Ambush at Cimarron Pass

'Ambush at Cimarron Pass' is a bit of a bore.

Even though I don't think it's as bad as one Clint Eastwood reportedly does, I do agree in the sense that this 1958 production is a limp effort at making a western. I found none of the characters to be likeable, not that they're necessarily unlikeable per se, and the events depicted onscreen failed to give me any form of entertainment/enjoyment.

Eastwood is solid in arguably his biggest role at this point in time, though the rest of those alongside the aforementioned aren't noteworthy to me - at a big push, Scott Brady is the standout of the others. Eastwood didn't return to film acting after this until 1964, but arrived back with a bang with the start of the Dollars Trilogy - I look forward to watching those!

A partially decimated Army unit teams up with a group of cowboys, who also had been hit by renegade injuns. The cavalry squad was trying to get a gun runner and 3 dozen rifles back to their fort, but had to fight their way through fierce indian raiders intent on getting the weapons. Average soldier vs. redskin shoot-em-up.

Remnants of an ambushed Army unit hook up with a group of cowboys to fight their way through Indians on the warpath. Sounds like it could be an exciting western, but this one is dull, dull, dull. It moves like molasses, the action scenes are uninspired, the acting is pedestrian, the writing is flat, even the photography isn't very good. Eastwood, in a very early role, plays an ex-Confederate who doesn't like the idea of fighting on the same side as Yankees. That's about the only remotely interesting situation in the whole movie, but Eastwood wasn't experienced enough an actor to pull it off, and his character comes across as petulant rather than angry or embittered. A very ordinary western. Actually, a very less-than-ordinary western. Worth a look if you're a die-hard Eastwood fan and want to see him at the very beginning of his career. Otherwise, don't bother.

Let's face it - the only real reason to catch this pedestrian oater is to get a glimpse of a 27 year old Clinton Eastwood. The future star is still coltish in his acting craft here, and he hasn't fully developed his excellent timing and intensity as in "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" and "Dirty Harry", but the B western does show why this film was a good reason that he pursue acting. His scenes with Margia Dean are the best in showing a charisma which would one day make him box office.

Made in 1958, Eastwood looks very youthful. He holds his own in scenes with a sturdy and sullen Scott Brady, and is somewhat confined by a script that has him cast as the young fool. But Eastwood does well with what he's got, and exhibits a star quality as a young Hollywood actor.

1st watched 9/14/2007, 6 out of 10(Dir-Jodie Copelan): Watchable story of former confederates and Yankees joining forces to thwart off some Apache's trying to get some repeating rifles that a traitor had sold to them. This is a very simple story that is executed very well by all involved. The idea behind it is that the Civil war has just ended but there are still hard feelings between the sides. The Yankee(northern troops) are trying to transfer some rifles and a prisoner to a nearby fort but are intercepted by some southern-folk that they think are Apache's dressed up like them(they had been fooled by the Apache's earlier this way). The Apache's then steal the whole combined troops horses and have to travel by foot six days the rest of the way. The conflict in the movie has to do with these two groups getting along while the Apache's slowly figure out how to overcome them and get the rifles. There is eventually a showdown but by this time the hard work of reconciliation has been done and the fight with the Indians is kind of anti-climatic. Clint Eastwood, in an early role, plays a young hard-hearted southern man who eventually turns to help out the crew and does a good job, but's its the story that keeps you interested. An abrupt end is the only real downside to the movie(which appeared to be mainly because the small film company ran out of money more than anything else), but this small film delivers otherwise and is enjoyable viewing.