The Raid

A good film that moves along at a pleasing rate, helped by a good cast, including a young Lee Marvin, an equally-young Richard Boone before his face became lined (but he still plays a troubled person) and the distinctive John Dierkes (the "Gaunt Man" in "The Red Badge of Courage").

This film pairs with another, "The Siege at Red River". Both feature a Southern officer working undercover in Northern territory, both feature Boone, and both stars have the first name Van. But compared with Johnson in TSARR, Heflin's conscience is only slightly troubled by the consequences of his actions; indeed a web search for "St Albans 1864" suggests that "The Raid" greatly magnifies the arson Heflin's men cause with "Greek Fire" - apparently only one shed was actually burnt down. (This contrasts with the way the film "Quantrill's Raiders" greatly underplays the notorious attack on Lawrence.) Also, it would seem, in fact the raiders dropped a lot of the money from the banks.

My only slight criticism was that already voiced by other commentators - the smartness of the Confederate uniforms. On the plus side, the film avoids instant romance between Heflin and Bancroft (though they're obviously attracted to each other) and there's no mawkish bonding between the former and Bancroft's son.

Not that well-known a film, but well worth watching.

Despite its Technicolor processing, this film retains a dark, almost sinister atmosphere, as the tension mounts. Much of the center of the film is simply spent waiting, as Van Heflin, the leader of this small band of Confederate soldiers, tries to keep their secret, keep the group together with its morale intact, and becomes more deeply involved with his boarding housekeeper, Anne Bancroft. Great character acting by many sustains this picture, notably Lee Marvin as the hotheaded rebel officer and Richard Boone as a discharged one-armed veteran Union soldier. Also notable is Robert Easton as a young confederate (Easton went on to become one of Hollywood's most successful and remarkable dialect coaches). Although there is a fine bit of military action near the conclusion of "The Raid," this is mostly a film about character and the stress of relationships. A fine effort.

See it – I'm always a sucker for a good Civil War movie. If you are anything like me, you're always on the lookout for another film with a fresh depiction of that fascinating, yet tragic period in United States history. I like this one because it tells the story from the Confederate perspective. Van Heflin, Lee Marvin, and Richard Boone star in this exciting and relatively unknown film about a band of Confederate Rebels who escape from a Union prison camp. They escape to Canada, and start planning "The Raid" on a Northern Yankee town. Of course this movie is very "old-fashioned," but I guess that's why I like it. 3 action rating

"This is a true story...it began on the night of September 26 1864, in a Union prison stockade at Plattsburgh, New York, not many miles from the Canadian border."

Tho director Hugo Fregonese's The Raid opens with the above written statement, it's not entirely accurate. Further research into what became known as "The St. Albans Raid" is required if you want the complete and unembellished story. However, The Raid is in structure and plot significantly in line with what happened back there in 1864. Lifting from the story entitled "Affair At St. Albans" by Herbert Ravenal Sass, The Raid is about seven Confederate prison escapees who infiltrate the community of St. Albans and plot a second front. As the town is gleefully praising General Sherman's march towards Savannah - and throwing auctions to sell off mementos of slain "Rebel" soldiers, the "Rebs" are fashioning bottles of "Greek Fire" with which to torch the town as they plunder the bank of all the town money.

Naturally all doesn't go to plan, as an on the edge soldier puts a spanner in the works; and the "Reb" leader, Maj. Neal Benton (aka Neal Swayze), finds a conflict of interest as his relationship with Katie Bishop and her son starts to form. All of which helps to make The Raid an engrossing picture outside of its already high interest point for being a "Confederate" movie (how many can you name about the "Rebs" winning for example?). More so when one knows that the film doesn't revert to genre formula, it threatens to, but Fregonese and his crew are not interested in serving up standard fare, with the ending a particular point of reference to ram home that opinion.

Van Heflin is excellent as Benton/Swayze, put this along side his work in other Western outings like Shane and 3:10 To Yuma, and he surely is a candidate for the genre's most undervalued actor award. Watch as he has to suppress various forms of emotion - anger as the town around him rejoices in his fellow countrymen's misfortune - affection as he gets close to the mother and son, and torn as he ultimately must abide by his war driven codes. A fine turn from a very fine actor. Anne Bancroft is suitably bright eyed and deep down strong as Katie, while Richard Boone does a nice line as the troubled, and limb absent Captain in desperate need of redemption. Lee Marvin, Claude Akins (uncredited) and Peter Graves man up the support cast, and a nod of approval is warranted for young Tommy Rettig as Larry Bishop.

Filmed on location at Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, I find myself once again searching for superlatives about Lucien Ballard's cinematography. This is a "gorgeous" film to look at, the Technicolor crisp in tone as the brown and orange hues of St. Albans play host to the shimmering blues of the soldiers uniforms, all of course about to be engulfed by the crackling spurts of the raiders incendiary use of "Greek Fire". I fell in love with this movie quite early on in proceedings, come the finale, I knew I just had to have it in my own collection, I can only hope that this picture finds a new audience from which to give it the love it dearly deserves. 9/10

I saw this film as a kid back in the 50's and I remember enjoying it very much so when I had the chance of watching it again recently on TV I wouldn't miss it. I was also interested in "The Raid" because it was directed by my fellow countryman Hugo Fregonese who directed several pictures in Hollywood in the 50's mostly action features.

It was a pleasant surprise to find out that also as an adult (nearly 50 years later) the film stands for me as a good and entertaining one in its genre. Fregonese's direction is prolix and adequate, with no major bumps, and sustains the interest in the story all along. It is also true that a good cast helps him a lot with really convincing performances by Van Heflin, Anne Bancroft, Richard Boone and a very young Lee Marvin among others.

In my opinion, "The Raid" is an unpretentious but most watchable action film based on true facts that occurred in 1863 during the American Civil War. Along with the interesting "Blowing Wild" (with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck) this one of Fregonese's best films from his Hollywood days. Good for him!