Escape from Fort Bravo (1953) User Reviews (52)

Classic Western

[jpdoherty · 7/10 · 22 May 2009]

A movie that is somewhat underrated and unintentionally overlooked in "favourite westerns" discussions ESCAPE FROM FORT BRAVO is nevertheless an excellent and true classic western! Produced by MGM in 1953 it was richly photographed in Ansco color by the great Robert Surtees and sparkingly written by Frank Fenton along with the uncredited Michael Pate. Skillfully directed by John Sturges this was his first great success with the western genre. Set in a remote Union outpost for captured confederate prisoners during the Civil War, Sturges set out to give the story an authentic look so he filmed in the stunning locations of Death Valley and in and around the New Mexico Badlands. In a 1970 interview the director said he greatly regretted that he never got to make the picture in Cinemascope as he had planned. He had missed the full development of the process by just a few weeks. The first Cinemascope movie "The Robe" was released by Fox at the same time.

William Holden, in one of his best parts, plays union Captain Roper a formidable hard-bitten taskmaster over the prisoners. Nobody escapes from Bravo! If they do Roper finds them and brings them back! The opening of the film has him doing just that as he drags escapee (John Lupton) back to the fort on foot and on the end of a rope to the chagrin of the other prisoners. Even Bravo's commanding officer (Carl Benton Reid) thinks he is too harsh ("Roper when I see you work at soldiering - I'm glad we're in the same army"). On a visit to the Fort for a wedding is the lovely Carla Forester (Eleanor Parker) whose real business is to arrange for the escape of her confederate officer lover (John Forsyth) and three of his men while at the same time ensuring Captain Roper falls for her charms, little suspecting that she herself would fall in love with him. Eventually they do make good their escape and the remainder of the picture has Roper and his troop in hot pursuit after them through dangerous Mescalero Apache territory culminating in a a very exciting sequence towards the end of the picture - when after a terrific chase by the Apaches - captor and captured are pinned down by the indians in a desert gully. Now together Union and confederate unite in a last ditch stand against a common enemy!

Adding greatly to the proceedings is a terrific score by the almost forgotten composer Jeff Alexander. This is the best thing this composer has ever done especially the beautiful ballad he wrote "Soothe My Lonely Heart" which is sung in the picture by Stan Jones. Jones himself wrote the rousing Cavalry song heard over the opening and closing credits.

A wonderful exciting movie that every fan will want in their collection now that it's available on DVD. Good one Sturges!!

Classic line from "Escape From Fort Bravo"........ As the young confederate serviceman (William Cambell) says impatiently to veteran (William Demarest)............. "How did a decrepit old man like you ever get in the war?". Prompting the retort from Demarest "Cause all the smart young men like you was losin' it".

Worthy 1953 Western with William Holden & Eleanor Parker

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 29 April 2012]

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+

Grey against Blue and Indians against everybody!

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 8/10 · 12 January 2000]

William Holden is Captain Roper, a strict commanding officer in charge of a large group of Confederate prisoners in a dry heat stockade at Fort Bravo, Arizona, in 1863...

He is disliked by his captors as well by his captives because of his displeasing behavior toward the escapees whom he invariably recaptures... A main example, dragging back to the fort John Lupton with a rope around his waist...

To Fort Bravo arrived, one morning, the talented, and beautiful Eleanor Parker (Carla) apparently for the wedding of a friend (Polly Bergen)... In fact she is scheming the escape of a rebel, Captain John Forsythe...

Carla - a confederate agent - knows how to charm and handle beautifully Holden in her sojourn in the fort... Holden is the only danger to her plan, as he is the man who finds everybody...

One night, she escapes in a horse-drawn cart with three men, and a coward storekeeper, her Confederate ally... A deceived Holden receives with shock the striking notice that Carla, the woman he loves, is the one who planned the escape... He sets out in their pursuit, ignoring that outside, and around him, in the wilderness, common enemy is watching, the deadly Mescalero Indians...

Holden is stern, enigmatic and firm as the brusque young officer, who keeps the restless prisoners in Fort Bravo while trying to keep out marauding Indians... However Holden is an ideal human officer with integrity beneath his inflexible rules that discipline is fundamental in and around Fort Bravo...

The film carries cautiously, continuous tense action sequences as it incorporates into the exciting climax... The state of expectation and the quality of hopefulness are extremely controlled... The cast gives force and pressure to the nature of the drama keeping the actions spontaneous... The dynamic climactic redskin ambush, with brutal arrow-artillery, express great tension... The rain of the Indians arrows is vigorously presented by John Sturges who directed many fine Westerns like "Backlash," "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," and "The Law and Jake Wade."

"Escape from Fort Bravo" is a great Western and a good suspense drama with a sweet romance and spectacular action... The scenery is overwhelming: the jagged rocks, the dirt and the sage as well as the play of light and shade, all fulfilling, in Technicolor, one purpose, Grey against Blue and Indians against everybody...

