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.

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. ****

And also a BROKEN ARROW sequel; in other terms one of those westerns for which the Indians were not the villains all the time. Splendid settings for the Universal Studios movie. It brings nothing new compared to other westerns of this kind, with more or less the same message. It is very well made, by a real professional George Sherman, a western specialist who began his career in the late thirties for Republic Pictures, in B westerns, as so many other B directors ( but in the early fifties), such as RG Springsteen, Harry Keller, Thomas Carr, whilst other directors like William Witney, in the early fifties too, proceeded their career, working for Republic Studios, still for the same kind of B westerns, after his highlight serial period, between the late thirties and forties. Awesome battle sequences, breathtaking moments for the audiences.

George Sherman was an old hand at B westerns due to his long stint at Republic, where he specialized in them. His experience shows in this tight little Universal B western. John Lund and Jeff Chandler are stalwart as, respectively, a cavalry officer trying to avert an Indian war and Apache leader Cochise. The cast is filled with veteran character actors, which is always an asset, and the action scenes are extremely well handled. Altogether a tight, enjoyable little western. Recommended.

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.