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Fort Vengeance (1953) ~ James Craig, Reginald Denny

10/3/2014

20 Comments

 
This is the first of two posts for the O CANADA Blogathon. The next, a Dick Powell Mountie film, can be read HERE

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Ahh,  the 1950's.  I'm starting to think that that decade earns the western movie crown!  The list of great westerns in that decade boggles the mind:  High Noon,  Shane, Broken Arrow,  The Far Country,  The Gunfighter,  The Naked Spur, Hondo, The Last Wagon...and that's just a few famous ones!  Though the late 1930's and early 1940's were the golden age of the mountie film,  there were some good examples of the Canadian Mountie story in the 1950's, too.  There was Saskatchewan in 1954 (starring Alan Ladd),  Pony Soldier in 1952 (with Tyrone Power),  and a good number of the Kirby Grant films were released in that decade.

Enter the splendid 1953 action epic,  Fort Vengeance,  starring the rugged James Craig,  with Keith Larsen,  Reginald Denny,  and the oddly-cast-but-lovely Rita Moreno.  Craig and Larsen play brothers Dick and Carey Ross,  with Craig as the elder (and wiser) of the two. As the picture starts out, they're on the run from a posse,  headed for the Canadian border.  Larsen's character, Carey,  has shot a man in what is ostensibly self-defense,  and it's up to the older to get him out of the jam.  They do out-distance the sheriff and his men, and they manage to make it to the jurisdictional safety of Canada's lush south.  Immediately Carey's impulsive recklessness comes to play, as he shoots one of a pair Indians on the trail...an act which will come back to haunt the brothers.

Stuck north of the border and lacking work,  Dick decides that he's going to join up with the Northwest Mounted Police, and little brother tags along.  Things move quickly from there;  Dick dives fully into his new life,  taking on his responsibilities with vigour,  while Carey chafes at these new restrictions and begins to engage in behaviours that will cause trouble for everyone around him.

Then there is a murder.

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I was very happy with this film,  both as a 50's western,  and as a solid depiction of the Canadian Mountie ideal.  James Craig was fantastic as a Mountie,  dependable and loyal,  brave,  and always there to do the right thing.  In fact,  he reminded me of one of my favourite motion picture Mounties,  played by Robert Preston in the amazing North West Mounted Police from 1940 (reviewed by me HERE).  I'd really like to see more of Craig as an actor in general;  both charming and stern when required,  and very much the type that you could believe could ride alone into an army of hostiles with not a drop of sweat on his brow.  Keith Larsen was very good as the weak-of-character Carey Ross, in that he was impulsive and selfish, but not mustache-twirlingly evil.  Reginald Denny was great as his usual servant-of-the-empire-type in the Mountie commander role,  and Rita Moreno was luscious as the wild, exotic, eye-candy of the film.  I had no idea that she was so lovely.

The director, Lesley Selander, really did a solid job here.  He was a juggernaut of western film direction,  cranking out dozens of wonderful cowboy movies from the mid-30's into the 1960's,  in which he also directed for television,  including Laramie, The Tall Man,  and even Lassie!  Fort Vengeance goes to the top of my list of his films, with a childhood fave of mine, Quincannon, Frontier Scout (available HERE).

This great example of Mounted Police perfection is a Warner Archive release HERE...get it while you can!


Here's my list of Mountie films!  Please feel free to download, and let me know any that I might be missing!
mountie_films_and_serials_v4.pdf
File Size: 73 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


This here post is for the lovely O CANADA blogathon,  hosted by Ruth of Silver Screenings and Kristina of Speakeasy, two of the charming-est writers of film fan-itude and film-bloggery that ever did hear of.  Please click on their names to visit their pages, and the banner at right to see more contributions to their event!
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20 Comments
Jeff
10/3/2014 03:26:26 pm

Ooh, this one sounds great! I haven't seen much of James Craig's work, but he cuts a suitably rugged-looking figure, and the story of the older brother dealing with the foibles of the younger is a sturdy one (it works well for Clark Gable and Cameron Mitchell in THE TALL MEN, to name just one example). As you know, I'm a big, big fan of 1960s moviemaking, but I have to agree with you - the 50s were the pinnacle for westerns, no doubt about it. Glad to hear this is available on Warner Archives - on it goes to the list.

Reply
Clayton
10/3/2014 05:07:18 pm

Yep, gotta be snapped up, pronto. It's hot stuff. One of those, for lack of a better term, 'sturdy' 1950's stories, with all sorts of fun for the western fan. It's a great companion to NWMP in many ways; they have lots in common.


As a subset of westerns, Mountie movies seem to have the same excellent variety of story in a seemingly limited scope; i don't know how they almost universally maintain their freshness...but they do.

Thanks for the comment, man!

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john k
10/3/2014 09:57:56 pm

Great review of this unheralded little gem. Only downside,gangster
actor Michael Granger playing Sitting Bull.
Always fine to see Selander getting some attention.
Apart from his many Westerns he also dabbled in Noir
BLACKMAIL;TRAFFIC IN CRIME,Horror THE VAMPIRE'S GHOST;
Sci-Fi FLIGHT TO MARS,War Films FLAT TOP,BATTLE ZONE;
as well as spy stuff,colonial adventures and the rarely seen
but excellent Swashbuckler THE HIGHWAYMAN.
The Warner Archive release is an excellent transfer of an old
Cinecolor film. I too really like QUINCANNON FRONTIER
SCOUT and despite what others say I thought singer Tony
Martin was terrific in the title role!