Union fort in Arizona used as a Confederate prison camp and surrounded by marauding Mescalero Apaches

[Mickey-2 · 7/10 · 27 January 2005]

"Escape From Fort Bravo" had a unique western storyline that shifted somewhat during the course of the film, but still left the viewer

with a decent film for its time. Fort Bravo is being used as a Confederate prison camp during the waning months of the American Civil War. Inside the fort's walls are the prisoners, wanting to escape, and the troops of the Union cavalry, trying to prevent their escapes, and outside are the bands of savage Mescalero Apaches, just waiting for anybody to leave the safety of the fort.

William Holden plays Capt. Roper, the Union officer given the dubious task of recapturing any escapees and returning them to Fort Bravo. It's an unpleasant task, he personally dislikes the job, but he does it, and does it all to well, much to the chagrin of the rebels still in the fort. During this time, a female Confederate sympathizer, played by Eleanor Parker, comes to the fort and will attempt to distract Holden, while she manages to enact the escape of her Confederate lover, played by John Forsythe. The escape occurs, some rebel prisoners manage to leave the fort, Parker goes with them, but she does not realize that Holden has come to fall in love with her. Roper, Holden's part, takes a small troop of men out from the fort in pursuit, he hoping to catch up with them before the Apaches do.

Besides the three main leads mentioned above, the supporting cast includes William Demerest, William Campbell, Richard Anderson, Polly Bergen, and in a pre "Broken Arrow" role, John Lupton. Campbell and Demerest do provide some comic relief, playing off each other's abilities, etc., but the lead parts do carry the picture and prevent it from becoming just another Cavalry-Indians western. 7/10

Surprisingly original and therefor also likable movie.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 16 August 2007]

It's an interesting western/prison movie cross-over, although above all the movie remains a western of course with some of its formulaic ingredients, in this movie it's mostly the use of Indians. The story makes the movie more original than most of the other western's from the '50's. It's originality also help to make this movie a better than average one.

Of course the story still feels the need to put in a love-story into the movie but that's basically the curse of every movie that's over 50 years old. Nevertheless the love-story itself is also quite different and original, so it isn't as distracting as in most other genre movies from the same period often was the case.

Director John Sturges has made many entertaining and adventurous movies in his career and I consider this as one of them, though it obviously is not his best work. It's just a good and enjoyable movie, with some real great moments, for in between.

At times its painfully obvious that the movie was for some part shot in studios with fake looking backgrounds in it. It makes the movie look outdated but that also by now has become part of the charm of these sort of movies. The cinematography is from Robert Surtees, who perhaps was the greatest cinematographer of his time. This movie isn't his best done however but it's a worthy one.

William Holden is good in his role, though it's hard to always like him because of the stubbornness and seemingly lack of emotion of the character. The supporting cast also pull of well, especially John Forsythe.

The musical score by Jeff Alexander is surprisingly great and I mean really great. It's not the usual some old, same old '50's western drivel. It's a score worth searching out, though I don't think it's available anywhere.

An enjoyable movie to watch, that's worth watching if you get the chance.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

"Just Space And Death"

[stryker-5 · 20 July 2000]

In 1863, with the American Civil War raging, a prison camp has been set up to house Confederate prisoners deep in the Arizona Territory. This is the eponymous Fort Bravo.

Resentful of captivity, the Southern prisoners remain in a constant state of unrest, and escape bids are common. However, the hostile remoteness of the terrain and the vigilance of the Union's Captain Roper make a successful breakout virtually impossible. Beyond the sheer physical obstacles barring the path to freedom lie the ferocious Mescalero indians.

Roper is "the man that's always after people". A stern martinet, he holds it to be a matter of honour that every escapee shall be found and dragged back. He is hated by the prisoners, and though some of his own side dislike his methods, he is respected as an efficient and reliable officer.

There is a void in Roper's life. He needs love. "You've a big fist inside you that's always doubled up," he is told. For all his attention to duty, Roper is deeply unhappy. Then the beautiful Carla Forrester arrives at Fort Bravo ...

The film has a marvellous look. Shot by director of photography Robert Surtees on bright, sundrenched locations and developed in a process called Ansco Color (a new one on me - though that's not saying much), the movie is a feast for the eye. Creamy yellow sand and tawny hills form beautiful backgrounds against which the blue cavalry uniforms stand out magnificently. When Roper and Carla go for their romantic horseride, there is a vast sky above their heads. The shots of the indian riders circling the beleaguered cavalry troopers are gorgeous. At the climax of the film a small group Fort Bravo people is pinned down by the indians in a shallow depression in the sand, and yet again the look of the images is quite simply stunning. Warren Newcombe's special effects include volleys of indian arrows cascading down on the Fort Bravo party in arcs of hissing death.

