JohnHowardReid SYNOPSIS: In 1883, U.S. Cavalry Lieutenant Matt Hazard arrives at Fort Delivery on the Mexican border in Arizona to begin a new assignment.NOTES: Location scenes filmed in Arizona and New Mexico.COMMENT: With this film, director Raoul Walsh was honorably discharged from his career in the cinema. Unfortunately, the film does not seem to be quite the marvelous piece of work that the book was, if the reviews of the book (see below) are anything to go by. It's certainly not a whale of a good story, it's just an ordinary U.S. cavalry versus renegade Indians picture, and off-hand I could name at least fifty more powerful treatments of this subject including "Ulzana's Raid". The trouble is that the story is so weak and conventional and that its characters are such stereotypes and they are so weakly and flaccidly played (particularly by James Gregory and Diane McBain, — also William Reynolds in a small part, and Suzanne Pleshette who is charming, but scarcely a strong heroine. Mr. Donahue on the other hand seems to mistake strength for stiffness).Lacking strong characters the film lacks strong emotions and strong audience involvement. Even the battle scenes are routinely staged. The locations look fairly interesting, but we don't see enough of them. But we do see too much of the hero's insipid romantic entanglements. A pity. The film seems to have all the ingredients for power and excitement but it rarely gets above the routine. Film editing is sluggish, sets are unimpressive and even Max Steiner's music score is definitely not work from his top drawer.Here are three quotes from reviews of the novel: "A big, vivid, exciting novel." — New York Herald Tribune. "Paul Horgan's powerful bestseller about the U.S. Cavalry in its history-making conquest of the Apaches, brings to towering life a brilliant and bloody moment of America's past... A tremendous piece of work." — Saturday Review. "A whale of a good story... the finest novel yet on the Southwest." — The New York Times.

AndersonWhitbeck Troy Donahue and Warner Bros had a great collaboration starting with "A Summer Place" and following with "Parrish" "Susan Slade" "Rome Adventure" and "Palm Springs Weekend" where Troy was always first billed over stars such as Claudette Colbert, Karl Marlden and Angie Dickinson, etc. Jack Warner obviously decided it was time to ramp up the Troy Donahue films and assigned veteran and legendary director Raoul Walsh who directed many of Warner Bros. greatest stars such as Errol Flynn in this rousing action drama. In addition William Clothier another stalwart professional of great films was the Cinematographer. First rate Warner Bros. production values and great action scenes crafted by Raoul Walsh, and some fine acting by a cast of supporting players makes this a fine film to watch anytime. Thumping Max Steiner score is tops.Warners in the 1960's had a large group of fine contract players and Jack Warner slotted them in major Warner Bros films when he could so look here for Diane McBain and William Reynolds -both WB contract players- in this film. For Diane McBain this was her second film with Troy Donahue after "Parrish" and Suzanne Pleshette who married Troy Donahue after "Rome Adventure" is also cast.Very effective western with a splendid rousing memorable Max Steiner score.

filmkr The more I watch this, the more I like it. Great epic scenes with a huge cast of soldiers, Indians, and horses in real American West settings. The wide screen Panavision photography (with original release prints in IB Technicolor) is excellent. CGI may be fine, but I have yet to see anything surpass the look of hundreds of REAL men on horses in stunning REAL outdoor settings. As for the story, while I thought the book was very good, the way the characters are handled in the film is better in some ways, and the ending of the film much more to my liking. One thing they did have to tone down from the book was the sex element. It appears WB even adjusted one sequence after prints were made up. This appears in Reel Two, where Matt Hazard (Tro Donahue) and Kitty Mainwarring (Susan Pleshette) are in thr cave together overnight. With Pleshette's back to audience line (apparently later dubbed in) says "Good night Matt" and there is an ABRUPT cut to daytime and troops coming into the fort. 35mm and 16mm prints I have seen all contain this SLICED cut. And the original 35mm trailer containing the cave sequence does not contain the "good night" line". I believe that originally there was an embrace and kiss between Troy and Suzanne and a DISSOLVE to the next scene (or fade out & in). In any event, as Westerns go, this has a good story and looks better all the time, especially wide screen.

dinky-4 This may have started out as an "A" production and its visual elements are certainly first-rate. The ever-reliable William Clothier contributes sparkling color photography which fills the wide-screen with some of the most impressive vistas you're ever likely to see in a western. Unfortunately, by casting Troy Donahue in the lead role, Warner Bros. indicated it was relegating this production to "B" status, and the result is just another cavalry-and-Indians movie. Suzanne Pleshette shows promise as "Kitty" but it's hard to do good work when one's leading man is of the Ken-doll variety. Diane McBain has little to work with as the fiancee and merely adds to the feeling that "A Distant Trumpet" is a spin-off from Warner Bros. stable of TV westerns. At least the cavalry soldiers actually get dusty in this movie, and there's a good scene of Bobby Bare being branded on the back for cowardice.