User Reviews

Warner Bros. ROCKY MOUNTAIN (1950) is something of an underrated western! Based on a real incident in 1865 and from a short story by Alan LeMay the screenplay was written by LeMay and Winston Miller. William Jacobs was producer and the solid direction was by William Keighley.

Errol Flynn stars as a Confederate officer (his first time to do so) who with a small contingent of seven men travel 2000 miles to California to rendezvous with an outlaw who has promised to provide 500 men to join with them in the south's faltering struggle. But things don't quite work out as planned when after they rescue a girl from a stagecoach being attacked by marauding Indians they then have to contend with the girl's fiancé (a Union cavalry officer) leading a troop out to search for her. Following a series of complications Flynn - sacrificing himself and his men - divert the attacking Indians away so that the girl can be saved. The picture ends with Flynn and his meager army taking on and being overwhelmed by a large band of hostiles. The final chase and battle with the Indians in a blind canyon is marvellously executed and is the highlight of the movie! "They've seen our backs - let's show them our faces" declares Flynn. Then, greatly outnumbered, and assuming cavalry formation the valiant eight charge the advancing Indian horde only to be wiped out one by one. It is a powerful, spine-tingling and unforgettable sequence!

Although somewhat subdued Flynn gives a good and likable performance! This was to be his last appearance in a western and it was a good one to finish with. The female lead was taken by newcomer Patrice Wymore (in her second film) who replaced Lauren Bacall. Three weeks after the film wrapped Miss Wymore would become the third Mrs. Flynn. The film is fully fleshed out with splendid characters! Excellent is Scott Forbes as the formidable Union officer and the girl's fiancé, Slim Pickens in his first movie, Sheb Wooley, the likable Chubby Johnson as the Stage driver and Howard Petrie as the dubious and distrustful outlaw Cole Smith.

Beautifully photographed in Monochrome by ace cinematographer Ted McCord ("Treasure Of The Sierra Madre"/ "The Hanging Tree") in amazing location sites in and around Gallup, New Mexico the picture also boasts a brilliant score by the great Max Steiner. His music for the Indian sequences is nothing short of breathtaking especially for the stagecoach chase scene. And not forgetting his clever and utterly engaging music for the dog of one of Flynn's men, scored for Piccolo, Flute and strings, as it races after its owner who is at full gallop on horseback.

So all round a fine enjoyable movie that is nice to have on a DVD of exceptional picture quality. Extras include a commentary by one Thomas McNulty, the usual dispensable Warner Night At The Movies material but it does have trailers for "Rocky Mountain" and surprise...surprise the elusive and yet to be released (will it ever?) "The Breaking Point". "Rocky Mountain" is also part of a four movie western box set of Flynn which also contains "San Antonio", "Montana" and the excellent "Virginia City".

Nice one - Warner Home Video but where oh where is "Silver River"??

This is not one of Errol Flynn's great Westerns (and he had several), but it is quite a bit better than the average western of the time period right around 1950, so it is definitely worth watching. And although Flynn's star was beginning to fade by this time, he is still excellent here -- a very pleasing mix of rugged and a gentleman.

The story is a bit different than what we usually see in Western -- it's actually about a group of Confederate soldiers that are on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, preparing to raise a band of less than noble men to start trouble and turn the Civil War around by changing the balance of power in the West. What they didn't take into account was that in addition to having to fight Union soldiers, they'd be in Indian territory, as well. Now the only real problem is that the scenery here is clearly red rocks (although in a black and white film), not what you'd see just east of the Sierra Nevadas. Looks more like what you'd see in northwestern New Mexico...which is, by coincidence...where it was filmed.

The only star of note in the film is Errol Flynn, and he carries the film well. The rest of the cast play their supporting roles well, though there are no stars of note. Patrice Wymore, as the love interest (fiance of the Union soldier) wasn't ever a very notable actress, but she's attractive and does well here. Scott Forbes and the lead Union soldier is fine, but not notable. You'll recognize Chubby Johnson as the amiable stagecoach driver, and Slim Pickens and Sheb Wooly.

There are 2 things wrong with this movie. First, with this scenery, it really should have been in color...it would have been stunning. Second, a dog can't run that far in a desert (you'll understand when you watch this film).

