Lippert Pictures was never, to put it mildly, known for its extravagant productions. Its budgets were minimal, the talent it used--both in front of and behind the camera--was usually second- or third-string, its product was churned out quickly and cheaply for the second- and third-run market. Every so often, though--almost in spite of itself--Lippert managed to turn out a top-notch film. Sam Fuller's "The Steel Helmet" and "The Baron of Arizona" were two, and this is a third. In fact, this looks like it could have been made by Fuller--it has the gritty edge that's typical of his films, and the issues of duty, honor and sacrifice that infused so many of Fuller's movies. Writer/director Charles Marquis Warren was a somewhat inconsistent filmmaker; he made some moody, tense, first-rate little westerns ("Hellgate," "Arrowhead") and some absolute crap ("Charro"). This is one of his best (so good, in fact, that he remade it--badly--in 1958 as "Desert Hell", changing the story from soldiers in the American west to Foreign Legionnaires in the Arabian desert). A small cavalry patrol stumbles upon a huge gathering of Indians about to ambush Custer's 7th Cavalry troopers. The only way to warn Custer's unit about the impending attack is for the patrol to ride directly through the hordes of Indians. There are no false heroics here, either; the officer in charge of the patrol knows that the action he must take will result in almost certain death for everyone in his small unit, but he also knows that if they don't warn Custer, it will result in certain death for Custer's entire command. He has no desire to die or to cause the death of his men--several of whom he doesn't even like--and he's torn between what he knows is his duty and his reluctance to order his men on what will almost certainly be a suicide mission. This is a tough little film, full of short, brutal--surprisingly so, considering the era in which it was made--action scenes where nobody dies prettily. It's a nail-biter and will have you on the edge of your seat. Tightly directed, sharply written, with a great supporting cast of veteran western actors, including Jim Davis, John Ireland, John Pickard, Reed Hadley and Wally Cassell. Do yourself a favor and don't miss this one.
