CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Robert J. Maxwell The director, William Keighley, a craftsman of old, was used to producing fast-paced, no-nonsense, movie but he's more or less undone here. A movie can't be fast paced if it begins with an action sequence (Indians, stagecoach, Confederate saviors) and ends with an action sequence (Indians and Confederates) but the two action sequences sandwich an hour or so of dullish talk on a location that's limited to the size of a tennis court.The story involves Captain Errol Flynn leading a handful of Confederate soldiers of diverse backgrounds to California in order to stir up an army of sympathizers. They take a couple of Blue Bellies captive, along with Patrice Wymore -- not much of an actress, but attractive enough, and soon to become Mrs. Flynn. Flynn and his men sacrifice themselves for the sake of the lady.The actual location, near Gallup, in the northern part of New Mexico, is impressive and scenic, despite its being limited to one set. But the photography by Ted McCord is lousy and spoils things. It's far too dark. Sometimes you can't tell whether it's supposed to be night or day. And it fails utterly in capturing the blazing Western summer sun. Wardrobe and Make Up are pedestrian. Everyone seems dressed in tatters except the captive lady. So much so that it resembles one of the TV Westerns becoming popular about this time.As others have observed, Flynn doesn't bring much to the party. He underplays it, probably because he was running out of steam. And when he removes his hat, he looks positively ragged, although he was only about forty. A bottle or two a day will do that for you.The biggest mistake the writers made -- aside from introducing a damned dog named "Spot" as the pet and companion of an innocent young boy -- was in giving Flynn's character the name of Lafe Barstow. Barstow, okay. It's a smallish truck stop on the edge of Kern County.But LAFE? Listen, I have made a serious scientific study of genuine Western names during the period of the Civil War and there is no record of anyone's being name Lafe. Nor were there any Matts, Coles, or Wades. The four most common names in the historical register are Noble, Chauncey, Montmorency, and Governeur.

vincentlynch-moonoi This is not one of Errol Flynn's great Westerns (and he had several), but it is quite a bit better than the average western of the time period right around 1950, so it is definitely worth watching. And although Flynn's star was beginning to fade by this time, he is still excellent here -- a very pleasing mix of rugged and a gentleman.The story is a bit different than what we usually see in Western -- it's actually about a group of Confederate soldiers that are on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, preparing to raise a band of less than noble men to start trouble and turn the Civil War around by changing the balance of power in the West. What they didn't take into account was that in addition to having to fight Union soldiers, they'd be in Indian territory, as well. Now the only real problem is that the scenery here is clearly red rocks (although in a black and white film), not what you'd see just east of the Sierra Nevadas. Looks more like what you'd see in northwestern New Mexico...which is, by coincidence...where it was filmed.The only star of note in the film is Errol Flynn, and he carries the film well. The rest of the cast play their supporting roles well, though there are no stars of note. Patrice Wymore, as the love interest (fiance of the Union soldier) wasn't ever a very notable actress, but she's attractive and does well here. Scott Forbes and the lead Union soldier is fine, but not notable. You'll recognize Chubby Johnson as the amiable stagecoach driver, and Slim Pickens and Sheb Wooly.There are 2 things wrong with this movie. First, with this scenery, it really should have been in color...it would have been stunning. Second, a dog can't run that far in a desert (you'll understand when you watch this film).This is not a film where everyone lives happily ever after, including Errol Flynn. It ends pretty much the way it had to end, but along the way it strived to show that Confederates were honorable men who were on the wrong side of history. I don't think I ever rooted for the Confederates in any film, and this may be the first Western where I shed a tear. Highly recommended.

