User Reviews

I couldn't help feeling Victor Mature's character here was a complete lunatic, his maniacal rant in front of the assembled cavalry troops in the latter part of the story should have banished him from anywhere near Fort Shallan. But then having Anne Bancroft's Corinna Marston 'sort of' fall for the undisciplined savage, well, that just blew away the whole story for me. It's one thing she wasn't happy in her marriage to the Colonel (Robert Preston), but to be influenced by Jed Cooper's (Mature) affections was simply too incredible for this viewer to fathom.

The dynamic between Colonel Marston and Captain Riordan (Guy Madison) was a bit of a puzzler too. As short sighted as Marston was in pursuing his vendetta against Red Cloud's Tetons, he still thought it honorable that Riordan tried and failed to have him removed from his command at the fort. You would think the Colonel would have had his second in command further demoted or sent packing to the brig. I just didn't understand it at all.

The over arching theme of the story has to do with civilization snaking it's tentacles further West with the Native American Indians marking time until the last of their way of life makes it's lonely exit. The final battle between the Tetons and the Cavalry has a ring of authenticity to it, but that's about as far as it goes for this frontier Western. Most everything else is as plausible as Jed Cooper being made a sergeant and getting the girl.

`The Last Frontier' is a superior western that overcomes numerous deficiencies in weaving its tale of trappers Jed (Victor Mature), Gus (James Whitmore) and Mongo (Pat Hogan) and their relationships with the army, particularly Captain Riordon (Guy Madison), Colonel Marston(Robert Preston) and Corrina Marston, colonel's wife (Anne Bancroft). Hired as scouts after losing their supplies to the Indians, Jed, Gus and Mungo adjust to living the `civilized' life within a fort on the edge of the `last frontier.' Jed, who has been raised by Gus, both inspires and looks up to the `older' Gus and Mungo, and has an especially difficult time dealing with `civilization.' His real problems start after he becomes strongly attracted to the colonel's wife, Corrina. Colonel Marstonis a reckless man, who endangers every one around him with his dreams of ruthless victory over any opponent. Corrina, a woman repressed by her station and sense of responsibility, loves her husband for what he could be and Jed for what he is. Caught in the middle is Captain Riordon, a brave and likeable man torn among his duty to the army, his strong friendship with Jed and his fear of the likely disastrous consequences of the colonel's recklessness.

What makes this movie so interesting (as well as entertaining) is that, in most cases the weaknesses and the strengths of `The Last Frontier' are EXACTLY the same elements (forget the insipid title and dated music)

First, the screenplay. Almost all of the subplots (particularly, the reckless Colonel) have been done better elsewhere, but have rarely been assembled with such eccentricity. Just when you THINK you know what is going to happen next, this one takes off in a DIFFERENT direction. POSSIBLE SPOILER: `The Last Frontier' being a `Production Code' movie (back in the day the word `virgin' was taboo), it's very surprising that the adultery factor was handled in such a mature, tolerant manner. I expected either Jed or the colonel's wife to reap some retribution for their sin. I was surprised and a little disappointed the movie didn't exploit that expectation to create a less predictable ending.

Second, the casting. Mature is at least ten years too old to play the part of Jed, the wild-eyed innocent raised in the woods'. James Whitmore, who plays Gus, `the man who raised Jed' is actually five years younger than Mature. Nevertheless, Mature is very endearing, playing a character who is innocent of civilization but is in no way stupid. Although there were several actors who could have played the role at the time (most notably, Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas), none could have played Jed better. Preston (also Mature's junior) plays Colonel Marston, missing the tics and affectations one would expect from such a driven man. However, Preston perfectly captures the sense of honor someone must have seen in Marston to promote such a reckless fool to colonel's rank. Bancroft is an especially shrewd choice as Corrina. Bancroft's dark hair has been died blonde, and this achieves the same effect as it did for Winona Ryder (`Edward Scissorhands') and Christina Ricci (`Sleepy Hollow'). That is, I felt conflicted about the character without knowing exactly why; I believe the answer is that blondes and brunettes have considerably different skin tones and eye shades. Further, Bancroft has always projected a toughness that borders on hardness (here the blonde hair softens her up a bit, though). This enables the 24 year old Bancroft to stand toe to toe with both the 40 year old Mature and the 37 year old Preston; yep, she could be a colonel's wife. Madison walks a careful balancing act as Riordan, handling a complex role and sometimes ackward dialogue.Playing a role similar to that of John Wayne in `Fort Apache' Madison does a more skillful job at it.

This movie has a `Silverado' type camaraderie. That alone makes it worth seeing. It also has memorable performances, beautiful scenerary and great action and direction. I just hope a letterbox version is available (many have been lost), because this movie takes full advantage of that format.

