gordonl56 AMBUSH AT CIMARRON PASS 1958 This low end western was a Regal Production released through 20th Century Fox. The cast includes, Scott Brady, Clint Eastwood, Frank Gerstle, Margia Dean, Irving Bacon and Baynes Barron.A US Cavalry patrol led by Scott Brady has captured gunrunner, Baynes Barron. Barron was collared with 36 new Winchester rifles he was planning on selling to the Apache. The Apaches are not amused, and have been following the patrol, knocking them off one by one.The men come up on another group that is also in having their share of trouble with the natives. The men have had their herd of cattle rustled by the same Apaches. In charge here is Frank Gerstle. One of his hands is played by Clint Eastwood. The men are all veterans of the late war between the States. The Cavalry are Yankees while the cattlemen were Confederate types.The two groups decide to join up for added protection from the Apache. They are soon joined by Margia Dean who was a prisoner of the Apache. Miss Dean delivers a message from the Apache. If they turn over the 36 Winchesters they can all go without a fight.Brady will have none of this idea, he knows full well the Apache will wipe them out if they lay their hands on the rifles. The Apache chase off the group's horses that night leaving them on foot. It is at least a 6 day walk to the Cavalry fort.The next day, the men and Miss Dean set off for the fort. The bunch is short of water and food, but they have the rifles and plenty of ammo. The Apache keep their distance because of the firepower. They do however manage to knock off any stragglers etc. Also in the mix here is Irving Bacon. Bacon is stirring up trouble between ex Confederate Eastwood and the Yankee Sgt, Brady.Matters come to a head when the Apache try a night time raid to grab the guns. The raid fails with dead on both sides. The group continues on their trek to reach the fort. The heat, lack of food and a poisoned water hole take their toll on the group.On their last legs, Brady has an idea to even the odds. They pull a night time raid on the Apache hoping to reclaim their horses. The raid goes sideways and the horses get away. The party though are able to do some serious damage to the Apaches. The surviving men and Miss Dean now manage to stagger their way to the fort.I seriously wanted to like this film, but it barely rises above average at best. The 72 minute run-time seems much longer, with cast being shown constantly walking up hills, then down hills. The direction is incredibly static, showing why this was the only big screen film helmed by, Jodie Copelan. The story is just a re-hash of tales one has seen many times before. Veteran writer John K. Butler had done much better work before.The cast gives it their all and are not to be blamed for the poor end product.

starracer007 Let's face it - the only real reason to catch this pedestrian oater is to get a glimpse of a 27 year old Clinton Eastwood. The future star is still coltish in his acting craft here, and he hasn't fully developed his excellent timing and intensity as in "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" and "Dirty Harry", but the B western does show why this film was a good reason that he pursue acting. His scenes with Margia Dean are the best in showing a charisma which would one day make him box office.Made in 1958, Eastwood looks very youthful. He holds his own in scenes with a sturdy and sullen Scott Brady, and is somewhat confined by a script that has him cast as the young fool. But Eastwood does well with what he's got, and exhibits a star quality as a young Hollywood actor.

dwpollar 1st watched 9/14/2007, 6 out of 10(Dir-Jodie Copelan): Watchable story of former confederates and Yankees joining forces to thwart off some Apache's trying to get some repeating rifles that a traitor had sold to them. This is a very simple story that is executed very well by all involved. The idea behind it is that the Civil war has just ended but there are still hard feelings between the sides. The Yankee(northern troops) are trying to transfer some rifles and a prisoner to a nearby fort but are intercepted by some southern-folk that they think are Apache's dressed up like them(they had been fooled by the Apache's earlier this way). The Apache's then steal the whole combined troops horses and have to travel by foot six days the rest of the way. The conflict in the movie has to do with these two groups getting along while the Apache's slowly figure out how to overcome them and get the rifles. There is eventually a showdown but by this time the hard work of reconciliation has been done and the fight with the Indians is kind of anti-climatic. Clint Eastwood, in an early role, plays a young hard-hearted southern man who eventually turns to help out the crew and does a good job, but's its the story that keeps you interested. An abrupt end is the only real downside to the movie(which appeared to be mainly because the small film company ran out of money more than anything else), but this small film delivers otherwise and is enjoyable viewing.

frankfob Remnants of an ambushed Army unit hook up with a group of cowboys to fight their way through Indians on the warpath. Sounds like it could be an exciting western, but this one is dull, dull, dull. It moves like molasses, the action scenes are uninspired, the acting is pedestrian, the writing is flat, even the photography isn't very good. Eastwood, in a very early role, plays an ex-Confederate who doesn't like the idea of fighting on the same side as Yankees. That's about the only remotely interesting situation in the whole movie, but Eastwood wasn't experienced enough an actor to pull it off, and his character comes across as petulant rather than angry or embittered. A very ordinary western. Actually, a very less-than-ordinary western. Worth a look if you're a die-hard Eastwood fan and want to see him at the very beginning of his career. Otherwise, don't bother.