There are one or two quibbles. Is a troop of cavalrymen the proper unit to garrison a prisoner of war camp? Would a mobile detail which was expecting to be ambushed really ride through a steep canyon? Surely the waltz playing at the fort social event - "The Mountains of Mourne" - is an anachronism? My guess is, the tune wasn't composed until fifty years after this. The 'night in the desert' passages are patently filmed in the studio - a great shame, considering the beauty of the location shots.

William Holden is at his tight-lipped, angry best as Captain Roper. Eleanor Parker looks divine as the improbable Carla. The trio of likeable Confederates, Marsh, Young and Campbell (played by John Forsythe, William Campbell and William Demarest resectively) doesn't quite come off as a comedy sub-plot.

The film is a good cavalry-and-indians caper, with Holden carrying most of it on his capable shoulders. There is even a hint of character development, as Roper learns eventually that "there's something better than being tough."

Vigorous and moving cavalry Western with powerful scenes , exciting action and big name actors

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 24 November 2016]

A civil war era western set in Arizone stockade . During the Civil War , a group of Confederates are ruthlessly guarded by a hard-bitten cavalry officer , the pivotal role captain Roper (William Holden) . In the meantime , local Indian tribes are restive and the rebel prisoners try to getaway from captivity . Then , the rebel leader Capt. John Marsh (John Forsythe) accompanied by his underlings , the old Campbell (William Demarest) , the impetuous Young Cabot Young (William Campbell) and the coward Bailey (John Lupton) escape from the Union POW camp at Fort Bravo but has to contend with the desert , the Mescalero Indians and the pursuing Union troops . Along the way the suspect Carla Forester (Eleanor Parker) , a wedding visitor , is soon ensnared by seducing Roper from his duty . When the commander discovers what's happened , a tense hunt ensues throughout the stark outdoors , as Roper chases mercilessly his prisoners . There takes place a tense pursuit across enemy territory extremely surrounded by hostile Indians and being assailed by wave upon wave into the rugged landscape of Arizona .

It is a classic and old tale with excellent action set pieces skillfully worked , lots of action , well-executed , good performance all around and a big finish with assorted Indian parties making use of their relentless arcs and arrows . Slow-moving at the beginning , the flick works up to a breathtaking final when the group to be beset by hostile as well as unstoppable Indians . That's why there stand out the thrilling and surprising scenes when the main roles are trapped in the dangerous contours of Death Valley by hostile Mescalero Indians shooting killing arrows while attempting to get everyone back to the fort . Main and support players are frankly top-notch , delivering enjoyable interpretations from a cast headed by Holden , Forsythe and Parker . Nice acting by William Holden as hard-nosed officer and giving audiences one of their best looks . And awesome Eleanor Parker as a gorgeous Southern spy whose job is to break the Confederate prisoners out of jail . Support cast is frankly excellent , plenty of familiar faces , such as : Polly Bergen , Richard Anderson , Carl Benton Reid , John Lupton , Alex Montoya and uncredited Glenn Strange . Colorful and sunny cinematography by Robert Surtees , subsequently an expert cameraman of super-productions , this was planned to be filmed in 3D , but was eventually filmed in 2D, the first feature to employ spherical Panavision lenses . Being shot on location in Corriganville, Ray Corrigan Ranch , Simi Valley , California , Gallup, New Mexico, and Death Valley National Park , California . Atmospheric and stirring musical sore by Jeff Alexander , including some wonderful songs .

The motion picture was compelling and forcefully directed , thanks capable hands of filmmaker John Sturges . The redoubtable John demonstrates his skill and mettle here . Sturges was a warlike genre expert (Great escape , Never so few , The Eagle has landed) and Western master (Gunfight OK Corral , Last train of Gun Hill , The law and Jake Wade , Magnificent Seven). Escape from Fort Bravo rating: 7/10 , better than average . Well worth seeing , the movie will appeal to William Holden fans .

Exceptional John Sturges western with another sterling William Holden performance

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 5 April 2014]

During the Civil War, Union captain at an Arizona fort chases down a group of deserters on their way to Texas (including the woman the captain loves, who aided in the band's escape), but all involved become trapped in a desert trench by bloodthirsty Indians. Director John Sturges' 18th film looks pretty fantastic when it ventures outdoors, due to Robert Surtees' robust cinematography. However, the M-G-M production suffers visually when mixing location shots with exterior scenes filmed in-doors (this despite foliage and a waterfall to compliment a fight sequence). Sturges keeps a fast pace, though the picture isn't tightly-wound; the narrative is episodic and drifts, with only William Holden's deeply-felt work in the lead to hold most of it together. Holden's captain, who rarely smiles and seldom has emotions, evolves into a strong, loyal character--he's the heart of this piece. I'm not sure how well-matched the actor is with Eleanor Parker (who does her usual blank-eyed, open-mouthed silent suffering), however his declaration of love for her is convincing, thanks to Holden's sincerity. The bravura third act heats up with tense excitement as the Indians close in. This is where Sturges really comes to the fore and shows what he can do with familiar material. **1/2 from ****

