Apache Territory

Last updated

Apache Territory
Aterrpos.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Ray Nazarro
Written byFrank L. Moss (adaptation)
Screenplay by George W. George
Charles R. Marion
Based onLast Stand at Papago Wells
by Louis L'Amour
Produced by Rory Calhoun
Victor M. Orsatti
Starring Rory Calhoun
CinematographyIrving Lippman
Edited by Al Clark
Color process Eastmancolor
Production
company
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • September 1, 1958 (1958-09-01)
Running time
71 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Apache Territory is a 1958 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and produced by and starring Rory Calhoun. It was released by Columbia Pictures. [1] [2] The story is based on the 1957 novel Last Stand at Papago Wells by Louis L'Amour.

Contents

Shot on location at Red Rock Canyon in California, this production was Calhoun's last film before moving to television as The Texan on CBS. [3] It was also the final film in the career of co-star Barbara Bates.

Plot

Drifter Logan Cates (Rory Calhoun) spies the desert at a watering hole when he sees Apache Indians about to attack three cowboys. He fires a warning shot into the air, allowing the cowboys to flee. Sometime later, Cates encounters a young woman whose parents have been tortured and murdered by Apache Indians.

Sensing the presence of Apaches, Logan brings the girl to a small box canyon that is not only defensible but has a supply of water. He meets up with 19-year-old Lonnie Foreman, who was the only survivor of the group that Cates warned before. The location attracts a variety of people escaping the Apaches including a small band of cavalrymen, Logan's former girlfriend, Jennifer Fair, and her fiancee, Grant Kimbrough. On the first night in the canyon, a Pima Indian named Lugo sneaks in looking for water. Though he is wanted for murder by the United States for killing an officer who wanted Lugo's gold, Cates allows him to stay due to his hatred towards the Apache. Lonnie and Junie Hatchett, the girl who Cates rescued earlier, quickly grow attached to one another.

They are besieged by Apache, where Logan the loner gradually discovers that he can not escape the responsibility of leadership of the group through his knowledge of Indian fighting and the local territory as well as his ability to knock sense into their heads when they engage in unhelpful behaviour. The numbers of the cavalrymen slowly dwindle, with initial attacks killing off one soldier as well as the sergeant. One of the cavalrymen, Zimmerman, hatches a plan to escape with Kimbrough, though Jennifer doesn't agree with the plan. Zimmerman is killed when he steals Lugo's gold and runs into the desert, where he is quickly shot. Lugo, however, hid his gold supply and Zimmerman only stole rocks.

As their food supplies dwindle, Cates risks his life by invading the Apache camp for food. Shortly thereafter, their water supplies begin to dwindle as well. Cates motions to ration off the water. More Apache attacks cause the deaths of more cavalrymen, until only Webb and Conley are left. A fellow officer's death leaves Webb enraged, and he runs blindly into the Apache camp, where he is wounded and taken. That night, the sound of his tortured cries torments the survivors. Cates leaves and it is implied that he ends the horror by shooting Webb.

As the wind picks up, Cates to put a plan into action: under the cover of a sandstorm, they will fill empty water bottles with black powder and small stones to make grenades and scatter the Apache across the desert. As they prepare to leave, Kimbrough disagrees with Cates' plan to leave Lugo with the women, and though he journeys out with the other men, he quickly returns so he can flee. Jennifer realizes Kimbrough is nothing but a coward and breaks off their engagement. Kimbrough tries to leave but is stopped by Lugo. Kimbrough attempts to draw his gun but Lugo shoots him dead.

Elsewhere, Cates, Conley and Lonnie find the Apache horde. Cates and Lonnie light and throw their grenades successfully, but Conley simply runs into the Apache camp and detonates his grenade at point blank range. The two return to the Box Canyon, where Jennifer reveals the fate of Kimbrough. After the storm passes, Lugo reveals he hid his gold in Cates' saddlebags, and gives a share of his gold to Lonnie so he and Junie can move to California. Lugo, Lonnie and Junie leave, with only Cates and Jennifer remaining. Jennifer leaves, with Cates catching up to her and the two riding off into the distance.