This is not a film where everyone lives happily ever after, including Errol Flynn. It ends pretty much the way it had to end, but along the way it strived to show that Confederates were honorable men who were on the wrong side of history. I don't think I ever rooted for the Confederates in any film, and this may be the first Western where I shed a tear. Highly recommended.

Errol Flynn (Lafe Barstow), Patrice Wymore (Johanna Carter), Scott Forbes (Lieutenant Rickey), Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (Pap Dennison), Dick Jones (Jim Wheat), Howard Petrie (Cole Smith), Slim Pickens (Plank), Chubby Johnson (Gil Craigie), Buzz Henry (Kip Waterson), Sheb Wooley (Kay Rawlins), Peter Coe (Pierre Duchesne), Rush Williams (Jonas Weatherby), Steve Dunhill (Ash), Alex Sharp (Barnes), Yakima Canutt (Ryan), Nakai Snez (Man Dog).

Director: WILLIAM KEIGHLEY. Screenwriter: Alan LeMay, Winston Miller, based on the story "Ghost Mountain" by Alan LeMay. Music by Max Steiner. Director of photography: Ted McCord. Film editor: Rudi Fehr. Art director: Stanley Fleischer. Set decorator: L.S. Edwards. Sound: Stanley Jones. Wardrobe: Marjorie Best. Orchestrations: Murray Cutter. Assistant director: Frank Mattison. Producer: William Jacobs. A Warner Brothers-First National Picture.

Copyright 13 October 1950 by Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Strand: 3 November 1950. U.S. release: 11 November 1950. U.K. release: 23 August 1951. Australian release: 23 May 1952. 83 minutes. Censored to 7,427 feet (82 minutes) in the U.K.

SYNOPSIS: Flynn's last western sees him as a Confederate officer sent with a small group of soldiers to California where they are supposed to meet with a powerful group of outlaws and persuade them to take the territory in the name of the Confederacy. The two groups are to meet at a hot, arid plateau in the desert that is fraught with danger and has been the site of many skirmishes between warring Indians and Union soldiers. As Flynn and his men wait for their party, a stagecoach being attacked by Indians roars by. The Confederate soldiers repel the Indians and inside the stagecoach is a beautiful young woman, Wymore, who was on her way to meet her fiancé, Forbes, a Union Army officer. Though Flynn is quite taken with the girl, he uses her as bait to lure her fiancé and his patrol into the desert in search of her. The Confederates manage to capture the Yankees, but then the Indians launch a massive attack.

NOTES: Film debut of Slim Pickens.

COMMENT: Meticulously directed by William Keighley, incorporating a most exciting chase sequence (doubtless staged by Yakima Canutt) right at the very start, this beautifully photographed mainly-on- actual-locations, Civil War western runs through its 83 minutes in commendably short order. The taut screenplay provides plenty of interesting and intriguing sequences and only one or two dull ones (the interludes between Flynn and Wymore). Performances are never less than capable.

OTHER VIEWS: Despite a story that keeps to the suspenseful Greek unities of time, place and plot, this Rocky Mountain adventure tends to be a wearisome climb. Chiefly to blame is the screenplay with its verbose dialogue and unconvincingly stereotyped characters. Veterans like Chubby Johnson and Howard Petrie can get away with it. Even Flynn manages with a certain degree of polish and style. But Scott Forbes and especially Dick Jones are distinctly uncomfortable. Miss Wymore is okay, but strikes no sparks. An added burden is provided by a dog, sketched into the plot solely to be milked for gratuitous sentiment.

Keighley's direction is dull and occasionally lacking in finesse that results in clumsy editing with jarring close-ups arbitrarily inserted. But McCord's marvelous location photography with all its deep focus effects, clouded skylines and running inserts, is something else again. Uncredited Canutt undoubtedly did the action material and splendid stuff it is too.

Rocky Mountain was the eighth and last western film for Errol Flynn and in it he plays in the climax a version of one of his better known cowboy epics, They Died With Their Boots On. While Flynn was leaving the genre, Rocky Mountain provided debuts for two character actors much associated with westerns, Slim Pickens and Sheb Woolley. It also provided Flynn with an introduction to his third and last wife, Patrice Wymore.