Glossy yet absorbing western romantic drama

[coltras35 · 8/10 · 15 January 2022]

Surrounded by hostile desert and belligerent Mescalero Indians, the Confederate prisoners of Fort Bravo are most in fear of their jailer Captain Roper. Only the beautiful Carla glimpses a chink of tenderness in his armour, but she deceives him by organising and joining an escape party

William Holden is his usual excellent self as the moody captain who strikes fear into his confederate prisoners, but soon Eleanor Parker - who is there to help her boyfriend confederate captain played by Dynasty's William Forsyth to escape-thaws that cold exterior, and she falls for him too. This makes for an arresting dilemma for them, and a pleasant viewing. Escape from Fort Bravo is an interesting mix of romance, drama and the usual cavalry excursion. It's glossy like a painting, yet absorbing. However, the finale elevates this western drama further with a tense showdown with the Mescaleros. The locations is superbly captured, the Mesa and towering buttes just as commanding as John Sturges direction.

A "Cavalry And Injun Pic" Done To A Turn

[ferbs54 · 7/10 · 19 September 2008]

William Holden's character, in the Civil War-era Western "Escape From Fort Bravo" (1953), has a very appropriate name. When we first see his Capt. Roper, he is dragging an escaped Confederate prisoner, by rope, across the desert; a not-so-subtle warning to any other rebs who might be planning a similar break from the Union fort, deep in the Arizona Territory. But when that escape comes, led by Southern Capt. Marsh (John Forsythe) and abetted by Texan belle Carla Forester (Eleanor Parker), Roper is forced to follow the fugitives...even though the path leads straight into the country of the bloodthirsty Mescalero Apaches. Filmed in Death Valley National Monument and in gorgeous color, "Escape From Fort Bravo" showcases some truly spectacular scenery, not the least of which is Eleanor herself. One of the 1950s' most gorgeous of actresses, she looks absolutely ravishing here, her famous red hair a wonder to behold. She would also appear the next year in another film--"The Naked Jungle"--featuring man-eating ants. (Oh, did I forget to mention that those Mescaleros have a nasty habit of tying their prisoners to ant hills?) "Escape" boasts a very tough-talking script, with glints of humor coming from the bickerings between (those great character actors) Williams Demarest and Campbell, and its final third is remarkably suspenseful, as Roper, Carla and the escaped rebs are laid siege in a ditch, while the Mescaleros pick them off with rifle shot and lob volleys of arrows into their midst. Director John Sturges would go on to make three more classic Westerns over the next seven years ("Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," "Last Train From Gun Hill" and, of course, "The Magnificent Seven"), and here turns what is basically a "cavalry and Injuns pic" into a thing of real beauty and excitement. Yes, I really did enjoy this one.

A Lot of Time And Trouble For Four Men

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 10 September 2006]

William Holden did Escape from Fort Bravo as a double loan out from his two studio employers, Paramount and Columbia. It would have been a wasted trip, but for the fact that he also did Executive Suite in the same package. Mr. Holden was much in demand after winning the Oscar for Stalag 17.

He's very much like Sefton from Stalag 17 only this time he's the jailer and up to all the tricks the prisoners have. He's second in command of a prison stockade in the west during the Civil War. And the prisoners and their jailers are surrounded by hostile Mescalero Apaches.

One trick he's not up to is the charms of Confederate agent Eleanor Parker. Coincidentally enough she's a friend of Polly Bergen who is post commandant Carl Benton Reid's daughter and she's arrived for Bergen's wedding to young Lieutenant Richard Anderson. But she's also sweet on Confederate captain John Forsythe and she's there to spring him.

Just why Forsythe's services are so desperately needed by the Confederacy is not gone into. In any event I would think that the Confederacy would try for a mass escape like in The Great Escape before using an agent to affect the escape of one man and some of his selected companions.

And what companions. Two feuding enlisted men William Demarest and William Campbell and a sensitive young lieutenant in John Lupton who already failed at an escape himself. Not the guys I'd take along.

Nevertheless Escape from Fort Bravo boasts of some great scenic photography in Death Valley and a very exciting last stand battle with the escapees and Holden facing certain death at the hands of the Mescaleros.

Director John Sturges and all the players involved did films a lot better than Escape from Fort Bravo.

A colorful cavalry-Indian western

[NewEnglandPat · 8/10 · 26 May 2003]

This beautiful film is another action western about Union and Confederate soldiers at a western outpost whose task is to hold the territory for the Union, prevent rebel defections, and fight Indians. A pretty rebel sympathizer uses her charms to effect an escape of Confederate officers and the hunt is on. William Holden and Eleanor Parker play off one another well in this tug of war and wills with John Forsythe hovering as an interested party. The film has exciting cavalry-Indian battle scenes, and the second clash is particularly novel in its execution because it is done by Indians. A craven rebel soldier proves to be the unlikely hero at the wind up. The picture was filmed largely in Death Valley and is striking in its great visual beauty.

