This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

I was brought up as a child watching Westerns. As a middle aged adult it is interesting to revisit the genre.The Command is routine and conservative in its content. A waggon train needs to reach its destination and the pesky injuns are getting restless again. Cue the US cavalry to see them there safe and sound. What sets this above the average though is a strong performance from lead Guy Madison as Captain McClaw, a surgeon elevated to command when the cavalry officer in charge is killed in a skirmish. The screenplay has the chance to examine the nature of command as his cavalry men shudder at the thought of becoming "nurses". Of course McClaw rises to the challenge and ends up using his lack of formal training to triumph using unorthodox tactics to prevail.A sub plot of smallpox amongst the waggon train, and illness amongst the Indians, adds extra drama and variety to proceedings. Director David Butler died with 89 productions , mainly for Fox, to his credit including numerous Western TV episodes. His grasp of the genre and a story are well evidenced here.The action scenes are well handled, the appearance of smoke signals and Indian scouts on the ridge of a hill are always bad news and Joan Weldon is suitably sultry as Martha Cutting, the Captain's love interest. Although short of classic status, it passes its one and a half hour running time with pace and very agreeably.

After Captain Gregg Barton has been killed before dying he placed his troop of cavalry in the hands of the only officer left, army doctor Guy Madison. Madison is bringing them back to their fort when they meet up with a company of infantry and the wagon train they're escorting through Indian country. The short tempered Colonel Don Shelton, commandeers that same cavalry to help with the escort without knowing that Madison has no military training. The rest of the cavalrymen keep Madison's real army specialty a secret lest they spread some panic among the settlers.Of course The Command that Madison is stuck with is no milk run. He's got to learn some real military tactics and has to learn them fast. Among the settlers there is an outbreak of what could be smallpox and Madison is hamstrung in giving aid in the profession he is trained in. Out of necessity he has to tell Joan Weldon who is traveling with the wagon train in the wagon where the sickness is starting.The Command was one of the first film's done in the wide screen process with some 3D thrown in for good measure. With films on the big screen competing with the free small screen, gimmicks were thought to be needed to get the public out of their living rooms. A good solid cavalry western which The Command is was not enough at times.James Whitmore as the sergeant who by rights should have been in charge and wisecracking Harvey Lembeck stand out in this cast. With a doctor hero and a cavalry setting, I'm surprised John Ford wasn't brought in for The Command. It seems like just his kind of material.

Although I have never seen this movie, I am studying widescreen movies of the fifties and their influence on an audience beginning to be sated with the small screen, i.e. hypnotized by the cathode ray, i.e. tainted by TV!....This one has to be one of the first westerns to use this photographic process, later to be called Panavision. According to the Widescreenmuseum website, ''Broken Lance'' was made in '54, along with the "western" "& Brides for 7 Brothers"; ''Chief Crazy Horse'' was filmed in in '55, along with ''The Kentuckian'' and ''The Man from Laramie'' .... So I am gonna call it like I see it for now - All hail Sam Fuller!

The good thing about this movie is the sympathy toward Native Americans. The Native Americans had no immunity to smallpox or chicken pox and no medicine to treat diseases. The main character played by Guy Madison constantly showed concern toward the Native Americans although he had to fight them. Although this movie had this social issue,it still had all the rousing entertainment of most calvary movies. The movie had a lot of saluting, which sometimes became a distraction. James Whitmore was great as the seasoned veteran just as he was in "Battleground". This movie had me wanting both sides to win.