Fort Dobbs

From the moment that kids of the 1950s got a look at Clint Walker on the opening episode of Cheyenne (fall, 1955), we knew that he would be the John Wayne of our generation, just as a year earlier Fess Parker as Davy Crockett became our combination of Jimmy Stewart and Gregory Peck. So why didn't filmmakers make use of their potential? At first, Warner Bros. didn't want Walker to do movies at all, perhaps thinking it would take away from the high ratings of his show. That was of course ridiculous. He threatened to walk out and they belatedly gave him the lead in this B+ black and white actioner. He's the strong silent type (what else?) who comes across a gorgeous woman (Virginia Mayo) and her little boy (Richard Eyer) on the prairie - after the success of Shane, every western had to have an adoring little boy! Eyer was a fabulous child actor, and there's a terrific performance by Brian Keith as the sort of friendly-enemy that Dan Duryea played in so many of the Audie Murphy oaters. The cast makes this routine western seem a cut above the average, and I can't remember any other cowboy getting off more shots per second with his Winchester (other than Chuck Connors on the Rifleman series, of course) than Keith does here. One bit you'll get a kick out of - at the end, Walker and company get to the title fort and are attacked by Indians. When they ride up, there is no water in sight. Anywhere! But when the Indians attack, they have to cross a large river. Wha? Here's the reason - the Indian attack footage is lifted from a 1954 big budget western called The Charge at Feather River. (guy 'wild bill hickock' madison was the star). And if Walker fans had a sense of deja vu, even in 1958, there was a good reason for that too: An early Cheyenne episode, titled "West of the River," was a remake of "The Charge at Feather River" with Walker substituted for Madison, and all the large scale action scenes taken from that film.

OK, up front, I'm a huge westerns fan & I've always loved Clint Walker. A lot of these reviews have focused on a comparison with John Wayne's "Hondo". Well, when "Hondo" was made, Wayne had been starring in films for almost 20yrs, so please - guys - cut Clint some slack, OK? He had been plucked from an everyday life only 3yrs before, with no previous acting experience, & this was his first starring role in films, in the lead no less. I think he carried it off pretty well. It's full of good action sequences, the scenes with Clint & child actor Richard Eyer are sweet & the tension between Clint & Brian Keith is pretty cool. The budding "romance" between Clint & Virginia Mayo doesn't come off so well, but I remember reading elsewhere that she wasn't too happy about being cast opposite a TV actor & that there was some resulting tension on the set. All in all, I found this to be a pretty good entry in the western pantheon; well worth watching. As usual, tho, it's too bad Warner skimped & didn't film in color. What a waste of gorgeous scenery, both landscape & their leading man!

After being accused of shooting a man Gar Davis leaves the town of Largo with a posse in hot pursuit . His problems intensify when he comes across the body of a man which means the Comanche tribe are on the war path and with a return to Largo not an option he has to trek through hostile territory on foot . He spots a homestead and tries to steal a horse

As someone who is not a fan of the Western genre I only watched FORT DOBBS because there was nothing else on but found myself enjoying the movie much more than I could possibly have expected . One reason for this is because it resembles the type of story that would attract a director like Walter Hill who made a career out of reworking Anabasis by the ancient Greek writer Xenophon which involves protagonists trying to reach sanctuary through hostile territory and this film makes the best of the scenario and just when the protagonists think safety is in sight another obstacle appears

Perhaps even stranger as someone who isn't keen on Westerns I did notice the genre conventions which could be interpreted as clichés were are the fore such as a man's got to do what a man's got to do , men in white hats against men in black hats and the Injuns are portrayed as violent savages . We even have a kid in the mix but none of this harms the movie probably because it's an involving and exciting tale . One flaw to it is that it's filmed in black and white and one thinks if you're to set a film in a vast landscape which is to all intents and purposes a co-star then the film would have worked even better if it was shot in colour

Pretty good saddle-burner with Clint Walker as Gar Davis, a man on the run for the murder of one of the local townsfolk. With a posse on his tail Davis uses some trickery to shake the posse but finds himself on foot in Comanche Country. Desperate for a horse he crosses paths with a mother and her young son (Virginia Mayo, Richard Eyer) when he is caught trying to steal one of their horses. Unable to go back to town because of the murder he agrees to take them to the safety of Fort Dobbs. To get there Davis must avoid a Comanche War Party and deal with a former acquaintance (Brian Keith) a fellow of dubious character.

After three years of the Cheyenne television series Walker got his first shot at a leading role on the big screen. This is the first of three Warner Brothers films that teams Walker with director Gordon Douglas. Walker known more his for screen presence than his thespian skills does a more than an adequate job in the role. The script by Burt Kennedy is a tailor fit for Walker. The dialogue is kept compact and lets the action carry the story. We find Walker alternately eluding a posse, crossing hostile tribal lands and looking back over his shoulder to ward off an old nemesis, all the while trying to help a mother, who is already distrustful of Walker, and her son reach Fort Dobbs. Talk about an exhausting day..

For a modestly produced western programmer the Fort Dobbs story line has quite a bit going on. That can often result in plot holes and sub plots that seem to go nowhere. Fortunately no such problem here as it all ties up quite nicely and even provides a twist or two in the end. Good action western.

Fort Dobbs is directed by Gordon Douglas and written by George W. George and Burt Kennedy. It stars Clint Walker, Virginia Mayo, Brian Keith, Richard Eyer, Russ Conway and Michael Dante. Music is by Max Steiner and cinematography by William H. Clothier.

After his appealing run in the TV series Cheyenne, it was inevitable that Clint Walker would make the transition to big screen fare. Here for his first feature length outing, we get the marker for his career that would follow. Never blessed with great acting talent, Walker was however a mighty presence, and handsome to boot, and he is the prime reason why Fort Dobbs is a better than average experience.

Plot basically has Walker as Gar Davis, a fugitive of justice who hooks up for a travelogue with Celia Grey (Mayo) and her son Chad (Eyer). Along the way there is Comanche peril, shifty companionship in the form of Clett (Keith) and a cunning twist that strains the relationship between Gar and the Greys. The wonderful Henry Repeater Rifle comes into play, very much so, and it provides some kinetic excitement, and it all builds to a rousing finale of explosions and stunts, while of course redemption and the truths will out. Clothier and Steiner further cement their reputations as skilled craftsmen, with the former beautifully realising the Kanab locations in black and white, and Douglas knows his way around a good honest Oater. 7/10