A Western of some mild historical significance because it was the last released performance of Walter Brennan, whose son did some uncredited directing, and last credit for director Joseph Kane. It also gave a lead role to John Ashley at a time when he mostly only acted in the Philippines and was becoming increasingly involved in producing. Oh, and there's some location filming in Arkansas.
But it's a fairly bad film. Dull pacing, some very erratic acting in the support cast. There's 70s TV music stings.
The basic setting isn't bad - some soldiers return to Arkansas after the civil war having fought for the union but the locals have confederate sympathies. But the story is confusing and was hard to follow. There's lots - as in lots - of talk about Smokey, their Indian friend. After a while it was like "alright already shut up about Smokey".
Ashley has a good speaking voice and is handsome but isn't terribly charismatic- not that he has much of a role to play. It felt like this was a film with no leading protagonist.
There's not much action, or well done dramatic conflict, or suspense. Mediocre and dull.
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