A man's only mission in his life changes when he meets the right woman

[Ed-Shullivan · 6/10 · 29 April 2018]

If you enjoy a good old fashioned western that takes place mainly in the hot desert sun with a band of hostile Mescalero Indians hiding behind nearly every mountain top in pursuit of both sides of fighting Civil War troops, the north and the south troops, then this old fashioned western will be right up your alley.

William Holden plays Captain Roper, a take ALL prisoners kind of game warden who refuses to let even one confederate soldier make his escape across the desert. The Union's Captain Roper's main adversary is Confederate Captain John Marsh who is played by John forsythe.

Now what would a good western be without these two rival Captain's one representing the southern states and the other representing the northern states be if there wasn't a good looking damsel in distress to fight over? Yes, the damsel these two captains are fighting over is Carla Forester, played by Eleanor Parker.

To summarize, the north is winning the Civil war so the southern troops are trying to escape from Fort Bravo (thus the title) but they have to travel through the hot and unforgiving desert and Captain Roper will chase anyone down, including the woman he is falling deep in love with, that being Carla Forester who is also on the run.

Fifty (50) years ago I would have had nightmares after watching the Mescalero Indians striking fear in the troops as they tried to hold off the Indians in the desert. But now I just sit back and enjoy a good old fashioned western which I would classify this feature film in the category of "Good".

I give the film a 6 out of 10 rating

Flat western using old themes

[emdragon · 4/10 · 28 August 2005]

Pretty much run of the mill western displaying many of the same plot lines that have been rather beaten to death in the Western genre. Star William Holden gives a fairly mediocre performance for him in this one. Eleanor Parker, his female foil and romantic interest is very blase and dutifully unthespian like as the temptress who ultimately falls for the hero. The civil war theme is an important cinematic experience, but the film lacks a lot from a creative standpoint. The portrayal of the Indians as flat characters worthy of slaughter is never more obviously shown than here. The best part about the movie was probably the performance of old civil war veteran William Demarest who is very convincing in his crusty old sidekick backup role. The Cinematography was good, except for the fact that they chose for a location a real flat desert terrain with no vegetation whatsoever, so the good camera work is somewhat spoiled therein. I would give this picture about 4 stars (out of 10).

Sturdy western builds to an exciting shootout for the climax...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 13 September 2006]

WILLIAM HOLDEN is a Union Captain in 1863, assigned to Fort Bravo guarding Conferate prisoners. When one of those prisoners receives a visit from a young woman (ELEANOR PARKER) pretending to arrive at the fort to attend a wedding, he has no idea that she's a Confederate spy and wants to use him as a way to set an escape plan into action.

Filmed amid breathtaking vistas in Death Valley by veteran director John Sturges, in glorious sun-baked Technicolor, it's a solid western, a little slow in getting started--but once it moves away from the fort and into the desert where Holden and a group of other soldiers and the woman are surrounded by Mescalero Indians, it becomes a fascinating display of Indian ingenuity with arrows and spears that is photographed for maximum effect.

While the ending may be a bit predictable, with Parker and Holden riding off into the sunset, it's a gripping shootout surrounded by cunning Indians that sustains the last forty minutes. JOHN FORSYTHE plays Eleanor's intended sweetheart who ends up losing her to Holden, and WILLIAM DEMAREST and WILLIAM CAMPBELL supply some much needed comic relief when the going gets rough.

Enjoyable western doesn't given Holden a chance to smile much, a far cry from his earlier movies where he said he always played "Smilin' Jim" kind of parts. Eleanor Parker looks very beautiful throughout, but her costuming and hairdo is strictly the product of '50s costuming and make-up. Still, she makes nice eye candy, especially photogenic in the brilliant color.

MGM Over-Produces a Western

[dougdoepke · 6 August 2007]

No need to repeat an oft-repeated story-line. The movie has two things going for it-- William Holden in an earnest performance, and some spectacular A-level scenery, some of which appears shot in the uncredited Sedona, Arizona area. Otherwise, the film is simply too flawed to rank among the better Westerns.

Apparently the studio had to really sweeten the pot to get the Oscar-nominated (twice) Eleanor Parker to lower herself into a macho Western. As a result, a number of crippling compromises occur. Her part is over-inflated for more screen time, even though these showcase scenes seriously sap the action. Altogether such concessions undercut the degree of tightness and pacing that would hold interest throughout. Instead, we get some badly constructed studio sets meant to accommodate her many outdoor love scenes. These do have a point in the plot, nonetheless they're seriously overdrawn. Then too-- as another reviewer perceptively notes-- her flashy costumes, spangled hair, and immaculate make-up resemble nothing so much as a countess entering the royal court, and this in the middle of deadly Apache territory to which she has traveled in a tiny stage compartment. This is what happens when a studio places star-power above believability.

