Rocky Mountain (film)

Last updated

Rocky Mountain
Rockymountain1950.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by William Keighley
Written by Winston Miller
Based onstory Ghost Mountain by Alan Le May
Produced by William Jacobs
Starring Errol Flynn
Patrice Wymore
Cinematography Ted McCord
Edited by Rudi Fehr
Music by Max Steiner
Production
company
Warner Bros.
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • November 11, 1950 (1950-11-11)
Running time
83 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.7 million (US) [1]

Rocky Mountain is a 1950 American Western film directed by William Keighley and starring Errol Flynn. It also stars Patrice Wymore, who married Flynn in 1950. The film is set in California near the end of the American Civil War. [2]

Contents

Filmink magazine called it "a hidden gem, one of Flynn's best Westerns." [3]

Plot

A car pulls up to an historical marker in the desert that reads:

ROCKY MOUNTAIN, also known as Ghost Mountain. On March 26, 1865, a detachment of Confederate cavalry crossed the state line into California under secret orders from Gen. Robert E. Lee to rendezvous at Ghost Mountain with one Cole Smith, with instructions to place the flag atop the mountain, and though their mission failed, the heroism displayed by these gallant men honored the cause for which they fought so valiantly.

In 1865, eight horsemen trek across the California desert, arriving at Ghost Mountain. Led by Captain Lafe Barstow of the Mississippi Mountain Rifles. The eight soldiers encounter a man who calls himself California Beal. As a last desperate effort to turn the tide of the war, Barstow's mission is to persuade Cole Smith and his 500 men to raid California on behalf of the Confederacy. From their vantage point on the mountain, the men see a Shoshone war party attack a stagecoach. Barstow's men charge and drive off the Shoshone after the stage overturns, rescuing driver Gil Craigie and the only surviving passenger, Johanna Carter, traveling to join her fiancé, Union Army officer Lt. Rickey.

That night, the Indians burn the stage. Next morning, a detachment of four Union soldiers and three Shoshone scouts examine the ashes. Barstow's men ambush the detachment, killing one and capturing the rest, including Lt. Rickey. From them, Barstow learns that the Union knows about their presence in California and that California Beal is actually Cole Smith himself. Smith leaves, promising to return in two days with his men. Craigie talks with the Shoshone scouts and learns that they are really a chief, Man Dog, and his sons. He warns Barstow that they will escape and return with their tribe. That night, while Jimmy is on watch, the Indians try to escape. The soldiers kill two of them, but Man Dog evades their bullets.

In the morning, Rickey suggests that he take Johanna to a nearby garrison before the Indians arrive. Barstow, however, hopes that Smith's men will come before the Indians do and rejects the suggestion. Near dawn, Rickey's men jump their guards. One dies in the attempt, and another's recaptured, but Rickey makes his escape. The Southerners find a riderless horse but it turns out to be Smith's, not Rickey's, and they realize that help is not coming.

Barstow decides to use all his men to lure the Indians away from the mountain while Johanna, Craigie and the Union trooper escape. The greatly outnumbered Rebels ride into a box canyon and turn to fight, charging the Shoshone. During the battle, Rickey returns with a troop of Union cavalry, and Johanna tells Rickey what has happened. The cavalry attempt to save Barstow's men but are too late; all the Southerners have been killed. Rickey raises their rebel flag on top of Rocky Mountain to salute the bravery of their fallen foes.