The story concerns a small patrol of eight Confederates in the last days of the Civil War trying a real Hail Mary pass for the Southern cause. Flynn as head of the group is to recruit outlaws for the Confederacy with a promise of pardon if they become southern troops and start reeking havoc in the west for the Union. One of the eight a young kid played by Dick Jones brings along a small dog on this dangerous assignment, not Rin Tin Tin or Yukon King who might help, but a cocker spaniel. Does it get more ridiculous than that?

On the way the group rescues Patrice Wymore from an Indian attack on a stagecoach along with driver Chubby Johnson and then captures a Yankee patrol sent after them because Wymore is the betrothed of army lieutenant Scott Forbes who is in command. Now the Shoshone Indians are on the warpath in earnest.

Supposedly this is based on a true incident which I find incredibly hard to believe. But on the plus side Rocky Mountain has some great location cinematography from New Mexico where it is shot and a great performance from Errol Flynn who is not playing a dashing hero, but a rather weary and jaded individual who is really sick of the war. Not unlike the real Errol Flynn at the time.

And it has a gallant charge right into the Indians as the Confederates make their last stand. No matter how cynical you might feel about the film itself up to that point, the gallantry portrayed will move you.

Rocky Mountain is not the greatest of westerns, but it's not a bad one for Errol Flynn to close that chapter of his career with.

The director, William Keighley, a craftsman of old, was used to producing fast-paced, no-nonsense, movie but he's more or less undone here. A movie can't be fast paced if it begins with an action sequence (Indians, stagecoach, Confederate saviors) and ends with an action sequence (Indians and Confederates) but the two action sequences sandwich an hour or so of dullish talk on a location that's limited to the size of a tennis court.

The story involves Captain Errol Flynn leading a handful of Confederate soldiers of diverse backgrounds to California in order to stir up an army of sympathizers. They take a couple of Blue Bellies captive, along with Patrice Wymore -- not much of an actress, but attractive enough, and soon to become Mrs. Flynn. Flynn and his men sacrifice themselves for the sake of the lady.

The actual location, near Gallup, in the northern part of New Mexico, is impressive and scenic, despite its being limited to one set. But the photography by Ted McCord is lousy and spoils things. It's far too dark. Sometimes you can't tell whether it's supposed to be night or day. And it fails utterly in capturing the blazing Western summer sun. Wardrobe and Make Up are pedestrian. Everyone seems dressed in tatters except the captive lady. So much so that it resembles one of the TV Westerns becoming popular about this time.

As others have observed, Flynn doesn't bring much to the party. He underplays it, probably because he was running out of steam. And when he removes his hat, he looks positively ragged, although he was only about forty. A bottle or two a day will do that for you.

The biggest mistake the writers made -- aside from introducing a damned dog named "Spot" as the pet and companion of an innocent young boy -- was in giving Flynn's character the name of Lafe Barstow. Barstow, okay. It's a smallish truck stop on the edge of Kern County.

But LAFE? Listen, I have made a serious scientific study of genuine Western names during the period of the Civil War and there is no record of anyone's being name Lafe. Nor were there any Matts, Coles, or Wades. The four most common names in the historical register are Noble, Chauncey, Montmorency, and Governeur.

Apparently Cavalry Westerns weren't very kind to Errol Flynn. As General George Armstrong Custer in the 1941 film "They Died With Their Boots On", he also wound up with a few arrows in his back. Oh well, up until the finale in both pictures, he did a pretty good job.

Actually, Flynn plays it decidedly low key here as Captain Lafe Barstow, leading a rag tag group of seven other un-uniformed Confederate soldiers on a mission in California. He's there to recruit fighting Rebels for the Southern cause. It seemed a bit odd to me that the man they were supposed to recon with, Cole Smith (Howard Petrie), was unceremoniously dropped from the script about half way through. The Shoshones took him out off screen with only a rider-less horse showing up to announce his departure.

This is one of those stories where men of opposing armies wind up realizing something of value in their battlefield enemies. The valiant charge Barstow makes with his men in the face of certain annihilation makes for one of the more violent battle scenes one might come across in a Western, primarily for the up close and personal way each of his men get taken out. Barstow himself hangs on as the last man, having sacrificed himself and his troops to save the life of Johanna Carter (Patrice Wymore). The unspoken connection between the two was never overstated but one could feel the palpable chemistry between the two.

