Watch Apache Uprising For Free

That was an excellent one.

Such a frustrating disappointment

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

SYNOPSIS: A stagecoach operator plans to rob a relay station of its gold. NOTES: Locations in the Mojave Desert. COMMENT: While not quite up to their usual actionful, briskly-paced standard, this A. C. Lyles/R. G. Springsteen western is worth seeing if only for the opportunity of renewing screen acquaintance with such a grand roster of veteran players, particularly John Russell as the criminal mastermind, Johnny Mack Brown as a self-seeking sheriff, Lon Chaney as a laughing stage driver and DeForest Kelley as a schizoid gunfighter. Arlen's part is small, but Gene Evans is delightful as Kelley's sidekick. Technically, the film shows signs of hasty shooting, particularly in its variable color photography and obvious back projection. Production values are fair — though the film was made on a very limited budget, there is no utilization of stock footage.

1965's "Apache Uprising" was number 6 out of the 13 B-Westerns produced at Paramount by A.C. Lyles in the mid 60s, crammed full of incidents taken from better known titles, particularly John Ford's "Stagecoach." Rory Calhoun and Arthur Hunnicutt make an interesting team of drifters riding shotgun on a stagecoach to Lordsburg; like Berton Churchill, there's a corrupt businessman (Robert H. Harris) carrying a load of cash, and like Claire Trevor, there's a woman of ill repute (Corinne Calvet). The threat of Apache attack is of course present, along with the more immediate danger posed by deadly gunmen Gene Evans and an especially mean spirited DeForest Kelley, their boss (John Russell) only a few paces behind, just waiting to complete that big payday. Smaller roles are essayed by Richard Arlen, Donald Barry, George Chandler, and two actors making their final screen appearances, the still attractive Jean Parker ("Dead Man's Eyes," "Bluebeard") and Johnny Mack Brown, reduced to playing a lecherous sheriff. Best of all is Lon Chaney, now 6 for 6 in Lyles Westerns, doing the Andy Devine role of coach driver Charlie Russell, a hard drinking, lovable bear of a man, laughing and enjoying life no matter the danger. Present for 8 of the 13 Paramounts, Chaney rejoices in his biggest part yet, and happily survives to the very end. Despite so many familiar elements, Lyles makes it all work in unpredictable fashion, with John Russell getting his just desserts, while DeForest Kelley gets off lightly (offscreen, sad to say).

I had the pleasure of seeing every one of the Lyles' westerns on original release here in London, dear old Blighty. I was never much interested in the main attractions of the double feature programmes where AC's cracking little cowboy pictures always took second billing. " Apache Uprising " however, broke the mould and played main feature, with " Beach Ball " in support, at the splendid Paramount Plaza at Piccadilly Circus - although only for two weeks, after which it was relegated to the usual spot for general release. I wrote to dear AC and got a couple of letters back from him, where he told me all about how he was moving away from westerns into dramas and was working on " Rogue's Gallery ". A true gentleman. It must have been a joy working with such an array of talent from yesteryear.

I've a real affection for the A.C. Lyles westerns which gave employment to a lot of old time players who were finding work increasingly hard to get because of the decline of the studio system and in some cases a refusal to work in television. But Apache Uprising took elements from Stagecoach, Rawhide, Broken Arrow, Coroner Creek, with a little bit of English Gothic thrown in the mix and it didn't come out well.The English Gothic gets into it when the passengers of a stagecoach get held hostage in a relay station by three outlaws, with thunder and lightning flashing outside together with Apaches on the warpath. It comes right out of innumerable old English murder mysteries.Funny thing that with all the old stars like Rory Calhoun, Corinne Calvet, John Russell, Lon Chaney, Jr., Johnny Mack Brown, the one you will remember from this film is DeForest Kelley. The original Star Trek was debuting this year and I'm willing to bet this was Kelley's final work prior to becoming wise old Dr. Leonard McCoy. Toby Jack Saunders is as far from McCoy as you can get. He's reminiscent of the outlaw that Kelley played in The Law and Jake Wade. He's one hateful punk with some serious self esteem issues.I've seen every member of this cast do better work, even better work for A.C. Lyles and it's too bad the film was beneath the talents of all of them.