Alicia I love this movie so much

StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

jacobs-greenwood Directed by John Sturges, this average Western set in 1863 combines elements of the Civil War with the struggle against the Mescalero Indians in settling the West. The Union Army maintains the titled stockade for some Southern Confederate prisoners in Arizona (actually filmed in Death Valley, California).Given the remote, desert location, the prisoners aren't likely to attempt escape without horses, or the guns needed to defend themselves against the Natives. So, it works pretty well. However, when one of the Southerners (John Lupton) does escape, Captain Roper (William Holden) feels it's necessary to make an example of him to keep others from trying the same - he makes him walk back! Captain Marsh (John Forsythe), as the leader of the Confederates, is not too happy about Roper's cruel and unusual punishment, but has a plan for he and a few others to escape. These others include the coward Bailey (Lupton), crotchety old Campbell (William Demarest), and young "buck" Cabot (William Campbell). Campbell and Cabot maintain a love-hate relationship.Colonel Owens (Carl Benton Reid) isn't too pleased with Roper's exhibition either, but he also realizes that Roper is the soldier who always gets his man too. Roper's subordinate, Lieutenant Beecher (Richard Anderson), who's about to marry the Colonel's daughter Alice (Polly Bergen), doesn't approve of Roper's methods either. Alice's cousin, Carla Forester (Eleanor Parker), comes to visit. En- route, Carla's stagecoach is attacked by some Mescaleros such that she's rescued by Roper's men on patrol. Alex Montoya and Western veteran Glenn Strange appear, uncredited, as Sergeants under Roper's command.Roper soon falls for the lovely, bold newcomer who we soon learn is betrothed to Marsh, and part of his escape plan. While Roper is distracted by his infatuation with Carla, she plots with the local storekeeper, and Southern sympathizer Watson (Howard McNear, uncredited) to affect their escape during the Beecher-Owen wedding reception. Later, it is clear that Carla has feelings for Roper such that she feels she too must escape with Marsh et al.Of course, Roper must pursue the escapees. Even though he knows, per the Colonel, that he was duped by Carla, he fears for her life because of the Mescalero Indians. Not exactly trusting his commander's intentions, the newlywed Beecher insists on going along as well. Naturally, Roper (and the few he takes with him) catches up with them, perhaps too easily, but on the way back to Fort Bravo, they are attacked by the Mescaleros.Under siege by superior numbers, Roper uses his military experience to find them the best possible place to mount their defense, a dugout. This "hole" works well, except for the fact that it is soon surrounded, leaving them, with limited water supplies and no horses, trapped. With virtually no other options, the soldiers, Union and Confederate, work together to stay alive. The film's most interesting action (battle) sequences, which include its climax, follow. Carla figures in the equation too.

LeonLouisRicci For Every Good Thing in this Glossy Western there is something that keeps it from being a Fine Film. Although it is above Average. The Outdoor Sun Drenched Sprawl is Striking and the Sense of Open Space among Sharp Protruding Mountain Rocks is Excellent. Then there is an Outdoor Scene that is a Fake and Obvious Studio Set and it Releases the Viewer from any Suspension of Disbelief.It is an Attractive Color Movie that Draws Unneeded Attention to itself with Stiff Starched Ultra Clean Costumes and Salon Hair-Do's. Even the Confederate Prisoners are Groomed and Look Spiffy. There is some Sharp Dialog, mostly from Crusty William Demarest Sparring with a Youngster, but then there is the Clunky Banter between William Holden and the Immaculately Dressed Eleanor Parker that is at times Cringe-Worthy. "What makes you so sure of yourself?... The way you light a man's cigar."The Best Part of this Over Produced Western is the much Talked about Climax that has an Indian Attack with the Mescaleros using some Military Artillery Tactics and the Standoff is Staged just a bit Off Key and that Boosts the Movie to just Above Standard Stuff despite all the Effort from MGM to make this something Special. It was the Studio's Prissy Attitude and Obsession with Gloss and Sheen that has kept this in Unnoticed Unremarkable Territory.

Wuchak Released in 1953 and directed by John Sturges, "Escape from Fort Bravo" was always one of my top Westerns of the 1950s. It stars William Holden as Capt. Roper, who ruthlessly oversees a group of Confederate prisoners at a fort in the SW wilderness. John Forsythe plays Confederate prisoner Capt. Marsh and Eleanor Parker stars as Carla, a woman who visits the fort under the pretense of attending a wedding. As Roper falls for Carla, the Confederates take advantage of his love blinded-ness. When Roper goes after a group of escapees the soldiers have no recourse but to team up against a band of marauding Mescalero Indians.William Holden was in his prime here, as was the breathtaking Eleanor Parker, both stunning examples of masculine strength and feminine charm respectively.Although the soldiers rarely miss and the Natives rarely hit, the Indians are depicted in a realistic, respectable manner, showing ingenuity in their resolve to wipe out the pinned-down group of whites.William Campbell, well-known for the lead Klingon in the original Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" and less-so as the alien Trelane in "The Squire of Gothos," has a formidable supporting role as one of the escaping Confederates. He was almost fifteen years younger and barely recognizable.While the events take place in 1865 the song played at the fort dance, "Mountains of Mourne," was written by Percy French 31 years later. Someone must've come back from the future. FINAL WORD: I realize a lot of pre-60's Westerns come off eye-rolling or artificial, but "Escape from Fort Bravo," doesn't fall into that category; that is, aside from the dated opening tune and the aforementioned song at the dance, as well as the parts that were obviously shot in the studio, which was typical in that era.The film runs 99 minutes and was shot in desolate regions of California (Semi Valley) and New Mexico (Gallup), including Death Valley National Park.GRADE: B+

