The Last Frontier

The Last Frontier (AKA: Savage Wilderness) is directed by Anthony Mann and adapted to screenplay by Philip Yordan and Russell Hughes from the novel, The Gilded Rooster, written by Richard Emery Roberts. It stars Victor Mature, Guy Madison, Robert Preston, James Whitmore and Anne Bancroft. Music is by Leigh Harline and cinematography by William Mellor.

When Chief Red Cloud (Manuel Dondé) - who has had enough of the army's incursions onto his land - evicts three mountain men from the region. Led by untamed Jed Cooper (Mature), the men head to Fort Shallan and take employment as army scouts...

By the time that The Last Frontier appeared on the great Anthony Mann's CV, he had established himself considerably in film noir and Western movie circles. Here he manages to get the best of both worlds incorporated to provide an interesting and entertaining piece.

Filmed on location at Puebla, Mexico, with the Popocatépetl Volcano providing a beautiful and imposing backdrop, the hiring of Mellor is astute, ensuring the CinemaScope/Technicolor aspects boom from the screen. However, it's not just the beauty that demands to be observed, but also the ruggedness - cum - wildness, to which all things that marry up perfectly to the thematic and allegorical beats pulsing away in the story. Of course, nobody who loves Mann's Western work will be surprised by this.

It's a little disappointing that this ultimately isn't a grandiose adventure epic, because all the elements are in place for such, but action exists - with the final battle against Red Cloud's hordes - particularly exciting, but the emotional turmoil, repressed passions and army insanity that resides within Fort Shallan, more than compensates via characterisation weight. Mann throws in some tricksy camera work and neat framing shots to keep the visual experience still further away from the mundane, while Harline provides a compliant and non intrusive musical score.

Cast are doing dandy work. Mature turns in one of his best, blending macho strains with confused sadness, Whitmore is a reassuring presence by being believable, and Preston overcomes his usual woodenness to breathe life into his perf as martinet Colonol Marston. Bonus, and taking the acting honours is Madison, who as Captain Riordan never over does things, ensuring his fulcrum character is the glue holding all together. Bancroft looks wildly out of place, her look and the costuming most strange, yet it's testament to her ability that her key character is no token female role, nailing it without histrionics.

The ending, sadly, is rubbish, completely at odds with all before it, so it's no surprise to find that it was studio imposed and against Mann's wishes (vision). Still, forgive them for they know not what they do eh... 7/10

The Last Frontier is a Civil War era west taking place in the Wyoming Territory one of the last refuges of that hardy, but shrinking group of men known as the mountain men. The Civil War has given a temporary stay of execution to their way of life, but the end is most assuredly coming.

The point is graphically brought home to trappers Victor Mature, James Whitmore, and Pat Hogan when the Sioux under Red Cloud relieve them of their possessions and work. The Sioux don't mind the mountain men, but don't like what they see with the army building forts in the territory. Go seek refuge with the white soldiers.

When they do seek it, temporary commander Guy Madison welcomes the trio to the fort even with Pat Hogan being an Indian himself and offers them work as scouts. They accept, but when spit and polish commander Robert Preston shows up they wish they hadn't, especially Mature.

Preston is a glory hunter with a beautiful wife he's also trying to make a big show for in the person of Anne Bancroft. He makes Henry Fonda's colonel in Fort Apache seem warm and fuzzy by comparison. His is the best performance in the film.

Mature unfortunately has had too little experience with civilization in his life. He just sees Anne Bancroft and it's the testosterone taking over at that point. His character is a harbinger of what we would see later on in Clint Eastwood films though Mature is more loquacious.

The Last Frontier boasts some nice location cinematography and a well staged final battle scene. Unfortunately the 180 degree turn in Victor Mature's character proves ultimately a bit much for me to swallow.

More of an army drama set in the West vs. a Western this has solid direction and some good actors. Victor Mature is hammy but Guy Madison gives a stronger performance here than was usual for him, relaxed and assured. Robert Preston is the cruel commander who is revealed early on as a soulless martinet. He is married to a soft and startlingly blond Anne Bancroft who is good but whose role is incidental. The film makes some veiled and some pointed references to early pioneers disregard for the ways not only of the Indians but of trappers and others who had easily coexisted with them destroying their way of life as valueless merely because it was not the settlers way.

