JohnHowardReid Copyright 1958 by Batjac-Romina. No New York opening. U.S. release: January 1959. U.K. release: 2 November 1958 (sic). Australian release: 23 April 1959. 6,856 feet. 76 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Soon after the end of the Civil War, an ex-Confederate captain and his young daughter make a perilous journey through Indian country as they seek a new future in the north-west. VIEWERS' GUIDE: Lots of action, but the British Board of Film Censors didn't cut so much as a foot and they awarded the film a Universal Exhibition certificate way back in 1958. So who are we to argue?COMMENT: A taut and exciting little western, with more than enough action to satisfy the most demanding fans. In fact there's enough plot twists to keep any audience involved. True, the characters are much the usual stereotypes, but the players put them all across with commendable force and vitality. Even Victor Mature paints a likable portrait. It must be admitted that neither Elaine Stewart nor Faith Domergue are overly well-groomed or super attractively made up. This lack of superficial beauty may disappoint some of their followers, though I thought it made their presence in the picture more realistic. CinemaScope is engagingly utilized in the capable hands of director Francis D. Lyon. Not only is the action presented with maximum impact, but the frame arrangements — especially during early dialogue scenes — often make strikingly effective use of the full width of the anamorphic screen. Speaking of dialogue, it's indisputable that many "B" westerns fall down badly in this respect. But not "Escort West". No doubt actor Leo Gordon who co-wrote the screenplay, saw to it that the talk was much more natural and far less clichéd than the norm. Production values are well above average. Executive producer John Wayne has not stinted on funds for location filming and has engaged a most competent team of technicians to support the first-rate cast. If you don't like "Escort West", better give all "B" westerns a miss. This is as good as they get.

Wizard-8 Made during the height of the western film genre's popularity, "Escort West" overall isn't terribly exceptional, but it does provide an easygoing hour and a quarter of entertainment if you are not in a terribly fussy mood. Even under those circumstances, some minor flaws do arise. It was obviously shot quickly and fairly cheaply - there's nothing really in the way of eye candy on display here. The character of Victor Mature's daughter could easily have been edited out without having to rewrite the rest of the movie. And Victor Mature himself only gives an adequate performance. But the movie does move along fairly swiftly and does not overstay its welcome, and there are a few fairly tense moments here and there. This movie won't make western haters into converts, but if you are a fan of the genre it's an okay way to kill some time.

oldblackandwhite Escort West is an unpretentious little Western starring that unpretentious actor Victor Mature. Vic was the original muscle man. Before there was an Arnold Schwarzeneger, even before there was a Steve Reeves, there was Victor Mature. Yet unlike those two aforementioned massive hulks, Vic was graceful and athletic enough to look good in a suit, at least the loose fitting types worn in the 'forties and 'fifties, which constituted his flourishing period. In My Darling Clementine they even managed to pass him off as a consumptive Doc Holliday by keeping him in a grossly over-sized coat and using extra shadow under his eyes. Vic apparently never took himself very seriously as an actor, nor did most film critics. One wag quipped that in a certain movie Victor Mature used all of his muscles except the ones in his face. Okay, he wasn't an Olivier, but in Escort West he turned in a solid, sensitive, charming and effective lead performance.And he did it with out letting the dreaded presence of a child actress steal the show. Vic plays an ex-Confederate Captain, recently widowed and on his way to start a new life in Oregon with his young daughter (Reba Waters) soon after the Civil War. I must confess that as a life-long old grouch, I usually don't like movies where a cutesy kid plays a major part, but little Reba charmed the socks off of me in the first scene and continued to do it for 75 minutes. Seldom does a child actor or actress turn in such an understated and dignified, yet charming performance. The tender yet never syrupy relationship between the father and daughter amidst the adversity of war, losing their wife/mother and their home, and now hostile Indian attack is one of the elements that gives this story a slight edge over the average B oater.Not that Escort West doesn't have other good points. The script, co-authored by Bruce Gordon, who also plays one of his typical brutish heavy parts in the movie, is conventional but lucid and entertaining. Francis D. Lyon's direction and smooth editing keeps the action-packed story tense and exciting. Good use is made of the black and white Cinemascope format in both action sequences and panoramic views of the scenery. Characterization is a strong point helped along by a platoon of veteran western character actors the like of Noah Beery, Jr., Slim Pickens, Rex Ingram, and Harry Carry, Jr. The female lead and second lead Elaine Stewart and Faith Domegue also make competent contributions.This little B programmer displays an unusual authenticity for a western of this era. It was particularly impressive that the cavalry uniforms were true to the Civil War era and not the usual stock 1870's Indian Wars uniforms, which are quite different. The Sharps breech loading carbines used by the cavalry and the Indians were likewise accurate to the 1860's. The Remmington revolvers, though actually later cartridge models, did good service showing profiles that look like period cap and ball revolvers. The holsters looked like Civil War types, and the gun belts were lacking cartridge loops (cap and ball revolvers used delicate paper cartridges which couldn't be carried in loops). The renegade Modoc Indians, who were the principal menace, dressed as most Indians of the period would have -- not naked savages who had only just come into contact with civilization, but wearing mostly the same clothes the whites did with a few Indian flourishes like gaudy belts and leather leggings. Like any acculturated Indian criminals, they used rifles and pistols, instead of bow and arrow and spear, and they fired from behind cover instead of throwing themselves away in dervish-like rushes as we see in so many clichéd westerns.Admittedly not in a class with Red River or even one of Randolph Scott's better numbers, Escort West nevertheless delivers exciting family entertainment for an hour and fifteen minutes. In many ways it was better than any number of more sumptuously turned out westerns, and for this old, weathered oat-burner fancier at least, better than all but the very best of those whistling, ricocheting spaghetti-burners.

bobbobwhite Film was not much more than a watchable western, but see it for a look at Sly's real dad and mom.........Victor Mature and Faith Dommergue. Check closely the contributions each made to Sly's features, you will see what I mean. Oh, yeah, story was formula hero western and nothing special other than for the long list of western legends like Slim Pickens and Harry Carrey, Jr. and the drama queen antics of Ms. Dommergue. She was surely the film world's best pouter.Just kidding on the Sly thing, but they sure look like his parents. Maybe I'm wrong about the kidding.