Reply
Clayton
10/4/2014 03:50:56 am

Hiya, John, nice to see you here! I would love to have THE HIGHWAYMAN! I can't say enough good stuff about Selander; he hit a sweet spot with his style and rolled with it. It seems like everything he did was just plain good. I recently (and finally) got a so-so copy of his ROYAL AFRICAN RIFLES, which I'm saving for a rainy day!

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Silver Screenings link
10/3/2014 09:58:58 pm

You're right about 1950s westerns. The genre had matured by then, hadn't it? And this sounds like a wonderful western, because of James Craig as the Mountie!

I loved the phrase on the poster: "They Set the Canadian Frontier Ablaze!" No one writes like that anymore, which is a shame. I also loved your phrase, "mustache-twirlingly evil." That is pretty evil!

Thanks for participating in the O Canada blogathon, and I'm looking forward to your second post. And thanks for including the PDF of Mountie movies. I've downloaded it.

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Clayton
10/4/2014 03:54:00 am

Thanks so much for the kind words; it really is our good pleasure and honour to write about these good films for the enjoyment of our friends, right? I've learned so much since I got injected into the blog-o-verse, which has been very fulfilling...and only getting better.

I really appreciate this opportunity to blab on about Mountie movies! Thanks!

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john k
10/3/2014 10:06:48 pm

I forgot to mention in the above that there was another Mountie
movie with James Craig,concerning brothers. NORTHWEST
RANGERS directed by Joseph Newman is an excellent early
Forties MGM programmer co-starring William Lundigan.
Being from MGM the production values are excellent in this one.

Reply
Clayton
10/4/2014 03:56:32 am

Hahaha...strangely enough, as I write this, I just got that film on DVR in the mail from a secret and charming source! I'm completely fired up to watch it this weekend!

John k, sir, you have seen my future. :)

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Kristina link
10/4/2014 02:46:33 am

awesome, Clay, so glad you joined in with your Mountie admiration, couldn't have done without you. I really like James Craig, he gets slighted a bit with that "poor man's Gable" thing but I always find him cool to watch. And who knows, maybe you get to see him in Northwest Rangers sometime soon! :) Thanks!

Reply
Clayton
10/4/2014 04:02:31 am

Oh, it's a VERY good time; I'd like to thank you ladies for thinking of me. I don't need an excuse to babble on about Mountie pop culture, but I certainly enjoy one!

Yeah, I never got that; I see no resemblance between Craig and Gable; it's like calling ZZ Top the poor man's Jimi Hendrix Experience...silly. :)

Speaking of silly, I do, in fact, have a silly grin on my face, as I found something spectacular in my mailbox not ten minutes ago! Someone's karma card just got maxed out, and karma is famous for doling out charming surprises of its own!

Thanks for everything! I'm having fun.

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Mike link
10/4/2014 07:58:42 am

Thanks for bringing up a title I wasn't familiar with that has a Canadian angle to boot.

Reply
Clayton
10/4/2014 08:00:19 am

Glad I could help, Mike! Thanks for the comment!

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FlickChick link
10/4/2014 11:16:12 am

I'm not much of a western gal, but the ones I do like are all from the 1950s, so you are definitely on to something! And - if there is a RCM in sight - well,so ,much the better. Thanks for sharing - now I need to see this film.

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Clayton
10/4/2014 11:32:51 am

Hiya! It really is a great and fun movie, for sure! Honestly, I'm starting to think that the bulk of the most watchable films are from the 1950's...but then I slide over to the 20's, then the 60's, then...well, you get the idea. We certainly are blessed with a wealth of good watching. Thanks for your comment!

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GirlsDoFilm link
10/5/2014 04:15:56 am

Must admit I'm not the biggest Western fan but if I had to pick, it would certainly be the 1950s ones you highlighted. Why did that era manage to produce such great versions? Fort Vengence sounds like it has a great cast, I think you've convinced me to give it a go!

Reply
Clayton
10/5/2014 05:14:39 am

I don't really know why, but the 50's were ground zero for the western phenomenon; by 1959, there were nearly 30 westerns on prime time television. With that much concentration on a single genre, the quality of the art generated would increase dramatically, I think.

I'm glad I gave the western a glint that caught your eye! Hopefully you'll enjoy! Thanks for your comment!

Reply
Colin link
10/5/2014 05:34:56 pm

Funny thing is I happened to run across a synopsis of this movie the other day and thought it sounded interesting. Like John said, Selander was a solid director and his westerns are always worth checking out. I also enjoy seeing Reginald Denny pop up in anything.

Reply
Clayton
10/5/2014 05:51:43 pm

It's really good stuff. It begins like a typical great 50's western, then sort of morphs into Mountie goodness, while retaining that 50's flavour. I just saw Denny a bit ago in WE'RE IN THE LEGION NOW (I'm on a Foreign Legion kick), so I was happy to see him!

Thanks for the comment, Colin!

Reply
Patricia Nolan-Hall (@CaftanWoman) link
10/7/2014 12:09:10 am

Okay. This I have got to see. I've always had a little bit of a crush on James Craig. Love his voice. He could be the epitome of a sweetie (Our Vines Have Tender Grapes) or as tough a cookie as you'd cross the street to avoid (The Strip). To see him as a Mountie would make this gal's heart beat fast.

Reply
Clayton
10/7/2014 01:20:23 am

I just saw Craig on TCM last night in a romantic comedy bit; it was odd to see the difference between him in that and in this! He was really quite a tough figure as a Mountie!

Thanks so much for your comment!

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