Column South ** (1953, Audie Murphy, Joan Evans, Robert Sterling, Ray Collins, Dennis Weaver) – Classic Movie Review 13,191

‘Against treason and Navajo fury the US Cavalry rides!’ The 1953 Universal Pictures colour Western film Column South stars Audie Murphy, Joan Evans, Robert Sterling, Ray Collins, Dennis Weaver, and Gregg Palmer.

‘Against treason and Navajo fury the US Cavalry rides!’

Director Frederick De Cordova’s 1953 Universal Pictures old-style colour Western film Column South is based on a story by William Sackheim, and stars Audie Murphy, Joan Evans, Robert Sterling, Ray Collins, Dennis Weaver, and Gregg Palmer.

US Cavalryman Lieutenant Jed Sayre (Murphy) aims to get anti-Indian Captain Lee Whitlock (Sterling), his recently arrived New Mexico outpost superior officer, to smoke the pipe of peace with Menguito (Weaver)’s Navajo Indians. Meanwhile, Union general, Brigadier Stone (Collins) schemes to hand his men to the Feds when the Civil War breaks out.

Column South is Western business as usual, no better and no worse than a thousand others. The serviceable set-up doesn’t get the oomph it needs from William Sackheim’s screenplay, in this minor, conveyor-belt Universal Western, which has at least the distinction of a decent production with fine Technicolor cinematography by Charles P Boyle. There is also a nice bunch of Western actors, young and old, to relish, as well as Murphy’s energetic star performance. Token woman Joan Evans plays Sterling’s sister, Marcy Whitlock, to whom Murphy has taken a shine. Gregg Palmer is credited as Palmer Lee. And, yes, Dennis Weaver plays an Indian.

The cast are Audie Murphy as Lieutenant Jed Sayre, Joan Evans as Marcy Whitlock, Robert Sterling as Captain Lee Whitlock, Ray Collins as Brigadier General Storey, Dennis Weaver as Menguito, Gregg Palmer (credited as Palmer Lee) as Chalmers, Russell Johnson as Corporal Biddle, Jack Kelly as Trooper Vaness, Johnny Downs as Lieutenant Posick, Bob Steele as 1st Sgt McAfee, James Best as Primrose Ralph Moody as Joe Copper Face, Rico Alaniz as Trooper Chavez, Richard Garland, Ray Montgomery, and Edwin Rand.

Column South is directed by Frederick De Cordova, runs 84 minutes, is made by Universal International Pictures, is released by Universal Pictures, is written by William Sackheim, based on a story by William Sackheim, is shot in Technicolor by Charles P Boyle, is produced by Ted Richmond, is scored by Herman Stein and Henry Mancini, and designed by Alexander Golitzen and Hilyard M Brown.

Dennis Weaver also plays an Indian in War Arrow (1953).

The titles set the scene: ‘FORT UNION, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO, JANUARY 1861. The breach between the north and south was rapidly widening. A grim spectre of civil war hovered over the land. It was a time of crisis… A time for choosing sides.’

Release date: May 20, 1953 (Los Angeles).

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,191

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