ashew This movie has a few surprises that make it far better than one might expect from a "forgotten film".What I was surprised most about was the directing, which comes across as almost an homage (or "rip-off", if you're cynical) to the great John Ford. What Mr. Ford did for Monument Valley, William Keighley tries to do for Gallup, New Mexico. And, for my money, he does an extremely respectable job of it. The scenery is really beautiful, and all the more dramatic due to the fact this is shot in black and white. There are some great angled shots, clever compositions, and the director does well with the action sequences.The screenplay dispenses with all the heavy-handed messages and over-the-top, unfunny comedy sequences one might find in a Ford film, and aims its sites on a human drama of confederate soldiers on a mission who are forced to go to Plan B, C, and D in order to not only complete their mission, but to get two Yankee civilians to safety in spite of entanglements with Union soldiers and Indians on the war path. I agree with another IMDb reviewer who commented on the middle of the film dragging, and the suspense that should have been building never quite gets a full head of steam, but there are some really nice moments that make it worth sitting through the few dull spots. And I must admit to being utterly shocked by the ending...I really never saw it coming...which made the final moments in this film extremely poignant.For it being 1950, I was stunned to find so many real and honest performances. There was none of that obnoxious "Studio Acting" where everyone is chewing scenery and pretending to be their character...everyone in this movie WAS the character they were playing. Errol Flynn is one of my all-time favorites and his restrained performance here was wonderful. This was my first time seeing Patrice Wymore on screen and I really enjoyed her performance...it could have easily become an annoying, whiny, shrill character, but Ms. Wymore made some very nice acting choices and created a believable character. The supporting cast is all solid, but three must be mentioned as stand-outs: 1) The great Chubby Johnson as the stage driver has a small but wonderful role. You might not know his name, but you'll know his face and voice immediately...one of the all-time great Western character actors. 2) A very young Slim Pickens has a wonderful role and proves himself the master horseback rider he was in real life. Great riding, great acting, and pure fun to watch. 3) The real surprise here for me was young Dickie Jones. What an absolute pleasure he was. And, in my opinion, he steals the movie away from all of the far more experienced and well-seasoned actors. He is genuine and earnest throughout, with a great monologue in the middle of the film that sucked me right in and made me believe. He was absolutely wonderful in the part and it's a shame he quit the business to go into real estate...I really think he might have had an Oscar in his future had he continued making movies.This is not a perfect film by any means, but with strong performances, beautiful scenery, and interesting direction, this "John Ford Lite" Western has enough going for it to make up for any of its shortcomings. It's a real tough movie to find, but if you run across it, I sincerely believe it is worth a viewing.Hope you enjoy!

dr-holliday I have to agree with mvescovi in an earlier review. One aspect of "Rocky Mountain" which is seldom mentioned is the remarkable horsemanship of the actors involved. For the most part these guys were real cowboys. Among them - Dickie Jones, a trick rider almost from the time he could walk; an amazing athlete. Slim Pickens - a rodeo performer in his youth and a rodeo clown. (Today those clowns prefer to be called "bull fighters" since they risk their lives daily to protect both amateur and pro bull riders). Sheb Wooley - a rodeo rider as a teen; one of the best in his home state of Oklahoma. He gets to show a bit of his expertise in the opening moments of "High Noon" in his role as Ben Miller. As another reviewer mentioned, this was the first feature film for both Pickens and Wooley.And let's not leave out Errol Flynn. That fellow could certainly ride with the best, as evidenced in this film and many others, and who looked better on a horse than Flynn? My fondest memories of this film as a child were those which included the dog and Dickie Jones' character, Buck Wheat. I always was a sucker for horses and dogs.All the characters were well-defined. You knew these men, their good points and their bad and you formed an opinion about each. You cared about what happened to them. How often can you say that about characters in one of today's movies? The photography was striking and I found the characters' tattered clothing remarkably realistic for a change - more authentic than many films. These men were, after all, weary travelers, soldiers on the losing side of a civil war - their country (the CSA) existing on what little remained to them.As to the romance part - to me there really wasn't one! Flynn's character is respectful and admiring of the lady and although there is certainly chemistry between them, there is no silly romance to mar the storyline or make it seem insipid. Flynn met his future wife, Patrice Wymore, on this set. They married after the film.Finally, the story itself is not overly sentimental. The soldiers ultimately behave as soldiers, doing their duty, going to their end bravely and with honor despite any previous differences. The ending shot, with the Union cavalryman riding to the top of the butte to install the Confederate Flag, was moving and again, the honorable thing to do. A brave man is a brave man no matter which side he fights upon.This is a fine film, a fine western and a fitting end to Flynn's career in oaters. What must we fans do to get "Rocky Mountain" out on video and DVD? It is an honor long overdue.