Wonderful character development!

Who payed the critics

Admirable film.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

A few years after the Civil war, veteran Miles Archer(GUY MADISON)is summoned to Fort Bellows by lieutenant Colonel Kilrain(FAY ROOPE)where he is asked to go on a mission to rescue two white women taken captive by a tribe of Cheyenne Indians years before. Miles reluctantly agrees, but as the Colonel cannot spare soldiers, Miles must take a group of misfits, troublemakers and drunks along on his mission. Once the men have been trained and armed, Miles leads them on their mission, days later the men reach the Cheyenne village and rescue the women without attracting any attention and begin their journey back to the fort.However,one of the women ,Jennie(VERA MILES),has been brainwashed and was going to marry the Cheyenne chief Thunderhawk,so tries to thwart the group's efforts any way she can and this is the last thing they need after Thunderhawk finds out that the women have gone and sets out after the group in hot pursuit with every warrior he has got...Throughout the 1950s,all the prominent and most successful film studios jumped on the 3D bandwagon in order to cash in on a craze, that in it's day, was highly revolutionary and way ahead of it's time.Westerns were especially popular in 3D and THE CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER is one such example, I can only say that audiences must have loved this film when they saw it in the cinema all those years ago because even watching it in 2D it looks extremely impressive. The action sequences are both magnificent and highly exhilarating, the first shootout among the rocky crags of a brutal, blistering desert in which a small force of Indians come charging at the group was brilliant, this sequence was shot amazingly and the gunshots were ear shattering, just how they should be. The second shootout in which Sergeant Baker and Ryan shoot it out with a smaller group of Indians was just as exciting. The climatic battle at Feather river was certainty riveting, it was fantastic and tremendously intense, again it was briskly shot in the most nail biting way and the stunts the Indians performed as they were shot off their Horses sent adrenaline charging through my body,look out for one excellent shot of an Indian getting killed and falling to the ground with his face falling right in front of the camera,i was also awestruck by the shots of hoards upon hoards of arrows and spears flying right into the middle of the screen. I was completely blown away by the realism of the action scenes, for example men screaming in agony as they are stabbed and hit by arrows and spears and also shots of bloody wounds. Two factors which made the film stand out compared to other westerns. An incredible scene which I will forever remember this film for is the scene in which Sergeant Baker and Ryan are menaced by a Rattlesnake whilst hiding from the Indians and baker, not wanting to jeopardise their position, spits Tobacco at the Rattlesnake to get rid of it.I can't imagine what audiences watching this film in 3D back in 1953 must have thought of this scene but I thought it was both terrific and impressive. The scene in which Jennie shoots Johnny, her brother, in the arm but then falls over a cliff to her death was quite chilling and powerful and shot in a strong, taut way. The sequence in which the men are lowered down the cliff face was absolutely superb and really tense and the shots of the charging Indians in the final battle were absolutely rollicking.I thought the script was great and I loved the storyline as it's the typical "Guys on a mission" premise which I love and really appeals to me.Guy Madison was great as Miles Archer, I thought he was really cool in a way, a giant compared with today's leading men, he's just as awesome in American westerns like this as he is in Spaghetti westerns.As said the script was great but there are a few minor plot holes,however,nothing that ruined the film. It's also brilliantly directed and paced and never really drags or gets boring, one other very small gripe I had was that the comic relief scenes between the two guys bickering over the alcohol canteen got a little monotonous, but again didn't in the way of the film.The two studios who made the greatest and most entertaining westerns in the 1950s Hollywood were Universal and Warner brothers, who made this film.Yes,THE CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER is a wholly satisfying, enjoyable and spectacular western adventure made all the more impressive by the State-Of-The-Art 3D camera-work and thrilling action scenes. This excellent film hasn't been on British TV in a long time(today was the first time I saw it in the listings, apart from TCM),for this, I owe my gratitude to 5USA for showing it this afternoon.9/10.

Guy Madison may well be the best looking "guy" in the movies and the way he was discovered supports that idea. He was sitting in an audience and an agent just happened to spot him. Guy was on leave from the service and was quickly signed and shot his one scene in a Selznick film of all things then returned to the service apparently unaware that he was on the verge of stardom. In this film Guy does what he does best - just looks good - who cares about the story or the other actors -Guy is like some mythological figure out of Greek or Roman history - you just cannot get enough of him - and he never disappoints - whether it's left profile or right or full frontal Guy Madison keeps the blood flowing and the old heart pumping just when it needs to pump.

The Charge At Feather River finds Guy Madison in charge of a group of misfit soldiers called the Guardhouse Brigade because that's where most of them were recruited for this mission from. The mission is to rescue two white women, Helen Westcott and Vera Miles, who were taken years ago during a raid and are now confirmed alive and now living with the Arapahoe. The worst of his recruits is Neville Brand, but the rest of the crew that Madison has are no prizes with the exception of Lane Chandler who was a former Confederate officer who captured Madison during the Civil War. Along for comic relief are Dick Wesson and Henry Kulky who provide some levity in what is a serious film.Vera Miles got her first real notice here. She's never been to Sweden, but she suffers from Stockholm syndrome as she now totally identifies with her captors. In fact she's going to be the bride of the chief, making him quite the envy of his tribe since none of them are married to any blonds. She acquits herself well in the part.The film is loosely based on a real cavalry engagement in the Indian Wars, the battle of Beecher's Island. It combines elements of The Dirty Dozen and with John Ford's classic Two Rode Together.And of course there's the 3-D which elicited a lot of excitement back in the Fifties. Even today seeing the various spears, tomahawks, and even some tobacco juice, courtesy of Frank Lovejoy, coming right at you on the small screen is impressive.The Charge At Feather River still holds up well today, but should really be seen at a movie theater.

"The Charge at Feather River" is a routine Western about the U. S. Cavalry against the Cheyenne Indians... The film carried a constantly mounting tension with some pleasant diversion...Guy Madison and Frank Lovejoy play the officers who rescue Helen Westcott and Vera Miles from the Indians...The outdoor scenes are well photographed, specially the exciting Indian charge at Feather River at the climax of the movie with the rain of spears, the fight to-the-death between Madison and Thunderhawk, the sketches of the Guardhouse Brigade, even a mouthful of tobacco juice used against a rattlesnake, and the romantic interludes between our hero and Helen Westcott... All are here, pictorially entertaining in 3-D and Technicolor...