cameras--and a lack of originality in its stories. This film, however, does not fall into that mold. While the story--survivors of an Indian attack make their way across the desert to safety--may seem trite, what is done with it isn't. Director Harold D. Schuster, a former editor, is hardly a household name, but he has made several tight little B pictures (1954's "Loophole" is a first-rate film-noir thriller about a bank teller framed for a robbery), and this is one of them. Dennis O'Keefe does a very good job as a cavalry officer who survives an Indian attack, and must lead a disparate group to safety across the desert. They come across a group of traders who aren't exactly what they seem to be, and must band together with them for mutual protection. Jack Elam plays a gunfighter who isn't quite what he seems to be, either. There's a good musical score, Schuster handles the action scenes quite well, and there are some interesting plot twists. Altogether, a well-paced, intriguing little western, highly recommended.

As Westerns go, this one is a little different. The plot is nothing new, Captain Matt Riordan has to guide a group of travellers across the plains to Dragoon Wells Camp after they have been attacked by Indians. Not all the members of the party is what they appear to be.

This movie is different in the sense that we appear to have a very standards stereotypical group of traditional Western movie characters. However the script is very different, in a sense trying to break the mould, filling out many of the characters. A lot of them feel very fleshed out giving a richness to the movie that you would not expect. The movie takes chances and personally, I like that, something that has the guts to be different. However, the downside of this means that there are several moments where a couple of the key players are acting extremely out of character. Not enough though, to damage the movie as a whole.

The film does have one major flaw. The Ann Bradley character is simply the most irritating woman ever seen in a film. The audience is meant to care about this character, yet for the first 3/4 of the movie all I wanted was to see an arrow put through her head.

Overall, this is pretty good fare, I would recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre. - 6/10