Spikeopath Chuka is directed by Gordon Douglas and adapted to screenplay by Richard Jessup from his own novel. It stars Rod Taylor, John Mills, Ernest Borgnine, Luciana Paluzzi, James Whimore, Louis Hayward and Victoria Vetri. Music is by Leith Stevens and Pthe Color photography by Harold E. Stine.1876 and Fort Clendenon is host to a bunch of army misfits and a lovelorn gunslinger, hardly a group capable of defending the Fort against an impending Arapaho attack...A super cast and a rather gorgeous colour print can't avert this being a distinctly average Siege Oater. Prodution wise it's a hodgepodge, an uneasy blend of stuffy looking studio bound sequences, matte paintings and airy locales, while the acting, sparse characterisations and general reliance on non meaty chatty filler scenes, all make it an odd viewing experience.The chat angle is most frustrating, not so much because there is so much of it so as to make this a 90% talky piece, but in that there are moments of great dialogue, where interesting character arcs are dangled, but alas they are threads that are never pulled to the benefit of all. Action is sparse but what there is is competently staged, with the siege itself - while not worth the wait - has enough moments of excitement and intelligence so as to not annoy.A very good and intriguing ending further adds to the strange mix of poor and good of it all, but ultimately it's average and hardly essential for fans of Westerns and the stars involved. 5/10

dbdumonteil The director was not allowed to film on location,which ,for a western is perhaps not a very smart idea.But as almost all the action takes place in a fort besieged by starving Indians,the movie does not suffer for it.It's a very dark western,with a murky atmosphere ,unsympathetic characters; in spite of the gorgeous Luciana Paluzzi (one of the best James Bond girl that ever was ) and her niece (portrayed by Angela Dorian,more famous for her small part of Terry Gionoffrio in "Rosemary's baby" ),the dinner becomes a settling of scores.The movie contains very violent scenes in its last quarter ,predating Peckinpah and "soldier blue" and it's one of the rare films of the genre to feature a thoroughly unhappy ending.

CCsito This movie dealt with a fort that was being surrounded by Arapahoes Native Americans as the soldiers were defending supplies and food that the Arapahoes wanted. Rod Taylor plays a man, Chuka, who comes upon this rather dire situation. He helps a former lover of his and a niece who become stranded while traveling on the road. The visitors become stuck inside the fort as the Arapahoes prepare to attack it. There are several scenes involving Chuka and the other fort soldiers that show the personalities of the fort's defenders. There are even a few light moments in the movie as the imminent attack draws near. Rod's character also has a love scene with the former lover (gorgeous Luciana Paluzzi). Chuka tries to persuade the commanding officer of the fort to abandon it and allow the Arapahoes to take the supplies, which he refuses. The concept of following duty appears to be an unconvincing aspect of the situation given that the safety of the fort's occupants should have been paramount. John Mills, who plays the commanding officer, is the guilt driven colonel who refuses to allow the soldiers to abandon the fort as a way out of the situation. The movie reminded me of situations where the number of fighters on one side was way outnumbered by the opposition. There was little sympathy for those that followed the orders blindly. Chuka was one of the few who offered a possible alternative to the impending massacre.

mlawrence-2 I'd love to have given this a higher vote than 6 but there are just enough corny, well okay bad scenes, that meant I just couldn't bring myself to do it.Fact is though that all the problems with the film for me were washed away with that one moment at the end of the film that brought it back from being below average to being rather satisfying.I don't really care so much about historical accuracy. I doubt many people would watch this film with the idea that they are being educated about life in the west 150 years ago. The story is the key and I was quite able to accept most of it. The jarring moments are the ones where Rod Stewart can't carry off some really poor dialogue and some really bad, well, let me say, childish stuff where his character is putting across the tough guy persona that misses by a long way.The vast majority of westerns that were made were pretty poor. They were churned out as fast as Zane Grey could write them. No wonder then that the really good ones made such an impact since they were such a shock compared to the usual dross.I haven't actually watched this film for, oh 20 years or so, but I have never forgotten it and have thought on it often. It is a personal favorite in that way and if I can get a copy I will buy it.It isn't a great film. It has many flaws. But ... I enjoyed it and would gladly watch it again.