Cast

Production

The film was originally titled Ghost Mountain, the title of the original story by Alan Le May. Ronald Reagan badly wanted to do a Western at the time, and says Jack Warner promised he could star in one if the actor found an ideal story. Reagan claims he discovered Ghost Story and helped negotiate its purchase by Warners through his agent, MCA. [4] Warner Bros purchased it in November 1948 for $35,000, with William Jacobs assigned to produce. Reagan was announced as a potential star in November 1948. [5] Errol Flynn, who had appeared in a number of successful Westerns for Warners was always named as a possibility. [6]

In March 1950 Ghost Mountain was put on Warners' schedule. [7] By April the film was retitled Rocky Mountain and Flynn was given the lead role over Reagan, to the latter's annoyance, as he felt he had brought the story to the studio. Reagan left Warner Bros soon afterwards. [8] (Flynn had meant to do another Western, Carson City but it was felt that script was not as ready. [9] ) Winston Miller was brought in to write the script. [10]

In May Lauren Bacall was assigned to play the female lead under her contract with Warner Bros but turned it down and was suspended as a result. [11] Bacall said at the time:

I turned it down because it's just not a part. It's kind of nothing. I'm not angry, I'm just incredulous. I've never been offered a role like this before. I don't want to do it and they shouldn't have to pay me. I shouldn't imagine they'll have any trouble replacing me. [12]

She was replaced by Patrice Wymore, a dancer who had recently been put under contract to Warners. [13] By July, Bacall would terminate her contract with Warners. [14]

Filming started 29 May 1950 on location in Gallup, New Mexico. At the beginning of filming Flynn was engaged to Princess Irene Ghika. During filming he fell in love with Wymore. [15] Their engagement was announced in August and they later married. [16] [17]

While making the film Flynn said he became interested in stories about Kit Carson and was going to make a film about Carson. However this never happened. [18]

Reception

Critical reaction

The Washington Post called Rocky Mountain a "good and interestingly made picture". [19]

The Los Angeles Times said "it comes so close to being an exceptional figure that no one could have been sorrier than this reviewer to see it fall short... the reason is, I think, the characterizations lack forceful definition." [20]

Box Office

Rocky Mountain earned £125,231 at the English box office. [21] In France, it had admissions of 1,459,012. [22] According to Variety, the film earned $1.7 in America by the end of 1950. [1]

Legacy

According to James Garner, the script for Rocky Mountain was used as the basis for the first episode of the TV series Maverick . [23] The film was also used as the basis for the first episode of the television series Cheyenne (1955) entitled "Mountain Fortress" on September 20, 1955.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Errol Flynn</span> Australian actor (1909–1959)

Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn was an Australian actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia de Havilland, and reputation for his womanising and hedonistic personal life. His most notable roles include Robin Hood in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), which was later named by the American Film Institute as the 18th greatest hero in American film history, the lead role in Captain Blood (1935), Major Geoffrey Vickers in The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), and the hero in a number of Westerns such as Dodge City (1939), Santa Fe Trail, Virginia City, and San Antonio (1945).

<i>Santa Fe Trail</i> (film) 1940 film

Santa Fe Trail is a 1940 American Western film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Errol Flynn as J. E. B. "Jeb" Stuart, Olivia de Havilland, Raymond Massey as John Brown, Ronald Reagan as George Armstrong Custer and Alan Hale. Written by Robert Buckner, the film is critical of the abolitionist John Brown and his controversial campaign against slavery before the American Civil War. In a subplot, Jeb Stuart and George Armstrong Custer—who are depicted as friends from the same West Point graduating class—compete for the hand of Kit Carson Holliday.

<i>They Died with Their Boots On</i> 1941 film

They Died with Their Boots On is a 1941 American Biographical western film from Warner Bros. Pictures, produced by Hal B. Wallis and Robert Fellows, directed by Raoul Walsh, that stars Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland.

<i>Against All Flags</i> 1952 film by George Sherman

Against All Flags is a 1952 American pirate film directed by George Sherman, with uncredited assist from Douglas Sirk. It features Errol Flynn as Lt. Brian Hawke, Maureen O'Hara as Prudence "Spitfire" Stevens, and Anthony Quinn as Roc Brasiliano. The film is set in 1700, on the coast of Madagascar.

<i>Desperate Journey</i> 1942 film by Raoul Walsh

Desperate Journey is a 1942 American World War II action and aviation film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Raymond Massey, Alan Hale Sr., and Arthur Kennedy. The melodramatic film featured a group of downed Allied airmen making their way out of the Third Reich, often with their fists.