Robert Preston, not Preston Forster (alias Foster) does a fine job along with Victor Mature and James Whitemore in this "B" western filmed in color. It's fun to see the legendary Anne Bancroft in one of her first movies, before she returned to the stage in The Miracle Worker. Contrary to other opinions, if you are a real movie lover, The Last Frontier is well worth your time.

This first-rate Western draws its fascinating tale and power from the interaction of finely drawn roles with acting of great nobility as well as adventure and action . Good adult Western with exciting battle of wits between an obstinate , savage scout and a veteran cavalry commander officer set in a remote Oregon army fort . It deals with a wilderness frontiersman named Jed Cooper (Victor Mature) and his two pals (James Withmore , Pat Hogan) see their lives change when takes place the coming of a military outpost called Fort Shallan and they then sign up as scouts . The rough explorer , flirting with the idea of leading a more settled life , decides he needs a spouse and selects Corinna Marston (Anne Bancroft) , but she results to be the wife of cavalry martinet Marston (Robert Preston) , commanding officer of the next fort down the line and manned chiefly by untrained rookie troopers . Marston arrives Fort Shallan and announces to Captain Riordan (Guy Madison) and official Phil Clarke (Russell Collins) that he has lost his fort and most of his men to an Indian attack led by chief Red Cloud and is assuming command on the outpost .

This excellent , meaty Western contains interesting plot , outlandish characterizations , a love story , climatic shootouts , Indian attacks spectacular outdoors and is quite entertaining . This outstanding Mann Western balances action , suspense , thrills , drama and battles remain bloody and indisciplined . The usual wooden Victor Mature does surprisingly a good performance as a crude and illiterate uncivilized backwoods trapper . Top-notch Robert Preston as an embittered Major for having lost his 1500-man command during a Civil War battle . Special mention to a sensational James Withmore as old friend , almost father of protagonist Mature and helped raise him , despite the fact that Mature was actually eight years older than Whitmore . Furthermore , the sympathetic Pat Hogan , a real Native , whose career would play Native Americans in approximately eight out of every ten projects he appeared . Anthony Mann does a good work , an energetic and exciting movie , pitting two antagonist characters against the rugged toughness forced a vast natural environment and for love a good woman . Highlight the exemplary value of the landscape as essential dramatic figure, and the narrative takes a brisk pace but not fast , a dash dense but not cumbersome . This cavalry drama contains a traditional story and exciting screenplay by prestigious Philip Yordan . Wonderful cinematography in magnificence color is superbly caught by cameraman William C. Mellor in widescreen "scope" by placing major action on both the far left and right edges of the frame . Atmospheric and lively musical score by Leigh Harline .

This first-class rugged Western is masterfully directed by Anthony Mann - including his characteristic use of landscape which is visually memorable - . Mann established his forte with magnificent Western almost always with James Stewart . In his beginnings he made ambitious but short-lived quality low-budget surroundings of Eagle-Lion production as ¨T-men¨ , ¨They walked by night¨ , ¨Raw deal¨ , ¨Railroaded¨ and ¨Desperate¨ . Later on , he realized various Western , remarkably good , masterpieces such as ¨The furies¨ , ¨Devil's doorway¨ and ¨Man of the West¨ and several with his habitual star , James Stewart, as ¨Winchester 73¨ , ¨Bend the river¨ , ¨The far country¨ , ¨Man of the West ¨. They are characterized by roles whose determination to stick to their guns would take them to the limits of their endurance . Others in this throughly enjoyable series include ¨Tin star ¨ that is probably one of the best Western in the fifties and sixties . After the mid-50 , Mann's successes came less frequently . And of course ¨The last Frontier¨ also titled ¨Savage wilderness¨ that turns out to be stylish , fast paced , solid , meticulous , with enjoyable look , and most powerful and minus-considered . This well acted movie is gripping every step of the way . An unjustly forgotten film turns to be a splendid western and remains consistently agreeable . Rating : Above average ; in spite of absence his ordinary star , Stewart , being perfectly replaced by Victor Mature . Well worth watching and it will appeal to Victor Mature fans