Cast

[4]

Other

Seven years prior to this film, Calhoun and Bates portrayed a young couple desperately in love in I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1951), and Bates played a character named Jenny.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kit Carson</span> American frontiersman and guide (1809–1868)

Christopher Houston Carson was an American frontiersman. He was a fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent and U.S. Army officer. He became a frontier legend in his own lifetime through biographies and news articles; exaggerated versions of his exploits were the subject of dime novels. His understated nature belied confirmed reports of his fearlessness, combat skills, tenacity, as well as profound effect on the westward expansion of the United States. Although he was famous for much of his life, historians in later years have written that Kit Carson did not like, want, or even fully understand the fame that he experienced during his life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catron County, New Mexico</span> County in New Mexico, United States

Catron County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,579, making it New Mexico's third-least populous county. Its county seat is Reserve. Catron County is New Mexico's largest county by area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superstition Mountain</span> Landform in Arizona, United States

Superstition Mountain is a prominent mountain and regional landmark located in the Phoenix metropolitan area of Arizona, immediately east of Apache Junction and north of Gold Canyon. It anchors the west end of the Superstition Mountains and is a popular outdoor recreation destination, home to numerous trails for hiking and horseback riding. The legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine centers around the mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confederate Arizona</span> Territory of the Confederate States of America

Arizona Territory, colloquially referred to as Confederate Arizona, was an organized incorporated territory of the Confederate States of America that existed from August 1, 1861, to May 26, 1865, when the Confederate States Army Trans-Mississippi Department, commanded by General Edmund Kirby Smith, surrendered at Shreveport, Louisiana. However, after the Battle of Glorieta Pass, the Confederates had to retreat from the territory, and by July 1862, effective Confederate control of the territory had ended. Delegates to the secession convention had voted in March 1861 to secede from the New Mexico Territory and the Union, and seek to join the Confederacy. It consisted of the portion of the New Mexico Territory south of the 34th parallel, including parts of the modern states of New Mexico and Arizona. The capital was Mesilla, along the southern border. The breakaway region overlapped Arizona Territory, established by the Union government in February 1863.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cahuilla</span> Native American people, living in the inland areas of southern California

The Cahuilla, also known as ʔívil̃uqaletem or Ivilyuqaletem, are a Native American people of the various tribes of the Cahuilla Nation, living in the inland areas of southern California. Their original territory encompassed about 2,400 square miles (6,200 km2). The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California. It was bounded to the north by the San Bernardino Mountains, to the south by Borrego Springs and the Chocolate Mountains, to the east by the Colorado Desert, and to the west by the San Jacinto Plain and the eastern slopes of the Palomar Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mescalero</span> Native American tribe in New Mexico

Mescalero or Mescalero Apache is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan–speaking Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation, located in south-central New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Swilling</span> American pioneer in the Arizona Territory (1830–1878)

John W. Swilling was an early pioneer in the Arizona Territory. He is commonly credited as one of the original founders of the city of Phoenix, Arizona. Swilling also played an important role in the opening of the central Arizona highlands to white settlement. His discoveries resulted in a gold rush to the region, and this in turn led to the establishment of Arizona's first territorial capital at the mining town of Prescott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apache Wars</span> Conflicts between the U.S. Army and native Apache tribe (1849–1924)

The Apache Wars were a series of armed conflicts between the United States Army and various Apache tribal confederations fought in the southwest between 1849 and 1886, though minor hostilities continued until as late as 1924. After the Mexican–American War in 1846, the United States annexed conflicted territory from Mexico which was the home of both settlers and Apache tribes. Conflicts continued as American settlers came into traditional Apache lands to raise livestock and crops and to mine minerals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rory Calhoun</span> American actor (1922–1999)

Rory Calhoun was an American film and television actor. He starred in numerous Westerns in the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared in supporting roles in films such as How to Marry a Millionaire (1953).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Arizona</span> History of the US state of Arizona

The history of Arizona encompasses the Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Post-Archaic, Spanish, Mexican, and American periods. About 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, Paleo-Indians settled in what is now Arizona. A few thousand years ago, the Ancestral Puebloan, the Hohokam, the Mogollon and the Sinagua cultures inhabited the state. However, all of these civilizations mysteriously disappeared from the region in the 15th and 16th centuries. Today, countless ancient ruins can be found in Arizona. Arizona was part of the state of Sonora, Mexico from 1822, but the settled population was small. In 1848, under the terms of the Mexican Cession the United States took possession of Arizona above the Gila River after the Mexican War, and became part of the Territory of New Mexico. By means of the Gadsden Purchase, the United States secured the northern part of the state of Sonora, which is now Arizona south of the Gila River in 1854.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Johnson</span> American actor

