SPRINGFIELD RIFLE
US, 1952, 93 minutes, Colour.
Gary Cooper, Phyllis Thaxter, David Brian, Phil Carey, Paul Kelly, Lon Chaney Jr, Alan Hale Jr.
Directed by Andre de Toth.
Quite an interesting western directed by veteran Andre Toth. Its prime interest is in the performance of Gary Cooper. He made this film immediately after High Noon. Colourfully set during the Civil War period, it shows the origins of intelligence work in the American administration. There is some colourful action with horse-stealing sequences in rugged mountain scenery. Max Steiner contributes one of his thunderous and sentimental scores which certainly sets the mood for the film. The plot itself is quite interesting and at times the film moves with quite some pace.An interesting western of the 50's.
1. An interesting and enjoyable Western? As compared with conventional Western standards, the particular interest of counter-espionage in the Civil War?
2. The contribution of colour photography, Western and especially mountain locations, the musical score?
3. The atmosphere of the Civil War, audience response to the issues of North and South and the varying sympathies? The importance of counter-espionage? How well was this presented in the establishment of the Bureau, the problems, the mystery of the traitor? How did it make the Civil War aspects different from the conventional Civil War film?
4. The title and the focus on the development of the rifle and its use in the Civil War? The importance of horses and their contribution to the waging and winning of war?
5. Gary Cooper's style as Lex Kearney? A conventional hero for this kind of film in the Cooper style? His initial heroism, audience response to his being cashiered? Audience hostility towards Tonnick and his attitudes? The puzzle about Kearney's behaviour, his insolence tovards authoriticap his staying around the tovnt his behaviour in the saloon, his inspection of the horses, ingratiating himself into McCool's favour, the clashes with Hudson, the sentiment in the clashes with his wife and the son and his admiration for his father? Hov well did Kearney's heroism and patriotism appear from this experience?
6. The portrait of Tennick as a jealous fellow officer, mean-mindedness and manoeuvring? The sequence of his following Kearney and the audience thinking he was spying on him and the discovery of the truth, the change of audience attitude? Tennick's heroism and his death for the patriotic cause?
7. The presentation of Hudson as the conventional military leader, his friendship with Kearney, the irony of his being revealed as the villain, his manner of betraying the information about the horses to Mc Cool at the sales, his threatening to execute Kearney, his death? A convincing portrait of a traitor?
8. Mc Cool as the conventional unscrupulous landowner, his calculations about the war, his selling of tho horses and stealing them back, his greed? His grand style at his ranch, home? The reasons for his Springfield rifle, trusting Karney even against advice? His smart strategies and the use of codes? his discovery of the truth, the fight with Kearney, the inevitability of his brutal death?
9. The portrait of Mc Cool’s men especially Pete Elm and his brutal jealousy towards Kearney? his humiliation and death?
10. The quality of the action sequences, the ambushes, the taking of the horses especially over the mountains, the final rescue? Convincing material for this kind of Civil War Western?
11. The vindication of Kearney, the establishing of the Bureau of Counter-espionage, the heroism of the ending with Kearney’s wife and child present? The atmosphere of American patriotism? An enjoyable and interesting Western, the presentation of traditional values?
