Let's be realistic.

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Better Late Then Never

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

At age 12, I saw this picture in a theater when it was first released. It impressed me mainly because of the way the Basque fought -- making huge leaps between boulders, so when I saw it was on TV, I recorded & watched it again. Today, it looks like a very silly story. There are no acting performances or cinematography that redeem this picture. The Basque who have made other reviews on this site needn't be offended -- Hollywood rarely, if ever, depicts American history correctly -- let alone other cultures. The synopsis says this is a western set in the 1850's & that makes sense for Basque immigration (as near as I can tell), but Lon tells the Basque that he fought with Washington (who's last battle was in 1781)while the Basque tell him they fought with Napoleon, which I can date to prox. 1809, maybe earlier. Also, it made no sense to attack the Indians when the wagon train had guns & the Indians only bows & arrows. Women would not have been wearing pants, even riding pants in the mid 1800's. Hayward has many find performances that have stood the test of time & Chandler might have, if he'd lived. This movie is just a curiosity.

Susan Hayward was a great star and always a great treat to watch the dynamic redhead from Brooklyn in any film. This film co stars Susan Hayward and her friend of many years Jeff Chandler. Together Hayward and Chandler make a great team and a very enjoyable film to watch. Susan Hayward was always a tough lady never afraid of anything and in fact was insistent that her dialogue not portray weakness. To see a Hayward movie like this is to be aware of the back story of any Hayward film: Susan Hayward carefully controlled her successful image. I believe this film was shot right after her classic I Want To Live and was given a quick release, and faded from view, and is not highly regarded as a Susan Hayward film. I disagree, any film with the Tough Lady from Brooklyn is good to watch. And Susan Hayward by all regards not at all sentimental in real life was both fond of Chandler and mourned Jeff Chandler. Postscript: Susan Hayward like many top female stars preferred certain cameramen, and in this film Ms. Hayward's favorite Stanley Cortez is cinematographer.As we all know Susan Hayward died far too young of brain cancer during her dying days, Katharine Hepburn paid a visit to the dying star. The Great Garbo also paid a visit to the dying Hayward such as the respect Ms. Hayward was regarded by her peers. Barbara Stanwyck also a friend sent flowers. Roz Russell appeared on a radio show the day after Ms. Hawyard died and mourned her friend Ms. Hayward.

....or how History repeats itself.At the end of the 8th century,the Basques beat Charlemagne in Roncevaux in the Pyrénées mountains !When Bergerac evokes his ancestors' feat,he was historically accurate;later the chanson de geste "la chanson de Roland " (which enhanced Charlemagne's so-called nephew count Roland) forgot the Basques and turned them into Sarrazins. ....so the end of the movie is a second "Roncevaux" ,the Indians replacing good old Carolus Magnus and his fair knights.For the rest of the movie,as I do not know anything about the basques traditions,I will not argue with the precedent users who complain about the lack of knowledge of basque culture of the writers.The director used a lot of French actors -Heyward and Chandler are like Martians in such a company- ,all virtually unknown in their native country,even the lead Bergerac.This is a rather short film,mainly if we consider that the beginning consists of singing and dancing (Heyward 's flamenco,more Spanish than Basque,being one of the highlights of a fairly tepid story).Sometimes the Basques speak French,most of the time English,even between them,which makes the story unconvincing.Susan Heyward,as gorgeous as ever,contents herself with a few words .

Very odd western about a wagon train of Basque immigrants making its way through Indian territory with a cargo of special vines so they can start a vineyard in the "new world." About the only ones who are even remotely convincing as Basques are Italian actor Fortunio Bonanova and French actor Jacques Bergerac--another oddity, since while there are some French Basques (the vast majority come from Spain), there are none in Italy. Nothing much really happens until near the end of the picture, when the Basques fight off an Indian attack with their bizarre method of bouncing off of rocks and boulders like mountain goats while emitting screams that seem to be a combination of a "Rebel yell" and hog calling. It confuses the hell out of the Indians (not to mention the audience). If you've ever had an urge to see a Basque western, this is the movie for you. If the sight of overweight, middle-aged guys dressed in white shirts and berets trampolining off of boulders the size of Buicks interests you, this is your movie. Otherwise, don't bother.