<i>Northern Pursuit</i> 1943 film by Raoul Walsh

Northern Pursuit is a 1943 American World War II adventure thriller film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who tries to uncover a Nazi plot against the Allied war effort. The film was set in Canada during the early years of the war.

<i>Adventures of Don Juan</i> 1948 film by Vincent Sherman

Adventures of Don Juan is a 1948 American Technicolor swashbuckling adventure romance film directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Errol Flynn and Viveca Lindfors, with Robert Douglas, Alan Hale, Ann Rutherford, and Robert Warwick. Also in the cast are Barbara Bates, Raymond Burr, and Mary Stuart. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. and produced by Jerry Wald. The screenplay by George Oppenheimer and Harry Kurnitz, based on a story by Herbert Dalmas, has uncredited contributions by William Faulkner and Robert Florey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Errol Flynn filmography</span>

The film appearances of movie actor Errol Flynn (1909–1959) are listed here, including his short films and one unfinished feature.

<i>That Forsyte Woman</i> 1949 film by Compton Bennett

That Forsyte Woman is a 1949 American romantic drama film directed by Compton Bennett and starring Greer Garson, Errol Flynn, Walter Pidgeon, Robert Young and Janet Leigh. It is an adaptation of the 1906 novel The Man of Property, the first book in The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy.

<i>Green Light</i> (1937 film) 1937 film by Frank Borzage

Green Light is a 1937 American drama film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Errol Flynn, Anita Louise and Margaret Lindsay. The film is adapted from a novel written by Lloyd C. Douglas. The novel is closely related to Douglas' previous book, Magnificent Obsession, which was also adapted as a movie. It was Flynn's first starring role in a studio film that was not an action movie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrice Wymore</span> American actress (1926–2014)

Patrice Wymore Flynn was an American film, television and stage actress of the 1950s and 1960s, known for her marriage to Errol Flynn.

<i>The Master of Ballantrae</i> (1953 film) 1953 film by William Keighley

The Master of Ballantrae is a 1953 British Technicolor adventure film starring Errol Flynn and Roger Livesey. It is a loose and highly truncated adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson 1889 novel of the same name. In eighteenth century Scotland, two sons of a laird clash over the family estate and a lady. It was the last film directed by William Keighley.

<i>Never Say Goodbye</i> (1946 film) 1946 film by James V. Kern

Never Say Goodbye is a 1946 American romantic comedy film directed by James V. Kern and starring Errol Flynn, Eleanor Parker, and Lucile Watson. Produced and distributed by Warner Brothers, it is about a divorced couple and the daughter who works to bring them back together. It was Errol Flynn's first purely comedic role since Footsteps in the Dark.

<i>Silver River</i> (film) 1948 film by Raoul Walsh

Silver River is a 1948 American western film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn, Ann Sheridan and Thomas Mitchell. The film is based on a Stephen Longstreet story that was turned into a novel. It was produced and distributed by Warner Bros.

<i>Kings Rhapsody</i> (film) 1955 film by Herbert Wilcox

King's Rhapsody is a 1955 British musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Errol Flynn and Patrice Wymore. Wymore was Errol Flynn's wife at the time of filming. It was based on the successful stage musical King's Rhapsody by Ivor Novello.

<i>Adventures of Captain Fabian</i> 1951 film by Robert Florey

Adventures of Captain Fabian or Adventure in New Orleans is a 1951 American adventure film directed by William Marshall and starring Errol Flynn, Micheline Presle, Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead and Victor Francen.

<i>Mara Maru</i> 1952 film by Gordon Douglas

Mara Maru is a 1952 American noir action film starring Errol Flynn, Ruth Roman and Raymond Burr. Directed by Gordon Douglas, it was the last movie Flynn made for Warner Bros where he had started out in Hollywood in 1935.

