JEFF CHANDLER SHINES AS THE COMPLEX, DAMAGED, & CONFLICTED VILLAIN!
"On December 8th, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a Special Proclamation, whereby Confederate Prisoners of War might gain their freedom, provided they would join the Union Army to defend the frontier West against the Indians." That is interesting news to Joseph Cotten who was in command of a troop of Confederate cavalry until they were put into a Union prison camp to rot. Union cavalry officer Cornel Wilde informs Cotten and his men they will be given amnesty if they enlist in the Union army and go out west to help fight the natives. Reluctant to agree but having few options, they take the deal and head off for a sparsely manned fort commanded by Jeff Chandler, a deranged and bitter man sent to this command because of a leg injury sustained escaping a Confederate prison. Chandler is bitter and resentful of this assignment and dreams of revenge against the Confederates - so he's absolutely enraged when he is sent a former Confederate unit to work with. Chandler wastes no time taking his anger out on the new arrivals. Also staying at the Fort is the beautiful Linda Darnell, who is the widow of Chandler's brother. Chandler shows a little too much interest in her and is further incensed when it seems like Darnell is getting close to both Cotten and Wilde. Chandlers complete inability to reliably command the outpost leads to a devastating attack by the Native Americans, and the group is left with a choice: Work together or die!
Two Flags West is a real surprise, entertaining and powerful. It contains its share of Hollywood clichés: Yankees and Rebels teaming up to fight Indians; an unhinged officer commanding a lonely outpost; a beautiful women creating tension among comrades in arms. But it's original in the way it handles them. The standout character here is Maj. Henry Kenniston played expertly by Jeff Chandler. He's a deranged Union officer banished to a desert fort after being partially disabled by a war wound. Angry and bitter, he's bent on taking revenge on the Confederates who hurt him and killed his brother. Worst of all, Kenniston is obsessed with his brother's widow played by Linda Darnell. He tells himself he's keeping her at the fort for her own protection, but this flimsy excuse barely masks his latent lust for her - a condition he's aware of and hates himself for doing so. Chandler is excellent as a complex, disastrous leader who inspires anger, pity and even some admiration in the viewer. Darnell, in one of her better roles, makes a convincing object of desire. Cotten and Wilde are fine, although they could have switched roles and still been just as effective. Also on hand here are Dale Robertson, Noah Beery Jr, Harry von Zell, Johnny Sands, and the always enjoyable Arthur Hunnicutt!
REGION 0 - WILL PLAY WORLDWIDE
INTERACTIVE MENUS / SCENE SELECTION
1950 / BLACK & WHITE / 4:3 Ratio / ENGLISH / 92 MIN
DVD ART WITH INSERT AS SHOWN.
A GREAT COLLECTOR'S ITEM - AND A GREAT GIFT FOR ANY FAN OF CLASSIC FILMS!
PLEASE NOTE: This MOD DVD is boxed exactly as pictured above, and is brand new and factory shrink-wrapped. All screenshots are taken directly from the DVD. All files used in the production of this DVD are licensed by Hollywood Scrapheap or are from Public Domain sources. | |