The Silver Screen Oasis

The Last Frontier (1955), a minor Western directed by Anthony Mann, is on TCM tonight at 6PM EDT, and it seems as though Philip Yordan, who wrote the screenplay (along with some others) from a novel by Richard Roberts wanted to blend James Fenimore Cooper with John Ford.

Starring fur trapper Victor Mature as a rascally frontiersman with several streaks of nobility, the movie features Robert Preston in one of his dour martinet roles (he did several of these while doing time at Paramount in the '40s) that seems like an echo of Henry Fonda's wrong-headed commanding officer in Fort Apache. Mature's transition from free man to a person subject to the regulated world of the Army after he chooses to become a scout gives the movie its best scenes, which takes advantage of the CinemaScope lens and the claustrophobic confines of the army fort. While Victor Mature could never match Jimmy Stewart or Gary Cooper in minimal but profound expressiveness, the director does use his physical presence and mannerisms to good advantage. A blonde Anne Bancroft (in the dark years of her Hollywood apprenticeship) and James Whitmore , (who plays a father figure to Mature, even though Whitmore was 7-8 years younger than Vic) are all along for the action.


This movie runs on Encore Western from time to time, but I've yet to catch the whole thing. I like Victor Mature, even when he overdoes it. And Robert Preston is great in my book, even though I sometimes think he put too much into his lesser roles than was good for him. It's always good to see a Mann Western.

I think it's Robert Preston Day. I stumbled upon ISLAND OF LOVE (63) today, which he made right after THE MUSIC MAN (62) and it's the same character - minus the music. Preston seemed to of had 3 distinct phases as an actor. He specialized playing weak jellfish in the 40's, more bland manly roles in the 50's followed by more fast talking comic roles in the 60's and beyond.

It's been eons since I watched LAST FRONTIER, (I wonder if that's because of my Vic Mature-phobia.....?) does Preston play the lone sane voice going up against Mature?

Gary J. wrote:I think it's Robert Preston Day. I stumbled upon ISLAND OF LOVE (63) today, which he made right after THE MUSIC MAN (62) and it's the same character - minus the music. Preston seemed to of had 3 distinct phases as an actor. He specialized playing weak jellfish in the 40's, more bland manly roles in the 50's followed by more fast talking comic roles in the 60's and beyond.

I recorded Island of Love, since I remember it was pretty funny. He was not always a jellyfish (Beau Geste, Wake Island, Blood on the Moon), but he was good at playing the troubled and an occasional miscreant (The Macomber Affair, Whispering Smith).

Gary J. wrote:It's been eons since I watched LAST FRONTIER, (I wonder if that's because of my Vic Mature-phobia.....?) does Preston play the lone sane voice going up against Mature?

Not really. Mature is a wild child and Bob is a stiff. If you like Preston, you might want to see Cloudburst (1951), a terrific little British movie Preston did that is streaming online at Netflix right now.

moirafinnie wrote: I recorded Island of Love, since I remember it was pretty funny.

You might remember differently after re-watching it.

I stayed with it as long as I did because I was fascinated with Walter Matthau channeling Brando 9 years before the fact by playing a gangster with a wad of paper jammed into his mouth.

Speaking of RUTHLESS and Alvah Bessie, seeing the name of Philip Yordan -- one of Chicago's finest -- as credited screenwriter always sends me off on a minor quest to see whether he really maybe, kinda, sorta had anything to do with it. He's a character straight from a Philip Yordan script.

http://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/PhilipYordan.pdf

Gary J. wrote:

moirafinnie wrote: I recorded Island of Love, since I remember it was pretty funny.

You might remember differently after re-watching it.

I stayed with it as long as I did because I was fascinated with Walter Matthau channeling Brando 9 years before the fact by playing a gangster with a wad of paper jammed into his mouth.

No kidding, Gary. I think it was funnier when I was ten. At least the actors all had a paid vacation in Greece thanks to this movie. I liked Matthau's lisp and his pink-shirted lackeys.

Finally caught this one. Unknown to me and in my queue just on Mann's name I was pleasantly surprised. It is hardly "Naked Spur" but good entertainment. Mature is as good as I've seen. He's broad and serious (something I've never found him to be) and Preston is stern and uncompromising. It makes for good character conflict.

I'm a little troubled with the ease that Mature and Bancroft become engrossed in one another, especially from her side but it gives another element to the problems that Mature has with Preston.

At least they changed the title. "The Last Frontier" certainly sells better than "The Gilded Rooster."