The Charge at Feather River

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The Charge at Feather River
Chargeriver.jpg
Promotional poster advertising the release of the film in 3-D
Directed by Gordon Douglas
Written by James R. Webb
Produced by David Weisbart
Starring Guy Madison
Frank Lovejoy
Helen Westcott
Vera Miles
Dick Wesson
Onslow Stevens
Steve Brodie
James Brown
Cinematography J. Peverell Marley
Edited byFolmar Blangsted
Music by Max Steiner
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release dates
  • June 30, 1953 (1953-06-30)(Vernon, Texas)
  • July 11, 1953 (1953-07-11)(United States)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$3.65 million (US) [1]

The Charge at Feather River is a 1953 American Western film directed by Gordon Douglas. It was originally released in 3D with many arrows, lances, and other weapons flying directly at the audience in several scenes. [2]

Contents

The movie is most notable for originating the name of the "Wilhelm scream", [3] a sound effect used in the Star Wars film series, [4] as well as countless other movies including the Indiana Jones franchise, [5] Disney cartoons and The Lord of the Rings film series. [6] Sound designer Ben Burtt named the sound after "Pvt. Wilhelm", a minor character in the film who emits the famous scream after being shot by an arrow (although the recording actually originated in the Gary Cooper film Distant Drums in 1951). When the film screened at the Second World 3-D Expo at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre in 2006, much of the film-savvy audience broke into applause when Pvt. Wilhelm screamed.

The climax of the film has many similarities to the 1868 Battle of Beecher Island, though instead of Army frontier scouts, Madison's character recruits "the Guardhouse Brigade" from Army prisoners and arms them with repeating rifles. Some have also noticed that the plot bears a number of similarities to the later Major Dundee , directed by Sam Peckinpah in 1965, notably the journey leading up to the climactic stand-off.

Plot

In the post-Civil War era, a US Cavalry detachment at Colorado's Fort Bellows seeks the help of Union Army veteran Miles Archer to rescue two white women, Ann and Jennie, who were abducted by the Cheyenne. Forming a unit that includes a group of misfit soldiers, the abducted women's brother Johnny, the experienced Sergeant Baker and civilian illustrator Johnson, they voyage through hostile Cheyenne territory, encountering ambushes, spears, arrows, dehydration & an irate rattlesnake before a final battle on the banks of the Feather River.

Cast

References

  1. ↑ "The Top Box Office Hits of 1953". Variety . Penske Business Media, LLC. January 13, 1954.
  2. ↑ Erick, Hal. "The Charge at Feather River". Allrovi . Rovi Corp. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  3. ↑ Valjak, Domagoj (April 23, 2018). "The origin of the Wilhelm scream, the most famous sound effect in the history of cinema". The Vintage News. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  4. ↑ Jung, Pea (August 29, 2016). Xmas Wars - Crazy about Han. Translated by Forsdick, Charlotte. Babelcube Inc. p. 33. ISBN   9781507150726.
  5. ↑ Winters, Patrick (January 23, 2017). Sound Design for Low & No Budget Films. Taylor & Francis. p. 61. ISBN   9781317557937.
  6. ↑ Malone, Lee Gjertsen (February 23, 2016). The Last Boy at St. Edith's. Simon and Schuster. p. 55. ISBN   9781481444378.
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