A trapper, played by Victor Mature, ends up at a Union Army fort confronted by Red Cloud and his army. The trapper falls for the wife of the colonel of the fort. The colonel is a very dedicated and brave soldier, but not very diplomatic and smart when it comes to choosing battles. The trapper lures the colonel out into the woods and gets him entrapped in a pit and leaves him to die. The trapper in his delusions hopes that the colonel's wife will be impressed and want to be with him. Instead, her Christian sensibility is horrified by his actions. The trapper goes back and rescues the colonel. The movie is "war weary". The soldiers at the fort are sick of fighting the local Native Americans and not happy about going out to fight a battle they will inevitably lose. The trapper becomes a hero to them, because he is an excellent fighter and much shrewder than the colonel. The colonel is both liked and disliked. He is a loyal soldier, but the soldiers are not happy about having to go out and fight to their inevitable deaths. I think this was the best thing about this movie. It was not a typical western. It was a rare 50s movie that was more cynical about war and the point of war.

This movie is surprisingly gritty for a '50's western. Infidelity, drunkenness, questioning the meaning...

And Victor Mature. There are just some people who grab your attention on screen, and while he hams it up a bit, he's charismatic.

In fact the entire cast is top-notch. James Whitmore, a barely recognizable Anne Bancroft, etc. Before I knew it was Robert Preston, I was saying "That kind of looks like Robert Preston". Not the kind of role he became famous for.

The scenery is eye-catching, the plot moves along and it's just a generally interesting movie of the kind they used to make. Much better than I was expecting.

Parts of the film are good. Robert Preston is more understated than usual ( strange given the character) and the majority of the supporting actors played their parts well. The young Ann Bancroft wasn't really given much of a part. How her character could fall for Victor Matures's character is beyond comprehension!

Actually it might have been better to have dispensed with Victor Mature and concentrated on Guy Madison and Robert Peston's professional 'relationship'.

The ending is dreadful! Robert Preston just disappeared in a swirl of dust and suddenly Victor Mature was a Sergeant and no one minded the relationship between him and the 'Late' Colonel's (we didn't see him die or get buried!) wife!

Victor Mature ( who sounds as if he was a fairly affable chap) is well know to have disparaged his own acting and I wouldn't want to disagree with him in this case.

Hope you caught the pun in my title! I much enjoyed this film, which offers a variety of interesting subplots and complex love-hate relationships, along with interspersed action sequences and some lighthearted moments in which the free-spirited mountain men counter regimented army discipline. All the main characters are well cast. Some reviewers question the wisdom of choosing middle-aged Victor Mature as the lead character, Jed Cooper. Yes, he was getting a bit puffy-eyed for a Tarzan-like western hillbilly. Others simply don't go for his personality or acting style. But, overall, I found him quite suitable for his wild man desiring to become marginally civilized role. Robert Mitchum would perhaps have been equally at home in this rile. Several reviewers would have preferred Burt Lancaster. Burt would have his chance as a loner trapper some years later in the eccentric western "The Scalphunters", worth checking out if you like mountain men tales.

At first, I thought this story was taking place in Oregon, with the high dome-shaped volcanic cone often in the background and one of the forts named Medford. But, I soon realized that these were false clues. Fort Laramie was repeatedly mentioned as not too far away. Also, Red Cloud was repeatedly mentioned as the war chief of the recently belligerent Sioux. Well, these are strong clues that the story relates to the well-known Powder River War in northern Wyoming, between the US government and an alliance of Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho. Guy Madison's Captain Riordan and Robert Preston's Colonel Marston can be seen as modified versions of the historical Colonel Carrington and Captain Fetterman, respectively. As in the film, the Civil War-experienced, but Sioux -inexperienced overconfident Fetterman led his men into an ambush. As in the film, Fetterman's entire 81-man party was annihilated, considered the worst US cavalry disaster at the hands of Native Americans until Custer's much better remembered debacle. During the battle, Cooper(Mature) takes on the historic role of Captain Ten Eyck, sent to investigate the gunplay heard and deciding it was prudent to retreat.

Incidentally, the army did build 3 forts in this area in the late Civil War years, but their names were changed in the film and, by treaty, they were soon abandoned, later burned by the Sioux. The main reason for all this sudden animosity was the discovery of rich placer gold deposits in Montana Territory, just northwest of the present Yellowstone Park. Swarms of draft-dodging prospectors and other sorts had been negotiating the newly established Bozeman Trail across Wyoming to these goldfields, right through the currently favorite hunting grounds of the relevant tribes. The classic Clark Gable-starring western "The Tall Men", released the same year as this film, also relates to this gold fever and he also had to deal with Red Cloud, in a semi-historical script.

The main problem I find with the plot is the historical anachronism of the 3 buddy trappers. The era of pure trapper mountain men had pretty much ended 25 years before the end of the Civil War with the collapse of western beaver populations and the simultaneous collapse of a market for such. Thus, these trappers were limited to much less valuable furs and hides.

