I enjoyed this western. Victor Mature played a good part. The scenery Is fantastic. I listened with headphones on because I discovered the soundtrack Is stereo- quite something for a western In 1955! Ann Bancroft looks nothing like she looked In the Graduate no where near as sexy! This western Is not run of the mill at all, most of the scenes are Inside a military fort or shot on location. Mature Is a trapper turned military scout trying to prevent a glory-mad Colonel from attacking the Indians as It would mean a massacre of the whole fort. Robert Preston plays the colonel who Is constantly at loggerheads with Mature. All in all a very entertaining western.

This first-rate Western draws its fascinating tale and power from the interaction of finely drawn roles with acting of great nobility as well as adventure and action . Good adult Western with exciting battle of wits between an obstinate , savage scout and a veteran cavalry commander officer set in a remote Oregon army fort . It deals with a wilderness frontiersman named Jed Cooper (Victor Mature) and his two pals (James Withmore , Pat Hogan) see their lives change when takes place the coming of a military outpost called Fort Shallan and they then sign up as scouts . The rough explorer , flirting with the idea of leading a more settled life , decides he needs a spouse and selects Corinna Marston (Anne Bancroft) , but she results to be the wife of cavalry martinet Marston (Robert Preston) , commanding officer of the next fort down the line and manned chiefly by untrained rookie troopers . Marston arrives Fort Shallan and announces to Captain Riordan (Guy Madison) and official Phil Clarke (Russell Collins) that he has lost his fort and most of his men to an Indian attack led by chief Red Cloud and is assuming command on the outpost .

This excellent , meaty Western contains interesting plot , outlandish characterizations , a love story , climatic shootouts , Indian attacks spectacular outdoors and is quite entertaining . This outstanding Mann Western balances action , suspense , thrills , drama and battles remain bloody and indisciplined . The usual wooden Victor Mature does surprisingly a good performance as a crude and illiterate uncivilized backwoods trapper . Top-notch Robert Preston as an embittered Major for having lost his 1500-man command during a Civil War battle . Special mention to a sensational James Withmore as old friend , almost father of protagonist Mature and helped raise him , despite the fact that Mature was actually eight years older than Whitmore . Furthermore , the sympathetic Pat Hogan , a real Native , whose career would play Native Americans in approximately eight out of every ten projects he appeared . Anthony Mann does a good work , an energetic and exciting movie , pitting two antagonist characters against the rugged toughness forced a vast natural environment and for love a good woman . Highlight the exemplary value of the landscape as essential dramatic figure, and the narrative takes a brisk pace but not fast , a dash dense but not cumbersome . This cavalry drama contains a traditional story and exciting screenplay by prestigious Philip Yordan . Wonderful cinematography in magnificence color is superbly caught by cameraman William C. Mellor in widescreen "scope" by placing major action on both the far left and right edges of the frame . Atmospheric and lively musical score by Leigh Harline .

This first-class rugged Western is masterfully directed by Anthony Mann - including his characteristic use of landscape which is visually memorable - . Mann established his forte with magnificent Western almost always with James Stewart . In his beginnings he made ambitious but short-lived quality low-budget surroundings of Eagle-Lion production as ¨T-men¨ , ¨They walked by night¨ , ¨Raw deal¨ , ¨Railroaded¨ and ¨Desperate¨ . Later on , he realized various Western , remarkably good , masterpieces such as ¨The furies¨ , ¨Devil's doorway¨ and ¨Man of the West¨ and several with his habitual star , James Stewart, as ¨Winchester 73¨ , ¨Bend the river¨ , ¨The far country¨ , ¨Man of the West ¨. They are characterized by roles whose determination to stick to their guns would take them to the limits of their endurance . Others in this throughly enjoyable series include ¨Tin star ¨ that is probably one of the best Western in the fifties and sixties . After the mid-50 , Mann's successes came less frequently . And of course ¨The last Frontier¨ also titled ¨Savage wilderness¨ that turns out to be stylish , fast paced , solid , meticulous , with enjoyable look , and most powerful and minus-considered . This well acted movie is gripping every step of the way . An unjustly forgotten film turns to be a splendid western and remains consistently agreeable . Rating : Above average ; in spite of absence his ordinary star , Stewart , being perfectly replaced by Victor Mature . Well worth watching and it will appeal to Victor Mature fans

This film is set in Oregon during the Civil War. Three trappers (Victor Mature, James Whitmore and Pat Hogan) are dismayed to see that the once-friendly Indian tribe is now angry and are throwing them of the land. This is because the natives are angry that the US Cavalry has been building forts and it's their land.

When the trappers go to the nearby fort to complain, they are hired as scouts--mostly because Mature likes the Captain in charge (Guy Madison). However, later, a STUPID Colonel arrives and pretty much ignores Mature's advice. The Colonel (Robert Preston) wants to just blunder into an attack on the Indians--though Mature tells him it's suicide. Why? Because he's afraid being assigned to the wilderness means no medals and promotions in the war. And so, he seems ready to start one himself!

What makes this more complicated is that Mature is a bit of a crazy savage. In the meantime, he's fallen inexplicably in love with the Colonel's wife and wants her. And, part of him would be very happy to let the Colonel kill himself so he could have her!

The film is interesting and looks nice due to the color film and nice locations in the Pacific Northwest. However, Mature's alcohol-fueled character seemed rather broad--a bit too much like a savage to seem very real. Subtle, he wasn't!

Overall, I'd say the film has a bit to like and a bit to annoy. Parts of the film are highly reminiscent of John Ford's "Fort Apache"--but Apache was a masterpiece of subtlety, fine acting and an artisan's touch. "The Last Frontier" is just a bit loud and the characters rather confusing. Interesting but quite flawed and despite the pretty look of the film, it comes off more like a B-movie than anything else.

One thing I really, really appreciated about the film was the casting of Pat Hogan. It's rare for a REAL American-Indian to be cast as an Indian in a 1950s western--especially in a major role. He was an Oklahoma-born Native American and not some white guy in dark makeup. For example, Rock Hudson (yes, I am NOT kidding) was cast as an Indian during this same era!