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frederickzirin-1
Reviews
The Last Outpost (1951)
unusually pristine uniforms - Hollywood did it again
In the later part of the Civil War, or War Between the States, if you will, one might have found few or some rebel officers dashing around in clearly dazzling tailored uniforms, but, in this movie, even the lowest enlisted men looked like they were ready for inspection, not dirty as they would have been after several charges into enemy ranks, nor did their uniforms and boots appear haggard or well-worn as they should have been after 3 years of close conflict with the Yankees in several well-fought campaigns. As an avid reader of related literature, I know that the southern soldiers were unmatched in dedication and loyalty to their cause, and that they had little money to splurge on spectacular articles of clothing. A good portion of the southern troops wore their own clothing. I imagine that Hollywood financed this company of men to look good, and they did. I was impressed, and this movie is probably why I personally preferred the uniforms of the Confederacy to those of the North, even though I was born and raised in New England. Remembering this movie after 30 plus years, and then seeing it again recently has only confirmed my appreciation for the looks of those gray uniforms, but not the overall content of the movie. Ronald Reagan was a top box office draw when he made this movie; he demonstrated to me that a gentleman of the South could still be a good American even if he was not a soldier of the Union forces. These words are only my opinion, and were not intended to offend anyone, but, there it is.
Beau Geste (1966)
A color re-make of the classic Wren story
Leslie Nielsen, in one of his few serious actor parts, dies off too quickly in this color extravaganza, leaving Telly to rampage and wreak sadistic treatment on those under his command. Dean Stockwell and Doug McClure, "Americans", try to do their parts well, but, they just didn't strike me as the best choices, at the time, for their roles. The color treatment, uniforms, and action sequences are reminiscent of other blazing gun battle scene loaded movies, but nothing sterling or Oscar-winning here, except, maybe, Savalas, as the contemptible despot. Movie length could also have been better, too much was left out, even for an adapted story from Hollywood. Still, I would like to see this again in widescreen DVD, or even VHS. But, where would I find a good original copy ? It seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth, if it ever existed at all !