Western Wednesdays: Fort Yuma (1955)

     Fort Yuma was released on October 4th, 1955. It is directed by Lesley Selander (a filmmaker who got his start in series westerns) and written by Danny Arnold. In it a column of Calvary lead by Peter Graves' Lt. Ben Keegan travels to Fort Yuma to deliver supplies and ammunition in anticipation of an attack by the Apache.

     Fort Yuma is a much darker and more subversive film then I expected. Lt. Keegan is terribly racist, seeing the Apache as little more then animals but his commander (Addison Richards' General Crook) hopes to challenge his views, believing that peaceful co-existence with the Indians is the only way forward. He saddles Keegan with an Apache scout (John Hudson's Sgt. Jonas) despite his objections. Also along for the ride are Jonas' sister Francesca (Joan Taylor), who is in love with Keegan, and a missionary woman (Joan Vohs' Melanie Crown) who disapproves of Keegan's attitude and hopes to make friends with the Apache brother and sister. The relationship between these four characters is surprisingly complex.

     Keegan seems to have feelings for Francesca but his hatred of the Apache prevents him from admitting this, perhaps even to himself. Jonas disapproves of their relationship, believing (with good reason) that Keegan doesn't respect his sister and is with her only to fulfill his lustful desires. Jonas is is very conflicted character himself, believing that the Apache are wrong to fight the whites but feeling guilty for fighting against them. Melanie is, at first, rather naive in her perception of the Apaches. Her attempts to befriend Francesca are rebuffed as she sees the missionary as ignorant and her actions as patronizing. Jonas feels the same way at first but eventually begins to soften to her.

      The supporting characters are not without depth either. William 'Bill' Phillips as Sgt. Milo Hallock and James O'Hara as Cpl. Taylor serve as the film's comic relief but Hallock, in particular, is far from a simpleton. The sergeant desperately wants to become a Lieutenant but his lack of education prevents this. The Apache chief who decides to attack Fort Yuma (Abel Fernandez's Mangas) is even fleshed out to some extent. The film opens with he and his father coming to the fort to make peace when the chief is killed by a crazed white man. This action angers Mangas, who decides to attack the fort in retaliation. Though it's a bit contrived I appreciate that the film gives Mangas an understandable motivation for his actions, even if it sidesteps the larger issues of Native rights.

     This movie does not shy away from the brutality of the conflict. The film is quite violent at times for a movie made in 1955. There's a fair amount of blood and there's also a scene where an Apache is hanged under Keegan's orders. Most of the troop is massacred on the way to the fort and the deaths of Hallock and Taylor in particular are quite callous. Fort Yuma was originally denied a seal from the Production Code Administration and many scenes were edited or removed entirely in order to obtain approval. Among the deleted scenes were one where a man is torn apart by horses and a scene where Apache corpses are seen swaying from tree limbs.

     Salender directs with real vigor and the action scenes are routinely great (a few awkward hand-to-hand fights excepted). He also knows when to slow the film down and some of the more dramatic moments are handled in a subtle, quiet manner. The acting is solid all around and Gordon Avil's rugged cinematography fits the film perfectly. The films biggest weakness is it's occasional lack of subtlety. Danny Arnold's script, though wonderfully nuanced in some ways, comes across a little didactic at times. Paul Dunlap's score is also a little overbearing and generally innocuous.

     Fort Yuma is really underrated western. It's a bit rough around the edges to be sure but it's well worth checking out for it's tight direction and complex story.

Score: 8/10