zardoz-13 "Bad Day at Black Rock" director John Sturges' first period horse opera, "Escape from Fort Bravo," takes place during American Civil War at a remote cavalry stockade doubling as a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp. Of course, the plot concerns an escape attempt by the Confederates and they take advantage of inside help. The Frank Fenton screenplay based on a story by Philip Rock and actor Michael Pate is rather formulaic stuff right up to its cavalry ex machine ending. Nevertheless, the dialogue with its philosophical ramblings about life, death, and love surpasses the usual oater.Lensed by Robert Surtees in Death Valley as well as locations in Gallup, New Mexico and at the Ray Corrigan Ranch in California, this western boasts striking scenery that Sturges puts to great use during the last half-hour when the Indians launch an attack on our stranding group of heroes. Indeed, this was the first time that Sturges and Surtees paired up. Later, they worked together on "The Law and Jake Wade," "The Satan Bug," and "The Hallelujah Trail." "Escape from Fort Bravo" has an isolated look thanks to these arid looking locales that heightens its authenticity. Sturges makes great use of the landscape, especially during the climactic Indian attack and does a splendid job of setting up the attack. William Holden heads up a solid cast including Eleanor Parker, John Forsythe, William Demarest, William Campbell, Richard Anderson, Polly Bergen, John Lupton, Carl Benton Reid and Glenn Strange.The film opens with a foreword. In 1863, while the War Between the States still raged, a large group of Confederate prisoners were held in a sun baked stockade at Fort Bravo, Arizona Territory. Captor and captive—these men in blue and gray—eyed each other with hatred. In the wilderness around them, a common enemy eye them both—deadly Mescalero Indians. Afterward, in a series of long shots, we see a horseman in a blue cavalry uniform with a man in gray tagging behind him on a rope. Bob Bailey (John Lupton) has tried to escape, but U.S. Cavalry Captain Roper (William Holden of "Golden Boy") has recaptured him. He takes him back to Fort Bravo and few are happy to see him return with the prisoner.The situation at the outset promises a compelling tale. Fort Commandant Colonel Owens (Carl Benton Reid) sums it up when he explains to Roper that the POWs outnumber the guards at an outpost in the middle of nowhere infested with hordes of bloodthirsty Mescalero Indians watching their every move. Owens makes explicit his sentiments about Roper. "When I see you soldiering, Roper," Owens observes, "I'm glad we're in the same army." Nevertheless, adds Owens, "I use to have a full regiment now I've got one troop. I've got as many Confederate prisoners as I have men." Roper understands their predicament. "Colonel, I don't know whose going to win this war, the North or the South, but we're here to hold this country for one of them, even if we have to arm those Reb prisoners." Owens wonders about his fitness for command. Roper observes, "This is a hard country to stay alive in colonel, much less to stay young." "Escape from Fort Bravo" documents the enormous lengths that the Confederates go to so they can escape. After Roper buries a cavalry detail wiped out in the desert by the Indians, he has a stagecoach skid into his camp. Indians had been chasing the coach and a woman, Carla Forrester (Eleanor Parker of "Detective Story"), in the coach wields a derringer, and kills an Indian. Carla explains that she was heading to Fort Bravo to attend Alice Owens marriage. Alice (Polly Bergen of "Arena") plans to wed U.S. Cavalry Lieutenant Beecher (Richard Anderson of "Macho Callahan"). In truth, Carla has come to Fort Bravo to help her lover, Confederate Captain John Marsh (John Forsythe of "Destination Tokyo"), and handful of soldiers, including Bob Bailey (John Lupton of "Julius Caesar"), Sergeant Campbell (William Demarest of "All Through the Night") and Cabot Young (William Campbell of "Backlash") escape. After Alice's wedding, a general store owner, Watson (Howard McNear of "The Andy Griffith Show"), will smuggle the Confederates out of Fort Bravo in his wagon.Matters grow complicated, however, when Carla begins to reciprocate the love of the man that she is supposed to distract. Roper shows Carla his roses and bares his heart to her. He wants to marry her and she loses control of herself and joins the Confederates in Watson's wagon. The following day, Roper and a small patrol light out after the Confederates. Roper catches up with the cowardly Bailey at a nearby town. Bailey learned about the Mescalero Indians on the warpath and decided to await Roper's arrival. Roper takes Bailey with him and they recapture the Confederates. No sooner has Roper caught them than the Indians come breathing down their collective necks. Roper and company outrun the Indians and take refuge in a wash surrounding by mountains. Our heroes blast away at the Indians until the redskins retreat to the heights and surround Roper and company with lances. The Indians use the lances to aim their arrows and they unleash dozens of arrows.The resolution to our heroes being cornered by the Indians is the cavalry appears at the last minute. Right up until the cavalry arrives, "Escape from Fort Bravo" looks pretty bleak. Sturges direction is competent enough in the dialogue scenes where the exposition and philosophical notions are crisply and effectively delivered. The bulk of the humor comes from the byplay between the older Demarest and younger Campbell. Jeff Alexander's music is nothing special, though the theme song is vibrant. The final set-piece where our heroes are pinned down by the Mescaleros is exciting stuff. Holden is appropriately gruff at the hard-bitten Roper and Parker is easy on the eyes. You can tell when the filmmakers are on location and when they are using a studio. Nevertheless, this is a very good western drama.