I could go on about the damage done by hiring a diva to fatten up marquee appeal-- consider, for example, the casual shopping trip across Apache country that has all the care-freeness of a trip to an 1860's frontier mall-- but you get the idea. Had glamor-obsessed MGM wanted to make a real Western, Parker's part would have gone to the modest-looking and acting Polly Bergen, whose part, as it is, is about the size of a postage stamp.

There are other poorly thought-out flaws-- such as Confederate prisoners who one and all speak as if they were born in Chicago, or the ridiculous prisoners' pen that's supposed to discourage the massed Johnny-rebs from charging a single armed guard. My guess is that the studio didn't put up a more plausible barbed-wire fence because that would have reflected badly on the Union captors. Be that as it may, I'm ready to put up with some concessions to Hollywood commercialism in a good horse opera. But this one simply has too many compromises without enough compensation. (The well-staged arrow barrage is both novel and fascinating, but is about the only dramatic highlight.) Had the less image-conscious Columbia studio done the movie with, say, Budd Boetticher and the Ranown company, we could have gotten something special. However, the way this film stands, maybe a good story lurks inside all that glitz and fat , but it still awaits proper treatment.

When you're in the grave, Beecher, it doesn't matter too much how you got there.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 25 January 2011]

Escape from Fort Bravo is directed by John Sturges and collectively written by Michael Pate, Phillip Rock, Frank Fenton and John Forsythe. It stars William Holden, Eleanor Parker, John Forsythe, William Demarest & William Campbell. Jeff Alexander scores the music and Robert Surtees photographs it primarily in and around Death Valley in California, USA.

"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 grey - - eyed each other with hatred. In the wilderness around them a common enemy eyed them both - - the deadly Mescalero Indians"

Escape from Fort Bravo has some notable points of interest that go with it. 1953 was the year that William Holden went "A" list and started to get "big" money, along side this picture he also made Stalag 17 and picked up the Best Actor Oscar for his efforts. The film also serves notice of what a fine director of action John Sturges would become, he of course would go on from here to be known for such film's like Bad Day at Black Rock, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape. Of interest, too, is that the film was shot in the rarely heard of Ansco Color. Ansco Color was the American off shoot of the German Agfa Color, used notably by MGM, Ansco would eventually evolve into Metrocolor.

As for the film itself? Entertaining and efficient with just enough in its last quarter to keep it away from merely being routine. The premise is a solid one, we have a unique situation where the prisoners of this stockade are not manacled or locked up. Such is the harshness of the surrounding desert and the hostile Indians that dwell there, Holden's tough and grizzled Union Captain doesn't feel the need to properly incarcerate the men. We then get a crafty "infiltration" of the stockade and it's here where the film sags a little as too much time is spent on fleshing out a potential romance. Thankfully Sturges pulls it all together for a grand last quarter that sees enemies forced to come together in the hope of surviving. It's here where we are treated to some psychological warfare and a memorable form of attack from the Mescalero's.

The acting across the board is effective, with Holden naturally the stand out doing one of his moody turns, while Surtees brilliantly captures the beauty, yet perfect harshness, of Death Valley. Major plus point is the score from the often forgotten Jeff Alexander (Jailhouse Rock/Party Girl). The title song for the film is "Yellow Stripes" by Stan Jones, this is reworked to good effect throughout, this is also notable for being used in John Ford's Rio Grande in 1950. There's the tender strains of "Soothe My Lonely Heart" (also used in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) and Alexander cleverly mixes that up to portray the pace and tones within the piece. It's a top score that wouldn't have been out of place in an "A" Western.

There's some distracting sound stage work that belie the fine work of Surtees' outdoor shooting, and the afore mentioned overkill of tedium as the romance angle is stretched too far. But it's a good production and never less than enjoyable. 7/10

Colorful Western.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 19 April 2011]

William Holden is as tough as nails, a captain at isolated Fort Bravo, which houses a horde of Confederate prisoners and is surrounded by hostile Mescalero Apaches. Eleanor Parker, as a visitor from Texas, insinuates her way into the fort. Her mission: to arrange for the escape of her lover, John Forsythe, and a handful of other rebels. Alas, during her time at the settlement, she falls for Holden and he for her. This doesn't deter her from her duty.

Holden and another officer ride after the escapees and capture them but before they are able to return to Fort Bravo they are surrounded and pinned down by Apaches. Only a few escape the trap alive.

The cinematography is by Robert Surtees and it's magnificent. The film was shot on location in Death Valley and the red rock country near Gallup, New Mexico. The images -- those that were not obviously shot on a sound stage -- are some of the best things about the movie.