Some interesting casting choices show up here in support of Flynn. No stranger to cavalry films, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams appears as crusty veteran Pap Dennison, along with Western movie mainstays like Slim Pickens and Chubby Johnson. A neat surprise was that 'Purple People Eater' guy Sheb Wooley making his movie debut here. I would like to have seen Dickie Jones in a role more suited to his stunt riding ability, but he had to content himself with a role as trail cook for the Rebs. It was tough going for him though because he had to avoid being upstaged by that sidekick terrier Spot.

This is Errol Flynn's last western, and although it lacks the complex plot, scope and Technicolor of some of his other westerns, it's probably his best performance. This is because he's a bit older and less the sexy romantic lead here--and his performance is more subdued and believable. Now this is NOT to say it's his most enjoyable western--VIRGINIA CITY and DODGE CITY both were more fun although Flynn never did seem particularly well suited to these roles--particularly because of his Australian accent and his decidedly non-Western image.

The film is highly reminiscent of several other westerns of the day. In a very familiar plot, Flynn is in charge of a mission for the Confederate army--and it takes him undercover into the American West. Randolph Scott made a couple films like this and when I saw the film unfold, it was like a case of déjà vu. However, while filled with familiar plot elements, it all seemed to work pretty well--as Flynn underplayed his role as the leader of this expedition.

Although the group's plan is to stir up trouble and create an army of Confederate bandits to harass the settlers, they stumble into an Indian uprising. Because they choose to help a wagon coming under attack, they themselves become the quarry. Instead of meeting up with rebels, they spend most of the film stuck...waiting for the inevitable Indian attack that will finish them. Surprisingly, this movie ended on a rather downbeat and more realistic manner than the typical Warner Brothers western. In particular, Flynn is NOT so indestructible and anyone looking for him to get the girl or have a happy ending is in for a big surprise! While I liked this downbeat ending since it was rather novel, some will undoubtedly dislike it. I admire it for trying to be a bit different.

Overall, it's not a great film but still highly enjoyable and well made. For fans of westerns, Flynn or Warner Brothers programmers, this is well worth seeing and sadly it seems to rarely come on television. I saw it on DVD and perhaps you should, too.

I have to agree with mvescovi in an earlier review. One aspect of "Rocky Mountain" which is seldom mentioned is the remarkable horsemanship of the actors involved. For the most part these guys were real cowboys. Among them - Dickie Jones, a trick rider almost from the time he could walk; an amazing athlete. Slim Pickens - a rodeo performer in his youth and a rodeo clown. (Today those clowns prefer to be called "bull fighters" since they risk their lives daily to protect both amateur and pro bull riders). Sheb Wooley - a rodeo rider as a teen; one of the best in his home state of Oklahoma. He gets to show a bit of his expertise in the opening moments of "High Noon" in his role as Ben Miller. As another reviewer mentioned, this was the first feature film for both Pickens and Wooley.

And let's not leave out Errol Flynn. That fellow could certainly ride with the best, as evidenced in this film and many others, and who looked better on a horse than Flynn?

My fondest memories of this film as a child were those which included the dog and Dickie Jones' character, Buck Wheat. I always was a sucker for horses and dogs.

All the characters were well-defined. You knew these men, their good points and their bad and you formed an opinion about each. You cared about what happened to them. How often can you say that about characters in one of today's movies?

The photography was striking and I found the characters' tattered clothing remarkably realistic for a change - more authentic than many films. These men were, after all, weary travelers, soldiers on the losing side of a civil war - their country (the CSA) existing on what little remained to them.

As to the romance part - to me there really wasn't one! Flynn's character is respectful and admiring of the lady and although there is certainly chemistry between them, there is no silly romance to mar the storyline or make it seem insipid. Flynn met his future wife, Patrice Wymore, on this set. They married after the film.

Finally, the story itself is not overly sentimental. The soldiers ultimately behave as soldiers, doing their duty, going to their end bravely and with honor despite any previous differences. The ending shot, with the Union cavalryman riding to the top of the butte to install the Confederate Flag, was moving and again, the honorable thing to do. A brave man is a brave man no matter which side he fights upon.

This is a fine film, a fine western and a fitting end to Flynn's career in oaters. What must we fans do to get "Rocky Mountain" out on video and DVD? It is an honor long overdue.

