The Battle at Apache Pass

This is a good cavalry Western, with a respectable cast and well photographed. John Lund may have got top billing, but Jeff Chandler has the better screen presence, and possibly Richard Egan too.

It contains a couple of common minor flaws of Westerns of the 1950s: the uniforms and carbines relate more to the 1870s than the early Civil War period, and Susan Cabot is yet another white American actor/actress who doesn't convince as a native American, especially compared with the "real Indian" women who briefly appear. Chandler is more convincing as Cochise,and complements well the Canadian Indian actor Jay Silverheels, best known as Tonto in the Lone Ranger series, where he always struck me as being a bit wooden; here he gets some dialogue and a couple of good fights (which he loses)) as Geronimo.

There's a suggestion of an instant romance between Lund and Beverly Tyler as the wagon-train survivor, but this is so feeble it might as well have been omitted.

The action scenes are well handled, especially the climatic battle in Apache Pass.

The 1950s saw some improvements in the way Native Americans were being portrayed in movies. Instead of being just mindless savages, films began showing these people as people...and often people who were honorable and were forced by white society to fight. However, unfortunately, at the same time, studios continued the dreadful practice of having the lead Indians played by white folks in dark makeup...such as having the Jewish-American actor Jeff Chandler play the Chiracahua Apache chief, Cochise! Such casting was not unusual, as Chandler had perviously played Cochise in "Broken Arrow" and various other non-Natives played chiefs in various films of the day...including, of all people, Rock Hudson in "Taza, Son of Cochise"! Clearly this is a case of Hollywood taking two steps forward in its portrayal of the American Indians...and one step back!

Despite some VERY stilted language and Chandler playing Cochise, the film does have some very positive things about it. The warrior Geronimo, an important character in the story, is played by an honest-to-goodness Native (Jay Silverheels). The story, also, is very favorable towards these people and essentially puts the blame on some of the Indian wars on the whites...which was the actual case with Cochise and the so-called 'Battle of Apache Pass'. FInally, and most importantly, the film IS entertaining and exciting.

The Battle at Apache Pass is directed by George Sherman and written by Gerald Drayson Adams. It stars Jeff Chandler, John Lund, Bruce Cowling, John Hudson, Susan Cabot, Jay Silverheels, Gregg Palmer and Jack Elam. Music is by Hans J. Salter and cinematography Charles P. Boyle. A Technicolor production, the location's for the shoot were at Moab, Utah, with Arches National Park, Colorado River, Courthouse Wash, Ida Gulch and Professor Valley forming the backdrops to the story.

The film is a fictionalised account of The Bascom Affair of 1861 and the Battle of Apache Pass that occurred in 1862, the latter of which saw the Indians witness for the first time in the region an artillery attack by means of mountain howitzers. It deals in the events that led up to the battle and focuses on the in fighting between Chiricahua warriors Cochise and Geronimo.

Although both Chandler and Silverheels reprise their character roles from Broken Arrow 1950, The Battle at Apache Pass takes place prior to the events depicted in the 1950 movie. As solid as they come story wise, and with beautiful Technicolor scenery, Sherman's film is only really let down by not having acting gravitas in the American roles. Messrs Lund, Cowling and Hudson are OK, but the material needed more assured performers to play off of the excellent Chandler. On the feminine side Cabot does the best with what little she is given to do, while Beverly Tyler, playing a pretty important character narratively speaking, is just a pretty tug-of-war prop device. However, it's easy to look away from the lack of dramatic worth in the acting because Sherman's action set ups are very good, with the actual battle of the title brilliantly constructed in a rock formed valley, featuring reams of extras, lots of war-fare and the thunder of howitzers filling the ears. While Boyle's (Horizon's West/Tomahawk) photography is sumptuous and a credit to the cinematographer's craft. Salter's score, tho, is only standard fare, with familiar Redskin strains for the Indians and drum beat military thrusts for the Cavalry sequences.

A fine film to look at, with a more than interesting story driving it forward, it sadly, tho, needed more grit from a good portion of the cast. 6.5/10

Hollywood in the 1950's was in the throws of changing the mystic conception that White men were always beating the Native Americans in war. In this film called " The Battle at Apache Pass " is one of the new attempts at glorying the U.S. Calvary's version of that now infamous battle. To be sure, the movie portrays the Indian as an undisciplined savage out to kill every white man and the U.S. cavalry as military pawns of opportunistic land grabbing marauders. However, within the ranks of the Apache are two of the more notorious names who's names are inscribed in Western Lore. This movie purports to have Geronimo (Jay Silverheels) and Cochise (Jeff Chandler) engaged in battle with Maj. Jim Coltton (John Lund and George Bascom (John Hudson) using the first use of western field cannons. The dialog between the Whites and Indians is standard Hollywood, but does depict some of the actual atrocities committed on both sides. This is a good attempt of the evolution of western films and with the addition of James Best, Regis Toomey, Hugh O'Brian and Richard Egan in it's cast, manages a plausible rendition of a historical event. ****

Apache chief Cochise (Jeff Chandler) resolves to make a treaty allowing his people to live in peace with white settlers. However, his hot-headed fellow leader Geronimo disagrees, and puts the negotiations at risk by embarking on a murder spree, incurring the wrath of his enemies.

A big moneymaker in its day, and its understandable why. It ticks all the boxes in delivering an engaging action western with plenty of conflict thrown in; the buildup to powder keg situation where Cochise has to fight against the cavalry - an Indian agent played by Bruce Cowling and Mescal Jack played by Jack Elam stir up an Apache war - is well done.

Jeff Chandler reprises his role of Cochise, whom he played in Delmer Daves' Broken arrow, and plays the role with dignity and command. John Lund is fine as the sympathetic cavalry officer. Susan Cabot and Beverley Tyler are ravishing.

A solid western with a beautifully shot location.