The performances, too, are adequate if not outstanding in any way. How can you be outstanding when you're playing a cardboard character? This was directed by John Sturges who, as usual, does a journeyman job. Okay, so everyone's wardrobe is neat, not only clean but looking brand new, but Sturges ordinarily has his characters neater than those of other directors.

The chief problem is with the script. It's full of stereotypes and cinematic clichés. For instance, it's not merely than the Indians are thoroughly bad. (They tie down prisoners over ant hills and allow them to be stung to death.) The Indians could be pretty rough while waging war, especially Apaches. But do they have to be STUPID too? When they pin down some union soldiers, they ride in circles around them, waiting to be picked off one by one, like ducks in a shooting gallery.

The costumier, Helen Rose, and the director have muffled their skills. The ladies wear bright new dresses unlike anything seen in period photographs. At one point, Eleanor Parker wears a striped see-through dress, like a modern, fluffy silk blouse. No kidding. The hair styles likewise merely nod in the general direction of the early 1860s. Polly Bergen sports what (I think) used to be called an Italian haircut in the 1950s. Didn't Rose and Sturges ever take a look at portraits? Man, the women's hair styles and clothes were UGLY. Their hair tended to be severely parted in the middle and hung in unsightly loaves down their cheeks. The bodices were tight and the skirts looked like they were held outward by unfolded umbrella spokes. Well, I'm no expert on the subject. I was just a child at the time. Holden wears a tailored uniform with brass buttons that is so tight that it seems made of spandex. He wears no undershirt beneath that spotless blue blouse, so when he peels it off we get to see his muscles and hairy chest. One winces at the historical sloppiness, although it's nice to be spared some of that ugliness. Well, let me put it this way, without going on about it any longer. It's nothing like the clothing or sets of a John Ford cavalry movie. There, the clothing and sets weren't glamorized. They looked lived in, while these don't.

The love story is improbable. Holden dances once with Parker, takes her for a ride through the countryside, puts his arms around her waist from behind. "What makes you so sure of yourself?", she asks. "You do?" "Oh? And why?" Holden murmurs, "The way you light a man's cigar." I'm not sure the writer meant that to be clever because he shows no such wit elsewhere in the script. The next day, Holden, the man of titanium, proposes to her.

But there's no doubt about the tension and sense of place in the final scene. Half a dozen people from the fort are trapped behind a low barrier of sand or silt. When I first saw this, something about the special effects impressed me. That was Warren Newcombe's job. Usually, in earlier films, a man shoots at another, and the sound of the shot and the bullet arrive simultaneously. It doesn't matter how far the shooter is from his target. POW, PINGGG. And the sound of the ricochet carries the bullet off into the distance with a shivering, whirry sound, even if the round has bounced off wood or soil. Not here. The sound of the shots and the spurts of sand occur in irregular intervals, and there is no sound of a ricochet. As in real life, there is a harsh ZIPP and the bullet buries itself in the soil. It's a small thing, but it hadn't been done before. It may be that my description is clumsy and you need to watch the scene to understand what I'm getting at.

Adding to this little touch of realism is the fact that this Civil War era cavalry unit is armed with single-shot breech-loading carbines. I'm not a gun freak but I know something about the Civil War. And nobody in the Civil War used lever-action Winchesters, the most commonly seen rifle in Western movies, including many about the Civil War. So Sturges got the rifles right. He didn't get the pistols right though. The Colt Peacemaker wasn't introduced until years later, 1873, I think.

I hope I haven't overly emphasized details like the scenery, the sound of gun shots, or the weapons we see, but there isn't much to be said about the plot itself. It's strictly routine, including the theme song, the score, the sappy love song, and the cavalry coming to the rescue.

***

[edwagreen · 7/10 · 30 August 2017]

William Holden as Captain Roper in this 1953 film comes across as a hard-nosed military man, who inflicts bitter punishment against a rebel soldier who dared to escape.

Where are the southern accents from the Confederate soldiers? They sounded like real Yankee soldiers to me. How could William Demarest be a Confederate soldier here? Weren't their age restrictions even during the civil war?

Animosity abounds by the Confederate soldiers who are forced into miserable treatment by the Union soldiers; although, they have free access to wander about since the surrounding hills are filled with Indians.

Eleanor Parker comes to her friend's wedding but secretly she is a southern spy who shall use the occasion to help some of the Confederate soldiers to escape.

As the bride, Polly Bergen had practically nothing to say and ditto for General Carl Benton Reid.

While the escape succeeds, Holden and his men along with the Confederate escapees are trapped by the Indians and a new camaraderie forms. Parker who loved Confederate Forsyth is drawn to Holden and we see an ending almost reminiscent of Gary Cooper's For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Good Western

[kenandraf · 9/10 · 31 July 2002]

Good classic film that shows how the North dealt with the Confederates and American Indians at the same time during the U.S. Civil war.Good overall production and the ciematography was very good.To nitpick,the movie started slow and Parker's dresses were too unrealistic for the circumstances.Also the romance chemistry between Parker and Holden was lacking.The script could also have been a tag better.Still,the second half of the film delivered the action goods which will delight true Western genre fans.Only for fans of the genre who are not partial to the Confederate side and fans of the lead stars......

