A Thunder of Drums (1961)

I have a soft spot for b-movies and random westerns. This one is a run-of-the-mill cavalry vs. Indians job that suffers from uneven pacing, a miscast lead role, and over-reliance on formula plot elements. But there are a few interesting points that make it worth watching.One of its chief virtues is the excellent job it does of capturing the day to day flavor of life in a remote cavalry outpost in 1870s southwest. The military manners, habits, and routines are portrayed with convincing detail. The class stratification between enlisted men and officers is utterly real. An early scene with dead soldiers being transported on horseback is played to grim, nauseating effect, with enlisted men displaying hardened indifference and black humor about the situation. All of this gives the film some weight and veracity.On the other hand, it suffers from generic Hollywood artificiality, relying unthinkingly on shoot 'em up conventions of faceless Indians, and sporting a formulaic romantic triangle subplot. Another major problem is George Hamilton's performance. The character he plays is not particularly sympathetic or likable, and he does nothing to bring depth to it. He's unappealingly flat and cocky. A better actor in this key role would've gone a long way toward breathing some life into the film, especially in its flabby, tedious midsection.But the real reason to watch this film is Richard Boone. I've liked him in just about everything I've seen him in, but here he is completely riveting. He plays the tough, smart, experienced commander of the undermanned outpost. He's a lonely man, who feels keenly the burden of his job. Late in the film there's a scene where he discovers a scene of carnage, with a number of his men dead, and his controlled rage is very moving. He brings the only real gravitas and feeling to the movie, effectively communicating the weight of life & death decisions and consequences. He's absolutely terrific.

Has anyone noticed that almost every World War II movie had a triangle of two service men competing for the affection of one girl, with the world at war playing a minor role, usually to showcase the courage and nobility of our boys at war? Hollywood trotted out this formula once again for this movie, ruining an otherwise fine tale of soldiers on a far frontier battling a clever and determined enemy in a nasty little war, with no quarter asked or given. In the 60's there was no way a book was going to be brought faithfully to the screen. It had to be dumbed down, it had to devote an inordinate amount of time on the love interest, it had to be the equivilant of a "G" rating. A Thunder of Drums was an ass-kicking book, which failed as a film because although it managed to depart from romantic notions of war, still was unable to conceive of a story lacking romance. Even relatively recently, The Last of the Mohicans managed to have our frontiersman hero and a British officer competing for the affections of a girl. I am not saying there is no place for romance, but I am suggesting that some films would be better off without it, like A Thunder of Drums.

A Thunder of Drums could have been a much better movie given the talent in the cast.Richard Boone plays the grizzled captain of a remote fort in the middle of nowhere. He has little to do other than snarl at the young lieutenants and lament over that lost promotion. Pretty boy George Hamilton is woefully miscast as the new officer on the block. And speaking of miscasting, Arthur O'Connell as the top sergeant is a long way from "Picnic".Charles Bronson appears as one of the soldiers who is either supposed to be comic relief or a slimey peeping Tom, we're never quite sure. The fight between Bronson and Hamilton is laughable considering the outcome.Others in the cast include the bland Luana Patten as the heroine, a young Richard Chamberlain as one of the officers and veteran Slim Pickens who was hardly seen after the opening sequence. And yes, not to forget Duane Eddy as a guitar strumming private. The best that can be said about Eddy is that as an actor he makes a fine musician.Most of the first 2/3 of the picture consists of the Boone character barking at his subordinates. The final third of the film contains most of the action and manages to salvage the picture.I think that for this film could have done with less talk and more action.

It is interesting to see a young George Hamilton and a young Richard Chamberlin and how they looked and acted in their early years. In fact, it is quite pathetic. Richard Boone plays the post commander whom, you learn at the END as to why an old man is still a captain. Really, it was droll movie. Slow plot development, if any and a meaningless conclusion. I did like the color except for one scene where Hamilton opens the door and sees an obviously painted scene in daylight and then exits into the nightlight on the exterior.