Says Lafe Barstow, captain in the army of the Confederate States of America, about his command: "Six rattle-headed kids and an old man...Kip Waterson, the baby-faced heir to a plantation...Pierre Duchesne, from French Louisiana...Pat Dennison, an old man, really, but a hard, reckless fighter who never gave ground while he lived...Kay Rawlins from the Mississippi steamboats, a rough and friendly man as the Indians now found out...Jimmy Wheat, a little red neck cropper who could fight like a wildcat with hydrophobia, who carried a useless little dog for 2,000 miles...Jonas Weatherby, the Texan, a seasoned plainsman at 18...Plank, another real plainsman, hard and bitter, with chain gang scars on his legs at 22..." They've come 2,000 miles with orders to raise an army among the Confederate sympathizers in California in a last-chance effort to draw the Union armies away from Lee. It's 1865. Even if we don't remember our history too well, we know Barstow's command is probably not going to end well. Please note that elements of the plot are discussed.

During the next three days we're going to get to know quite well Captain Barstow (Errol Flynn) and his men. They're holed up in the Nevada Mountains vainly waiting for promised assistance from a California renegade. They've rescued a stage driver and a woman passenger, the fiancée of a Union officer, from an Indian attack. They've tricked and captured a Union patrol. And they know Shoshone warriors are gathering in force to wipe everyone out.

This was the last western Flynn made. Warner Brothers put as few resources into the making of this movie as they could get away with. There are a handful of actors, with only Flynn being a name, and perhaps 50 extras on horseback. It was shot at one location outside Gallup and on what looks like just one studio set. It's in black and white. The screenplay is workmanlike, but in the best sense of the word; there are requisite memories of Jimmy Wheat, just 16, designed to hook us with sympathy; there's a little Barstow backstory about his cotton plantation, his fiancé who is now dead, his weary acceptance of duty for a cause he believes in; and there is no hint of emerging attraction between Barstow and Johanna Carter (Patrice Wymore). She loves her Union officer even if she becomes more sympathetic to what Barstow and his seven men face. The dialogue is efficient. Unless you're a great writer (and even if you are), that's solid praise. About a third of the movie is shot at dusk, night or early morning when a lot of set deficiencies can be covered up. In fact, Rocky Mountain is probably the smallest scale movie Flynn ever made.

It's poetic justice that Rocky Mountain turns out to be a very good film, especially because of its small scale. The movie didn't have the budget to screw things up by trying to turn the story into something bigger than it was, or Flynn into a wooing hero. Flynn plays Barstow as a man with burdens. There's none of the Flynn charm and easy smiles. With the exception of Miss Carter, Flynn's interactions are all with other men, those under his command and those who might shoot them.

As Barstow's options dwindle he faces reality with none of the Hollywood posturing that takes place in bigger budget movies. To accept the situation and take action is something he and his men simply shrug their shoulders about and then get on with it. "I never thought it would end this way," Johanna Carter says to him." "There never was any other way," Captain Barstow tells her. "We just put it off awhile." Rocky Mountain, in its small-scale way, is a good movie.

I wanted to like this movie. Had it been shot in the studio I'd call it "stagebound." Since it was set and shot in a desert I'd call it rock-bound.

Flynn leads a small group (including Slim Pickens on an early movie role) on a secret mission for the Confederates near the war's end to separate California from the Union.

Unfortunately, once they get on a rocky mountaintop, they get stuck there.

Still, the scenery is gorgeous. Especially when you see dark cloud formations in the distance. Remember, black and white film is never really black and white. Like people, it's full of subtle gradations of gray.

Speaking of gray, if you forget to keep history in its place (the past) and get your panties in a wad at the sight of a Rebel flag, one appears near the end. So beware.

Flynn's getting old and years of dissipation show. Too bad. He was one of the great film stars of his day.

The story, as laid out, never really gets going. Just because there's action doesn't mean the movie can't be tedious.

Lots of action. Lots of talk, too. But there's a cute dog with a cute theme so maybe if you can't take the sight of a rebel flag or a wordless tune "Dixie" and forget that history, as Henry Ford said, is bunk and can't get on with your life going forward for wallowing in the past, real or imagined, maybe a cute doggie can get you through alive without gnawing off your leg to get out.