Kenny Johnson is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Detective Curtis Lemansky in The Shield, Butch "Burner" Barnes in Pensacola: Wings of Gold, Detective Ham Dewey in Saving Grace, Herman Kozik in Sons of Anarchy, Matt Webb in Prime Suspect, Caleb Calhoun in Bates Motel, Dominique Luca in the CBS drama series S.W.A.T., and Tommy Welch on Chicago Fire (2014–2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Río Grande de Santiago</span> River in Mexico

The Río Grande de Santiago, or Santiago River, is a river in western Mexico. It flows westwards from Lake Chapala via Ocotlán through the states of Jalisco and Nayarit to empty into the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the longest rivers in Mexico, measuring up 433 km (269 mi) long.

<i>Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood</i> 2003 film directed by Steven Ayromlooi

Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood is a 2003 American black comedy slasher film written and directed by Steven Ayromlooi, and a standalone sequel to Leprechaun in the Hood (2000) with no returning characters or references made to that film. It is the sixth installment of the Leprechaun series, and as of 2023, it is the last entry to star Warwick Davis in the title role. The film has the villainous leprechaun Lubdan rampaging through an urban area and killing anyone in his path while looking for his gold, which was stolen by a group of youths who are using it to fulfill their wildest dreams. It is the first film in the series to be released by Lionsgate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yavapai</span> Ethnic Group

The Yavapai are a Native American tribe in Arizona. Historically, the Yavapai – literally “people of the sun” – were divided into four geographical bands who identified as separate, independent peoples: the Ɖulv G’paaya, or Western Yavapai; the Yaavpe', or Northwestern Yavapai; the Gwev G’paaya, or Southeastern Yavapai; and the Wiipukpaa, or Northeastern Yavapai – Verde Valley Yavapai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apache Kid Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in New Mexico, United States

Apache Kid Wilderness is a 44,626-acre (18,060 ha) Wilderness area located within the Magdalena Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest in the state of New Mexico. Straddling a southern portion of the San Mateo Mountains of southwestern Socorro County, the area is characterized by rugged, narrow, and steep canyons bisecting high mountain peaks exceeding 10,000 feet (3,000 m). The highest peak is West Blue Mountain which reaches an elevation of 3,151 metres (10,338 ft).

<i>40 Guns to Apache Pass</i> 1967 film by William Witney

40 Guns to Apache Pass is a 1967 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring Audie Murphy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Orsatti</span> American film producer (1905-1984)

Victor Manuel Orsatti was an American talent agent and film producer. As an agent, he represented some of the biggest stars of the 1930s and 1940s, including Judy Garland, Betty Grable, and Edward G. Robinson, as well as directors Frank Capra and George Stevens. He was credited with persuading figure skating champion Sonja Henie to move to Hollywood and become an actress after the 1936 Winter Olympics. He later became a motion picture and television producer, whose works include Flight to Hong Kong and the television series The Texan. He was also married to actress June Lang, singer/actress Marie "The Body" McDonald, and model/actress Dolores Donlon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skeleton Canyon shootout</span> 1896 bank robbery gunfight near Nogales, Arizona

The Skeleton Canyon shootout was a gunfight on August 12, 1896, between members of the High Five Gang and a posse of American lawmen. Following a failed robbery on August 1 of the bank in Nogales, Arizona, the High Fives headed east and split up. The gang's leader, Black Jack Christian, and George Musgrave got away.

Auguste Sylvestre LaCome was a French settler and trader in the New Mexico Territory and brother of Jean Baptiste LaCome. He was an investigator to the White massacre.

Albert Franklin Banta was an American newspaperman, politician, jurist, and army scout. As a scout, he was a member of the Wheeler Survey and assisted General George Crook during the Apache Wars. Banta was influential in the creation of Apache County, Arizona and later represented the county in the Arizona Territorial Legislature. As a newspaperman, he started and operated a number of papers throughout Arizona Territory.

References

  1. "APACHE TERRITORY | Sony Pictures Entertainment". www.sonypictures.com. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  2. "BBC Two - Apache Territory". BBC. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  3. "Apache Territory (1958)". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  4. "BBC Two - Apache Territory". BBC. Retrieved April 11, 2019.