Well made but utterly, utterly familiar western.

[barnabyrudge · 6/10 · 29 October 2005]

The western genre was enormously popular from the 1930s right through to the 1960s, arguably beyond, but by 1953 (when Escape From Fort Bravo was released) it was a genre desperately in need of freshening up. There's very little plot-wise that western devotees will consider new about this John Sturges entry. However, it remains watchable thanks to the clear-thinking script, the strong performances and the exciting climax.

Captain Roper (William Holden) is a tough Union officer at the titular fort, located in central Arizona. Roper has a reputation for ruling over the fort's Confederate prisoners with a fearsome hand, and a 100% record for recapturing any Confederates who are foolish enough to attempt an escape from the stockade. Near the start of the film, Roper brings back a young Confederate escapee named Bailey (John Lupton), and drags him around the yard with a rope to set an example to the other prisoners contemplating possible future escape bids. Later, a beautiful woman named Carla Forester (Eleanor Parker) arrives, claiming that she is present for the fort commandant's daughter's wedding, though in actual fact she is a Confederate spy. Part of her deceptive plan involves getting on the right side of Captain Roper, but she unexpectedly discovers him to be a very honourable and sensitive man away from his military work, and falls in love with him. Carla's true objective is to help a group of Confederate prisoners - led by Capt. John Marsh (John Forsythe) - to break out, and she eventually chooses to forsake her new-found love for Roper in order to carry out her duty. Bitter and disillusioned, Roper once again sets out to track down and recapture this latest bunch of runners....

Escape From Fort Bravo certainly looks pleasing to the eye (due, in no small part, to the cinematography of the great Robert Surtees), and it is a very professionally assembled work. The problem is that, other than High Noon a couple of years earlier, the western genre as a whole had run out of ideas (it would be the emergence of the spaghetti western ten years later - notably A Fistful Of Dollars - that would finally bring some new angles to the genre). This one is no different to a thousand others made around that time. The presence of Holden and the fact that John Struges was the director pulled in the crowds and ensured that Escape From Fort Bravo was a sizable hit.... but despite the box office success, the film is decidedly familiar and not worth going out of your way to find.

Just another story about an American Indian tribe trying to dispossess some squatters.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 27 April 2018]

The story is set during the Civil War. For some reason, a Union prisoner of war camp is set way, way out west around the territory of the Mescalero Apache (which is around Southern New Mexico, though they were a nomadic tribe). When some of the Southern soldiers escape, it's up to the tough-as-nails Captain (William Holden) to track them down...or die trying. The problem is that eventually, when he does find the POWs, they're ALL at the mercy of the landlords...the Mescalero...and apparently they DON'T like squatters!

While in some ways the film is pretty decent, I really felt annoyed by much of the action. Again and again, the Mescalero warriors just rode around and around and around their horses...WAITING to be shot! They often didn't even fire back...just rode by as the soldier's shot at them! Only later did the Mescalero act with any sense of intelligence...which was kind of insulting AND stupid.

The casting decisions in this film were a bit odd. While it seemed odd seeing William Demerest as a Confederate soldier, it seemed REALLY odd to see John Forsythe, with his lovely Northern accent!

So is it worth seeing? Well, I'd put it in the category of 'Time Passer'...a film that is modestly entertaining but nothing more. Little about the movie excited me one way or the other.

Only The Good Die Young

[zardoz-13 · 9/10 · 12 July 2009]

"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.

Roper's roses.

[brogmiller · 6/10 · 13 May 2020]

In the 1950's, John Sturges gained a reputation as a solid director of Western action on the basis of taut productions such as this and although beautifully shot by Robert Surtees with a good cast headed by William Holden and Eleanor Parker, it is alas done no service by Frank Fenton's lame script. Devotees of the genre will no doubt find something redeeming here but for this viewer at any rate, it must be accounted 'minor' Sturges.

Just another western

[HotToastyRag · 3/10 · 4 November 2018]

Looking for another mediocre 1950s western? Try Escape from Fort Bravo, starring William Holden as the leader of a Union prison camp and John Forsythe as one of the Confederate prisoners who's planning an escape. Stuck in the middle of Arizona with nothing but desert and Indians on all sides, what's the escape plan? You'll just have to rent the movie to find out.

I can tell you, without spoiling anything because it's very easy to guess and it gets revealed pretty quickly, that the master plan includes the lure of a woman. The beautiful Eleanor Parker is recruited to distract Bill so John and the others can escape. But when sparks fly for real, what will happen? A number of things, including extensive wardrobe changes for Miss Parker, which are the best parts of the movie. The end action scene is pretty good and there are lots of horse stunts, but you can also find those in any number of westerns.