Errol Flynn often played Southerners in Westerns – Dodge City, Santa Fe Trail – so it’s no surprise to see him leading a rebel task force towards the end of the Civil War with the aim of starting an insurrection in California. It’s a strong situation and makes for a strong Western, with the small size of Errol’s patrol allows for a bit of character development.
Errol is in strong form as a tired, beaten down soldier, sick of war. The cast include a young Slim Pickens (if you can imaigine such a thing) and Patrice Wymore, who fell in love with Errol during the making of the movie and became his third (and from all accounts nicest) wife. To be honest, she’s not one of the great Errol Flynn co-stars on screen, though she’s pleasant enough. It makes a pleasing change that she doesn’t really romance Flynn – she’s got a sympathetic, brave finacee, a union officer (Scott Forbes).
William Keighley directs well, helped by an excellent location. There’s perhaps a bit too much chatting and not enough action, though there is a fair bit of suspense and a brilliant climax. It has all the Southerners waiting for help to arrive – they realise it’s not going to come, so decide to take on the Indians. There is something moving about the Southerners deciding to wear their colours as they go in for the final battle… and they all get killed! Because the story has similarities with Virginia City (north and south combine to fight Indians) you think the Union soldiers will come to the rescue but they don’t. And because we’ve gotten to know the Confederates quite well it packs a punch. Even if they are fighting for the right to own slaves (Errol owns a plantation) it’s quite touching.
This probably didn’t cost Warners a lot of money. Most of the action consists of a small group of cowboys on a mountain top (there are only a lot of extras at the end); the only star is Flynn. The part of Wymore’s fiancée would have seemed a natural for an up and coming Warners star – Steve Cochrane? – but they give it to Forbes (NB who it must be said acquits himself decently).
Still this is a pretty good Western, with a wonderful touch of melancholy about it. With a bit more care and star power it could have become a minor classic.
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