Main Cast: William Holden, Eleanor Parker, John Forsythe, William Demarest, William Campbell
Release Year: 1953
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
Plot
A nail-biting Indian deadlock remains the climax of this otherwise overly verbose Western filmed in M-G-M's then-new Ansco colors (forerunner of Eastmancolor). After ruthlessly dragging an escaped prisoner through the Arizona desert, Union Army Captain Roper (William Holden) suffers rebuke from both the rebel prisoners and his commanding officer (Carl Benton Reid). Things settles down a bit with the arrival of Carla Forester (Eleanor Parker), with whom Roper falls in love. But Carla proves to be a Confederate spy assigned to engender the escape of Captain Marsh (John Forsythe), the Rebel leader. The plan succeeds to a point but the escapees are hunted down by Roper and Lieutenant Beecher (Richard Anderson). Returning to Fort Bravo with his prisoners, Roper and his captives ride right into a Mescalero Apache hunting party. Filmed on location at California's Death Valley, Escape from Fort Bravo was co-written by Australian-born actor Michael Pate. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Review
Buoyed by a couple of fine performances and the aforementioned climactic Indian attack, Escape from Fort Bravo may not be John Sturges' finest hour and a half but remains a fairly entertaining if somewhat talky action thriller. The climactic standoff, in which most of the cast members are pinned down in the middle of the desert while the Apaches prove themselves efficient in psychological warfare, is a standout, but to get there you'll have to dispense with a great deal of disbelief. Eleanor Parker makes a very fetching spy indeed but the screenplay fails to make the ensuing romantic triangle drama little more than a contrivance. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Malcolm Brown - Art Director, Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Helen Rose - Costume Designer, John Sturges - Director, George Boemler - Editor, Jeff Alexander - Composer (Music Score), Jeff Alexander - Songwriter, Stan Jones - Songwriter, Robert Surtees - Cinematographer, Nicholas Nayfack - Producer, Ralph S. Hurst - Set Designer, Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer, Warren Newcombe - Special Effects, Michael Pate - Screen Story, Philip Rock - Screen Story, Frank Fenton - Screenwriter
Fort Bravo is a Union prison camp run by a strict Captain Roper (William Holden). A pretty woman named Carla Forester (Eleanor Parker) shows up to help free the prisoners, especially Confederate Captain John Marsh (John Forsythe). Roper falls in love with her (and she with him), so he has an additional motive to recapture the escapees. He does just that, but on the way back to the fort, they are attacked by fierce Mescalero Indians who are hostile to both sides and trapped in a shallow exposed depression. Roper frees and arms his prisoners, but even then, it looks like the Indians will wipe them out. One by one, they are killed. The next morning, to try to save Carla, Roper makes it look like he is the only one left alive and walks out in plain view. He is wounded, but the cavalry comes to the rescue just in time.
