Il forte del massacro

If you've stuck through at least a season of just about any western television serial, you'll be familiar with FORT MASSACRE's plot, involving a troop crossing Apache territory. As a fan of RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY, I expected Joel McCrea would be the sole reason for reinvesting myself in this film's well-trodden set-up. While McCrea's performance is certainly a draw (especially given his character's hard edge, usually reserved for a supporting or villainous character) the real standout here was John Russell as Private Travis. I've never encountered a character like his--in this or any other film genre--solely driven by his indecision. You might expect that this is because such an arc wouldn't make for a compelling lead, but damn if FORT MASSACRE doesn't become his film by the end. Thanks to some interesting and revealing exchanges between McCrea and Russell, as well as superb cinematography by Carl Guthrie (BACKFIRE, THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL), this obscure "B" western deserves more recognition than it currently receives.