"Gunsight Ridge" director Francis D. Lyon's "Escort West" ranks as an average, occasionally tense, but thoroughly predictable black & white, 76-minute, B-movie cavalry versus the redskins western with few surprises. Victor Mature of John Ford's classic "My Darling Clementine" and a number of other seasoned western stalwarts, among them Noah Beery, Jr., Slim Pickens, Harry Carey, Jr., Ken Curtis, and Leo Gordon, flesh out a solid cast that includes Elaine Stewart of "Night Passage" and Faith Domergue of "This Island Earth." The Indians on the rampage in this oater are renegade Modocs that have been outlawed by their own tribe. This United Artists release benefits from the widescreen cinematography of William Clothier who lensed many John Wayne horse operas, among them "Big Jake," "The Horse Soldiers," "The Train Robbers," "Chism," "Rio Lobo," "The Undefeated," "McClintock!," "The Comancheros," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," "Cheyenne Autumn," and "The Alamo." When Clothier wasn't photographing John Wayne in the saddle, he was shooting James Stewart in "Bandolero!," "Firecreek," "The Rare Breed," "The Cheyenne Social Club," and "Shenandoah." Why the "Escort West" producersparticularly an uncredited John Wayne--did not see fit to shoot this adventure yarn in color is a mystery because it would have enhanced the colorful scenery and made the gray uniform that Mature sports stand out against the blue uniforms that the cavalrymen wear.
The action takes place in Nevada in 1865, not long after the American Civil War. A former Confederate officer, Captain Ben Lassiter (Victor Mature sans a southern accent), and his young daughter, Abbey (TV actress Reba Waters), are riding to Oregon to live with his late wife's sister when they encounter a U.S. Cavalry patrol at the way station. The cavalry are taking two sisters, Beth Drury (Elaine Stewart) and Martha Drury (Faith Domergue), to meet an army escort. Beth plans to marry U.S. Cavalry Captain Howard Poole (William Ching of "The Sea Hornet") while Martha plans to head to the more civilized environs of San Francisco. Martha is snobbish, selfish, and when he sees Lassiter's gray uniform, she drips with venom, because the man that she was supposed to wed died in the Civil War. One character expresses his amazement that Beth and Martha are sisters. The cavalry patrol pulls out while Ben and Abbey hang around to dine.
Later, when Ben and Abbey catch up with the cavalry patrol at the next way station, they discover that the savage, bloodthirsty Modocs have massacred everybody. Two troopers, Vogel (Leo Gordon of "Tobruk") and Birch (Ken Curtis of "Gunsmoke"), were out scouting when the Indians struck the way station. Ben comes across a old African-American, Nelson (Rex Ingram of "Cabin in the Sky"), who has been shot in the lower leg and has been faking that he is dead. Nelson tells Ben about the two Drury sisters hidden in a cellar. The entire way station has been burnt to a crisp, but the Modocs haven't touched the Army Payroll. Ben fixes up a litter to carry Nelson on and they strike out. While all of this is happening, Captain Poole and his men are pinned down by several Modoc marksmen, led by Tago (X Brands of "Gunmen from Laredo"), and they are gradually whittling down the cavalrymen.
Eventually, Ben and company come upon Vogel and Birch. Abbey lets slip that they saved the payroll and Vogel pulls a gun on an unsuspecting Ben, and then Birch and he seize the money. Vogel doesn't have a qualm about killing the two women, Abbey, and Ben, until Birch complains.
Perennial villain Leo Gordon penned the screenplay with Fred Hartsook and Steve Hayes of "Time After Time," and most of the action is cat and mouse stuff with our white heroes trying to outwit the redskins. "Escort West" looks and sounds like your typical western. It isn't bad, but it isn't anything to remember beyond the presence of Mature who looks out of place as a southerner.
The action takes place in Nevada in 1865, not long after the American Civil War. A former Confederate officer, Captain Ben Lassiter (Victor Mature sans a southern accent), and his young daughter, Abbey (TV actress Reba Waters), are riding to Oregon to live with his late wife's sister when they encounter a U.S. Cavalry patrol at the way station. The cavalry are taking two sisters, Beth Drury (Elaine Stewart) and Martha Drury (Faith Domergue), to meet an army escort. Beth plans to marry U.S. Cavalry Captain Howard Poole (William Ching of "The Sea Hornet") while Martha plans to head to the more civilized environs of San Francisco. Martha is snobbish, selfish, and when he sees Lassiter's gray uniform, she drips with venom, because the man that she was supposed to wed died in the Civil War. One character expresses his amazement that Beth and Martha are sisters. The cavalry patrol pulls out while Ben and Abbey hang around to dine.
Later, when Ben and Abbey catch up with the cavalry patrol at the next way station, they discover that the savage, bloodthirsty Modocs have massacred everybody. Two troopers, Vogel (Leo Gordon of "Tobruk") and Birch (Ken Curtis of "Gunsmoke"), were out scouting when the Indians struck the way station. Ben comes across a old African-American, Nelson (Rex Ingram of "Cabin in the Sky"), who has been shot in the lower leg and has been faking that he is dead. Nelson tells Ben about the two Drury sisters hidden in a cellar. The entire way station has been burnt to a crisp, but the Modocs haven't touched the Army Payroll. Ben fixes up a litter to carry Nelson on and they strike out. While all of this is happening, Captain Poole and his men are pinned down by several Modoc marksmen, led by Tago (X Brands of "Gunmen from Laredo"), and they are gradually whittling down the cavalrymen.
Eventually, Ben and company come upon Vogel and Birch. Abbey lets slip that they saved the payroll and Vogel pulls a gun on an unsuspecting Ben, and then Birch and he seize the money. Vogel doesn't have a qualm about killing the two women, Abbey, and Ben, until Birch complains.
Perennial villain Leo Gordon penned the screenplay with Fred Hartsook and Steve Hayes of "Time After Time," and most of the action is cat and mouse stuff with our white heroes trying to outwit the redskins. "Escort West" looks and sounds like your typical western. It isn't bad, but it isn't anything to remember beyond the presence of Mature who looks out of place as a southerner.