The Last Outpost (1951)

RELEASED IN 1951 and directed by Lewis R. Foster, "The Last Outpost" (re-released in 1962 as "Cavalry Charge") chronicles events in Arizona during the Civil War where two brothers, officers for the Confederacy and Union (Ronald Reagan and Bruce Bennett), have to settle their differences to protect the outpost/town of San Gil from an Indian attack. Rhonda Fleming plays the former's maybe babe. The old-fashioned style of filmmaking takes a while to acclimate to if you're used to newer movies. It doesn't help that the talky, contrived story is so convoluted that it takes forever to become engrossed into the characters and events. But there are some highlights: It's great seeing Reagan when he was young; and curvy Fleming is jaw-dropping. The climax is action-packed, but with those eye-rolling stunt hits (i.e. someone gets shot or arrowed and throws his hands in the air in a melodramatic manner, falling to the ground). THE FILM RUNS 1 hour & 29 minutes and was shot in Old Tucson and surrounding areas (e.g. Sierrita Mountains). GRADE: C

Historically speaking, "The Last Outpost" is a dumb mess. And, logically speaking, it's not a lot better. It's a film best enjoyed with your brain completely turned off--otherwise your pesky mind will balk at the writing and silly plot.This film is set during the Civil War. One brother (the dull one) fights for the North, the other (the duller one) fights for the South. And, it just so happens that BOTH are out West when 99.9% of their compatriots are fighting well to the East...what are the odds?! Anyway, the Southern soldier is on a secret mission to contact the Indians and be sure they stay out of the war. The one fighting for the North has been ordered to help the Indian agent from Washington--but the agent has an insane plan to get the Indians to fight for the Union and take Confederate scalps (though HOW you tell it's a Southern and Northern scalp is beyond me). This Northern officer HATES this and later catches his brother in a Union uniform--acting as a spy! The Southern brother escapes and soon the Indians attack. Just as it looks as if all the civilians and Union soldiers will be massacred, the Southern Cavalry arrives to save the say and all are happy friends (that is, aside from all the Natives who were just killed) and have a pizza party (I added this final part but who would notice?!).As a retired American history teacher, I just don't know where to start. ALL of this is complete fiction--all of it. None of this happened, nor would Southern soldiers swoop in to save the day. And, if they did (which they wouldn't), they wouldn't have all left good friends!! This brainless plot wasn't even especially entertaining and overall it's one of Ronald Reagan's dullest films. Even the presence of the incredibly pretty Rhonda Fleming wasn't enough to breath any life into this dumb film.

Ronald Reagan and Bruce Bennett play brother versus brother in "The Last Outpost," an entertaining but old-fashioned Civil War western set on the historic Santa Fe Trail. Reagan has charisma to spare as Vance Britten, a Confederate cavalry captain dispatched from Virginia by General Robert E. Lee to raise hell in the heart of Union territory, and raise hell he does with style and wit. Opposite him in Union blue is his brother Colonel Jeb Britten (Bruce Bennett of "The New Adventures of Tarzan") who wears an occupational stiff-upper lip and displays less sympathy since he represents law and order. Happily, director Louis R. Foster keeps the tone of "The Last Outpost" as light-hearted as possible for most of this western's nimble 89-minute running time. Veteran western character actor Noah Beery, Jr., who wears his trademark Stetson more like a construction foreman than a cowboy, flanks Reagan as a good ole boy CSA sergeant, while Bill Williams rides at our hero's other elbow. Matters come to a boil when an unscrupulous white Indian agent Sam McQuade (John Ridgely of "The Big Sleep") demands that Washington intervene in the conflict and arm the Indians, so the Native Americans can help the strapped Union troops weed out the Confederate raiders. Actually, all that McQuade wants is an excuse to agitate the redskins, so he can sell them more guns and liquor. McQuade gets hoisted on his own petard when hostile Indians kill him and burn his supply wagon. The Indians didn't appreciate the inferior firearms and the rotgut whiskey that McQuade pedaled to them. Caught up in the middle of this fracas is McQuade's beautiful, red-haired wife Julie (Ronda Fleming of "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral") who has few friends and is unhappy out west. Before he dies as the price for his own perfidy, McQuade tries to play a trick on Julie by inviting Jeb over for supper. Years earlier Julie had made plans to marry a Britten, but not Jeb. Instead, Vance abandoned her, and she hasn't sufficiently recovered from his bad manners. Meanwhile, Vance intercepts the Union officer sent from Washington with orders to negotiate with the Indians, appropriates his uniform, and visits the Indian camp to sue for peace. He learns about the death of McQuade and others at the hands of Geronimo (John War Eagle of "They Rode West") and two braves. He also learns to his chagrin that these warriors are rotting in a white man's jail. The Indian chieftains are neither pleased with Geronimo's precipitate actions nor do they approve of the white man's reprisal against Geronimo. Vance decides to maintain his masquerade as the Union officer. Not only does he plan to free Geronimo and his braves before the territory explodes into Indian warfare, but also he plans to relieve the Federals of a payload of gold coins. Things do not go as Vance plans, because he finds himself face-to-face with Julie, his former sweetheart who he abandoned without so much as goodbye. Julie still smolders with rage at this slight, and she warns Vance that she won't tolerate either his presence or his disguise for more than 24 hours. Predictably, when Vance cannot spring Geronimo and company from the town's hoosegow, the Indians go on the rampage and try to burn the town down. Things are looking mighty bad in the last ten minutes for the out-numbered Union troops and the beleaguered settlers when Reagan rides to the rescue with his Confederate cavalry. Ironically, this Paramount Pictures release reunites Reagan, Bennett, and Ridgely who were once worked on the Warner Brothers backlot during the studio's heyday. What "The Last Outpost" lacks in stature, this solid little but unsurprising sagebrusher makes up for with its swift, sure pace, and its exciting battle scenes.

Reagan is star top-billed in this Paramount oater from 1951. Non- big budget movie was a surprise big hit in 1951. It also stars Rhonda Fleming, a woman it was could not photograph badly from any angle, and it shows in this movie, though her role isn't major. She plays the girl. She wasn't exactly known for her acting chops. The plot has the makings for a great Western, two brothers take different sides in the civil war. Reagan is a Confederate while Benett is a Union officer. Also involved is a certain benevolent look at the Indians - in the fifties, one can easily see the changing tone of Hollywood's outlook on the Indians; from snarly wordless caricatures to humane three dimensional characters, mainly highlighted by the James Stewart movie, Broken Arrow. Dances with wolves, this is not but it tries, as it has a white man as the Apache chief, an ex military officer who turned Injun after marrying an Indian. He was ousted from the army for this. Also, to be noted, Reagan and Bennett don't have anything really negative to say about the Indians. They are just interested in their war and just want to keep the Indians from getting involved. It is the supporting characters who are portrayed bug-eyed yellow in their thinking of the red man as the colloquial connotations go. But a notorious third act finale bruises all the good will the earlier sessions had earned. In this act, Bennett and Reagan, that is Confederate and Union team up to slaughter the Indians in a battle that was superceded by the white man. You can argue for this scene, in a pseudo " man must survive" argument that states that even if I'm on the wrong, I shouldn't just stand by the chop me to pieces. Man must defend himself. But staging of the battle is certainly cliched and flimsy as the Indians ride straight into a gauntlet set up by the allies. Right smack into it as they are shot of their horses. And do they change strategy? No. They keep running into the awaiting bullets. It should be noted that earlier, Bennett notes they are outnumbered 50-1. How original? Good entertainment especially the first two-thirds that focuses on Regan's derring-do.