<i>Montana</i> (1950 film) 1950 film by Ray Enright

Montana is a 1950 American Western film directed by Ray Enright and starring Errol Flynn. It was only the second time Flynn played an Australian on screen, the first time being Desperate Journey (1942).

<i>Another Dawn</i> (1937 film) 1937 film by William Dieterle

Another Dawn is a 1937 American melodrama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Errol Flynn, Kay Francis and Ian Hunter. It is based on Somerset Maugham's 1919 play Caesar's Wife. It was produced and distributed by Warner Brothers. The film received dismissive reviews.

<i>The Story of William Tell</i> Unfinished film directed by Jack Cardiff

The Story of William Tell is an unfinished film about William Tell. It starred and was produced by Errol Flynn. It commenced filming in Italy in 1953 and was meant to be the directorial debut of Jack Cardiff. It was filmed in CinemaScope. A £10,000 model town set was built near Mont Blanc.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Top Grosses of 1950". Variety. January 3, 1951. p. 58.
  2. ↑ Crowther, Bosley. ""'Rocky Mountain' (1950)." The New York Times . Retrieved: January 26, 2015.
  3. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (November 24, 2019). "The Films of Errol Flynn: Part 4 – Going to Seed". Filmink.
  4. ↑ Adler, Bill (1985). Ronnie and Nancy : a very special love story . Crown Publishers. p.  88. ISBN   9780517558454.
  5. ↑ Brady, Thomas F. "Special to The New York Times." The New York Times, November 5, 1948, p. 30.
  6. ↑ Schallert, Edwin. "Taylor to enact Zapata; 'Dead Man' deal closed; Champion goes it alone." Los Angeles Times, November 11, 1948, p. 25.
  7. ↑ U.-I., WARNERS LIST PRODUCTION PLANS New York Times 8 Mar 1950: 34.
  8. ↑ from a memo from Mr. Obringer to Jack Warner, dated February 17, 1950 in Behlmer 1985, p, 208
  9. ↑ "Prison camp story stars Claudette." Los Angeles Times, April 21, 1950, p. B7.
  10. ↑ Brady, Thomas F. "Plans for 1951 start. The New York Times, April 21, 1950, p. 19.
  11. ↑ Brady, Thomas F. "Special to The New York Times." The New York Times, May 12, 1950, p. 32.
  12. ↑ Brady, Thomas F. "Hollywood: Warners battle star and agency competition Bacall vs. Warners Warners vs. M.C.A.." The New York Times, May 21, 1950, p. X5.
  13. ↑ Brady, Thomas F. "Of local origin." The New York Times, May 23, 1950, p. 45.
  14. ↑ Brady, Thomas F. "Bacall contract at Warners ends." The New York Times, July 15, 1950, p. 33.
  15. ↑ Thomas et al. 1969, pp. 168-169.
  16. ↑ "Flynn changes wedding plans, picks U.S. girl: confirm engagement to Patrice Wymore." Chicago Daily Tribune, August 5, 1950, p. 9.
  17. ↑ Mrs. Errol Flynn Regrets By AMOS COGGINS. The Washington Post and Times-Herald 2 Aug 1959: AW3.
  18. ↑ Errol Flynn Writing Carson Story; Ralston, Carroll in Kyne Feature Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 7 July 1950: A7.
  19. ↑ Coe, Richard L. "A Civil War film set in the West." The Washington Post, October 14, 1950, p. 12.
  20. ↑ Flynn, Patrice Wymore Face Indians Together Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 13 Oct 1950: B11.
  21. ↑ Porter, Vincent. "The Robert Clark Account." Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol. 20, No. 4, 2000, p. 494.
  22. ↑ "1951 French box office figures." Box Office Story. Retrieved: January 26, 2015.
  23. ↑ "James Garner: You Ought to be in Pictures." Movieline , May 1, 1994. Retrieved: January 26, 2015.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.