Escape from Fort Bravo (1953)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Phillip Rock (story) and
Michael Pate (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 December 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

A ruthless Union captain is renowned throughout his prison fort as the toughest soldier in the business...

Plot Keywords:

Escape | Confederate | American Civil War | Cavalry | Officer

Cast

William Holden	...	Capt. Roper
Eleanor Parker	...	Carla Forester
John Forsythe	...	Capt. John Marsh
William Demarest	...	Campbell
William Campbell	...	Cabot Young
Polly Bergen	...	Alice Owens
Richard Anderson	...	Lt. Beecher
Carl Benton Reid	...	Col. Owens
John Lupton	...	Bailey
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard P. Beedle	...	Confederate lieutenant (uncredited)
Harry Cheshire	...	Chaplain (uncredited)
Michael Dugan	...	Sims (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Jones (uncredited)
Eloise Hardt	...	Girl (uncredited)
Forrest Lewis	...	Dr. Miller (uncredited)
Frank Matts	...	Kiowa Indian scout (uncredited)
Howard McNear	...	Watson (uncredited)
Alex Montoya	...	Sgt. Chavez (uncredited)
William Newell	...	Symore (uncredited)
Phil Rich	...	Barman (uncredited)
Charles Stevens	...	Eilota (uncredited)
Glenn Strange	...	Sgt. Compton (uncredited)
Valerie Vernon	...	Girl in bar (uncredited)

Directed by
John Sturges

Writing credits
Phillip Rock		(story) and
Michael Pate		(story)
Frank Fenton		(screenplay)

Produced by
Nicholas Nayfack	....	producer

Original Music by
Jeff Alexander

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees

Film Editing by
George Boemler

Art Direction by
Malcolm Brown
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Ralph S. Hurst		(as Ralph Hurst)
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Helen Rose		(costumes: women)

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arvid Griffen	....	assistant director
Carl 'Major' Roup	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Stunts
Michael Dugan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Graham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Matts	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carl Pitti	....	stunts (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Alvord Eiseman	....	color consultant

Music Department
Will Beitel	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1953) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Comet Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Comet Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1964) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Fort Bravo (USA) (closing credits title)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Anscocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Corriganville, Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The ladies' dresses had zippers, which were not invented until 1913.

Quotes:

Capt. Roper: When you're in the grave, Beecher, it doesn't matter too much how you got there.
Lt. Beecher: Well, I think it matters. I think it does.
Capt. Roper: Write the War Department.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Major Dundee (1965)

Soundtrack:

Soothe My Lonely Heart

Union fort in Arizona used as a Confederate prison camp and surrounded by marauding Mescalero Apaches

"Escape From Fort Bravo" had a unique western storyline that shifted somewhat during the course of the film, but still left the viewer

with a decent film for its time. Fort Bravo is being used as a Confederate prison camp during the waning months of the American Civil War. Inside the fort's walls are the prisoners, wanting to escape, and the troops of the Union cavalry, trying to prevent their escapes, and outside are the bands of savage Mescalero Apaches, just waiting for anybody to leave the safety of the fort.

William Holden plays Capt. Roper, the Union officer given the dubious task of recapturing any escapees and returning them to Fort Bravo. It's an unpleasant task, he personally dislikes the job, but he does it, and does it all to well, much to the chagrin of the rebels still in the fort. During this time, a female Confederate sympathizer, played by Eleanor Parker, comes to the fort and will attempt to distract Holden, while she manages to enact the escape of her Confederate lover, played by John Forsythe. The escape occurs, some rebel prisoners manage to leave the fort, Parker goes with them, but she does not realize that Holden has come to fall in love with her. Roper, Holden's part, takes a small troop of men out from the fort in pursuit, he hoping to catch up with them before the Apaches do.

Besides the three main leads mentioned above, the supporting cast includes William Demerest, William Campbell, Richard Anderson, Polly Bergen, and in a pre "Broken Arrow" role, John Lupton. Campbell and Demerest do provide some comic relief, playing off each other's abilities, etc., but the lead parts do carry the picture and prevent it from becoming just another Cavalry-Indians western. 7/10