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A Distant Trumpet
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Directed by Raoul Walsh
Troy Donahue stars in this drive-in quality "B"-Western from the Warner Brothers backlot, directed by veteran director Raoul Walsh. Donahue is U.S. Cavalry Lieutenant Matt Hazard, who arrives at Fort Delivery on the Mexican border of Arizona for a new assignment. Kitty Mainwaring (Suzanne Pleshette), the wife of the commanding officer, greets Hazard upon his arrival. The next day, when he takes some of his men outside of the fort to gather wood, Hazard and his men find themselves attacked by Indians. Hazard survives and later saves Kitty from another Indian attack. A terrible storm forces the two to spend a night in a cave as they make their way back to the fort. Meanwhile, the new commander, General Quait (James Gregory), arrives at the fort and takes command -- his first order of business to launch an all-out war on the Indians. He tries to capture the belligerent Indian Chief War Eagle but fails. When Hazard arrives back at the fort, Quait orders Hazard into Mexico to convince War Eagle to surrender. Hazard has War Eagle agree to return with him on the promise that the Indians can have a safe haven at an Arizona reservation. But, on their way back to the fort, they are met by Major Miller (Lane Bradford), who, instead, orders the Indians to be sent to Florida. Hazard and Quaint end up traveling to Washington to try to convince the United States government to reverse their decision against the Indians. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
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Review by All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
lost interest.
Director Raoul Walsh ended a distinguished career with the middling, run-of-the-mill A Distant Trumpet. Walsh by this time could have made a Western in his sleep, and it at times feels as if that's what he did here. Granted, the director was working with two disadvantages: the so-so screenplay and the deadly lack of acting skills of leading man Troy Donahue. It has to be admitted that there's not a lot that could be done with either one. The plot is okay, neither great nor terrible, although it does get a bit confused as to how it wants to treat Native Americans. But the writers don't take the plot and make it into anything of any real interest. Worse, Donahue drains the screen of any interest whenever he appears. His performance is one-note and wooden, and he lacks the power that a Western star needs in order to hold the film together and, ultimately, force it to make sense. Walsh does have feisty Suzanne Pleshette on hand, and she enlivens things, and there's some decent work from Diane McBain and James Gregory. But the only part of Trumpet that is really exceptional is the stunning cinematography by the dependably William Clothier, creating gorgeous vistas that do tend to knock one's socks off. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

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