As others have pointed out, the plot bears a striking resemblance to the previous John Ford "Fort Apache", save for the location. In both cases, we have a commander arriving from the east to a frontier post with Native American problems. He underestimates the military prowess of his adversaries, regarding them as little more than easy cannon fodder to promote his career. He pays dearly(dies) for his inexperience and brashness. Also, this commander resents a subordinate who has long experience with the local Native Americans and warns him what is wise and unwise to do. In both films, we have a budding romantic relationship between a woman dear to the commander's heart and a subordinate, which the commander tries to squelch. Clearly, the commander must be eliminated to allow these romances to proceed to completion.

In common with director Mann's film "The Far Country", the loner star's long-time partner must be eliminated to allow room for a woman to take his place. In the present film, Cooper has two partners, who independently die or disappear. James Whitmore plays one of them. Yes, he much reminds you of Spencer Tracy. This was Whitmore's second subsidiary role as a mountain man, also being in the Clark Gable-starring "Across the Wide Missouri"

I found the verbal confrontation between Cooper and Marsden while the latter was trapped in a bear pit fall, along with the fallout from this incident, the most interesting aspect on this film. Anne Bancroft, as Marsen's conflicted wife, has a most interesting role, especially as it relates to this incident.

The theme of most everyone associated with this fort being a misfit surfaces repeatedly. Most of the soldiers, including the commander, were sent here because they have 'problems' or are raw recruits. The trappers are misfits personality-wise with army discipline. Bancroft, as one of the few woman in this fort, is inherently a misfit, and hates it.

This film is set in Oregon during the Civil War. Three trappers (Victor Mature, James Whitmore and Pat Hogan) are dismayed to see that the once-friendly Indian tribe is now angry and are throwing them of the land. This is because the natives are angry that the US Cavalry has been building forts and it's their land.

When the trappers go to the nearby fort to complain, they are hired as scouts--mostly because Mature likes the Captain in charge (Guy Madison). However, later, a STUPID Colonel arrives and pretty much ignores Mature's advice. The Colonel (Robert Preston) wants to just blunder into an attack on the Indians--though Mature tells him it's suicide. Why? Because he's afraid being assigned to the wilderness means no medals and promotions in the war. And so, he seems ready to start one himself!

What makes this more complicated is that Mature is a bit of a crazy savage. In the meantime, he's fallen inexplicably in love with the Colonel's wife and wants her. And, part of him would be very happy to let the Colonel kill himself so he could have her!

The film is interesting and looks nice due to the color film and nice locations in the Pacific Northwest. However, Mature's alcohol-fueled character seemed rather broad--a bit too much like a savage to seem very real. Subtle, he wasn't!

Overall, I'd say the film has a bit to like and a bit to annoy. Parts of the film are highly reminiscent of John Ford's "Fort Apache"--but Apache was a masterpiece of subtlety, fine acting and an artisan's touch. "The Last Frontier" is just a bit loud and the characters rather confusing. Interesting but quite flawed and despite the pretty look of the film, it comes off more like a B-movie than anything else.

One thing I really, really appreciated about the film was the casting of Pat Hogan. It's rare for a REAL American-Indian to be cast as an Indian in a 1950s western--especially in a major role. He was an Oklahoma-born Native American and not some white guy in dark makeup. For example, Rock Hudson (yes, I am NOT kidding) was cast as an Indian during this same era!

When the Blue Coats of the US Army arrive in Oregon Red Cloud, the local Indian chief declares all white people persona non grata. Three trappers, Jed Cooper, Gus and Mungo find themselves relieved of their rifles and the skins they spent a year collecting; debate whether to head north to find work in Canada or head to the nearest army camp to demand compensation. They choose the latter option but end up getting work as scouts. At the fort Cooper meets Corinna Marston, a woman whose husband is the colonel in command of another fort in Indian territory; he believes the man is bound to be dead by now but still heads out to find him. That fort had been attacked but the colonel and some of his men had survived; Cooper brings them back to the fort but soon begins to regret it. Col. Marston immediately takes command and sets about planning a counter attack despite the fort only having a hundred raw recruits. The level headed captain who had commanded the post believes it is unwise but the Colonel is determined to win a great victory to restore his honour after losing fifteen hundred men at Shiloh.

This was an enjoyable western with an unconventional protagonist; Victor Mature's did a fine job as Cooper; a crude illiterate man who gets drunk and pursues the colonel's wife... hardly the upstanding hero one expects in such films. Robert Preston's Col. Marston has the heroic look but he is the one who could get everybody killed through his desire for glory. When the fighting comes it is far from glorious; instead it is dirty and brutal, although not graphic, director Anthony Mann did a fine job there. In some ways the romantic storyline seems a bit tacked on but it does serve to show Cooper's lack of concern for 'civilised ways'. The film was shot in stunning scenery; although the slopes of Mt. Popocatépetl in Mexico stand in for Oregon!