Massacre River

A dashing cavalry officer is torn between two women causing ructions for those closest to him.

This is more of dialogue driven rather than action driven western. Unfortunately it's not a particularly interesting story which makes much of the film a bit stale. However the good looking cast, decent acting and some occasional stunning cinematography make it worth at least one viewing.

The ending was a bit strange, almost like it didn't know which way to go, sombre or happy, so it tried a bit of both. Which I kind of liked as it goes.

Overall it's not a bad film just one that's not particularly memorable.

In this routine oater, Larry (Guy Madison) and Phil (Rory Calhoun) are officers in the Army stationed at a remote fort at the edge of Indian territory. The Indian chief (Iron Eyes Cody) represents the native inhabitants near the end of their fight with the white man; therefore, the fort and nearby town of Jackson are populated by mostly settlers and other civilians. Larry is engaged to Kitty (Cathy Downs), the daughter of the fort commander, and Kitty's brother Randy is the mild comedy relief. Although the film's poster promises some violent Army-Indian clashes, there is only one mildly good battle scene and a skirmish near the finale. The bulk of the movie is a leaden soap opera concerned with how Larry jilts Kitty after he falls in love with the hardened co-owner of Jackson's saloon (Carole Matthews). This sets both Phil and Randy against Larry. The divisions this causes leads the death and tragedy in a "character-driven" western which, despite good performances from Madison and Matthews, strains to make us believe that their characters have any sort of believable future together.

Lts. Guy Madison and Rory Calhoun, real pals, both love the colonel's daughter Kitty. Kitty turns Rory down in favor of Guy. Rory accepts this...

But then the triangle becomes a love quadrilateral when Guy meets and falls for a racy saloon gal, Laura (Carole Mathews), and breaks off his engagement with Kitty. Which causes Kitty's brother to try and kill Guy but he gets killed - from here tragedy strikes.

In the back ground, Chief Yellowstone (Iron Eyes Cody) and Colonel Reid (Art Baker) want peace but the chief has trouble controlling his young hothead braves, who prefer the warpath.

A cavalry western called Massacre River would usually mean plenty of injun clashing with the cavalry, arrows flying and tomahawks crashing, but this western hasn't got much action; it has more drama and romance. It is quite involving and moving nevertheless. The performances are great, especially Carole Matthews as Laura and Guy Madison as the lieutenant whose decision to settle down with Laura sets off a series of tragic events. Usually not keen on tragic love stories, which this is, but the plot of Massacre River gets a grip on you and doesn't let go. The stark atmosphere adds to the story.

I know nothing about Director John Rawlins but he certainly should have avoided the pitfalls of a script that keeps trying to surprise but just seems contrived, what with all the contradictory directions that love relations keep taking.

Incredibly beautiful Carole Matthews plays a hardened saloon lady and her chemistry with Guy Madison is very convincing. She is the proverbial heart of gold saloon lady until she kills to save the man she loves... and, of course, back in 1949 there was a price to pay for killers.

Good friends and army officers Madison and Calhoun share a playful relationship until they fall in love with the same woman, who has to say no to one, only to see the other fall for the above mentioned saloon lady. Sadly, these characters are too fast for typical late 19th century characters and they keep ditching and trading partners with undergarment-changing frequency, which may initially raise the tempo and threat of some thorny situations, but not even very good B&W photography and engaging action and acting save the film from its shifty script.

Still, it is watchable. 6/10.

It took more than a fourth of this film to be over before there was any kind of action. But wait! This is called 'MASSACRE RIVER'! Don't we deserve to see a massacre? Of anybody! The Indians or the cavalry, who cares? How about the drunks in the saloon? Oh well. Whatever. Starring Guy Madison, Carole Mathews, and a mostly absent Rory Calhoun.