Escape from Fort Bravo (1953)

Information from IMDb

Plot Summary
A ruthless Union captain is renowned throughout his prison fort
as the toughest soldier in the business, capable of capturing every escaped convict
under his supervision. However, when he falls in love with a visiting woman
some of the prisoners seize the advantage and try to escape while
he is in a more "mellow" mood.
Written by Jonathon Dabell

Full Cast
William Holden ... Capt. Roper
Eleanor Parker ... Carla Forester
John Forsythe ... Capt. John Marsh
William Demarest ... Campbell
William Campbell ... Cabot Young
Polly Bergen ... Alice Owens
Richard Anderson ... Lt. Beecher
Carl Benton Reid ... Col. Owens
John Lupton ... Bailey
Richard P. Beedle ... Confederate Lieutenant (uncredited)
Harry Cheshire ... Chaplain (uncredited)
Michael Dugan ... Sims (uncredited)
Fred Graham ... Jones (uncredited)
Eloise Hardt ... Girl (uncredited)
Forrest Lewis ... Dr. Miller (uncredited)
Frank Matts ... Kiowa Indian Scout (uncredited)
Howard McNear ... Watson (uncredited)
Alex Montoya ... Sgt. Chavez (uncredited)
William Newell ... Symore (uncredited)
Phil Rich ... Barman (uncredited)
Charles Stevens ... Eilota (uncredited)
Glenn Strange ... Sgt. Compton (uncredited)
Valerie Vernon ... Girl in Bar (uncredited)

Writing Credits
Frank Fenton (screenplay)
Phillip Rock (story) and
Michael Pate (story)

Original Music
Jeff Alexander

Cinematography
Robert Surtees

Trivia
William Holden did not shave his chest for his shirtless scene in this movie
(as he did for most of his other "beefcake" scenes of the 1950s),
thus giving audiences one of their best looks at his normally lush growth of chest hair.

Filmed and released in 3D.

Goofs
Anachronisms
The ladies' dresses had zippers, which were not invented until 1913.

Lt. Beecher scans the horizon with a very modern pair of binoculars.

Continuity
Capt. Roper is in a gunfight in Death Valley and is shot in the left shoulder.
When riding into town his right arm is in a sling.

Memorable Quotes

Filming Locations
Corriganville, Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA
Death Valley National Park, California, USA
Gallup, New Mexico, USA

Watch the Trailer

Escape from Fort Bravo

Escape from Fort Bravo is a 1953 western film set during the American Civil War.
It stars William Holden, Eleanor Parker, and John Forsythe.

User Review

Quote

Union fort in Arizona used as a Confederate prison camp
and surrounded by marauding Mescalero Apaches
27 January 2005 | by Mickey-2 (Front Royal, VA)

"Escape From Fort Bravo" had a unique western storyline
that shifted somewhat during the course of the film, but still left the viewer
with a decent film for its time. Fort Bravo is being used as a Confederate prison camp
during the waning months of the American Civil War. Inside the fort's walls are the prisoners,
wanting to escape, and the troops of the Union cavalry, trying to prevent their escapes,
and outside are the bands of savage Mescalero Apaches,
just waiting for anybody to leave the safety of the fort.

William Holden plays Capt. Roper, the Union officer given the dubious task of recapturing
any escapees and returning them to Fort Bravo. It's an unpleasant task, he personally dislikes the job,
but he does it, and does it all to well, much to the chagrin of the rebels still in the fort.
During this time, a female Confederate sympathizer, played by Eleanor Parker,
comes to the fort and will attempt to distract Holden, while she manages to enact
the escape of her Confederate lover, played by John Forsythe.
The escape occurs, some rebel prisoners manage to leave the fort,
Parker goes with them, but she does not realize that Holden has come to fall in love with her.
Roper, Holden's part, takes a small troop of men out from the fort in pursuit,
he hoping to catch up with them before the Apaches do.

Besides the three main leads mentioned above, the supporting cast includes William Demerest,
William Campbell, Richard Anderson, Polly Bergen, and in a pre "Broken Arrow" role, John Lupton.
Campbell and Demerest do provide some comic relief, playing off each other's abilities, etc.,
but the lead parts do carry the picture and prevent it from
becoming just another Cavalry-Indians western. 7/10

Display More