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Director: David Butler
Cast: Guy Madison, James Whitmore, Joan Weldon
The Command © 1954/Renewed © 1982, Package Design © 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
With shoot-’em-ups galore, a clean-cut hero, dust-beaten horse soldiers and fearless warriors, The Command – Warner Bros.’ first CinemaScope release – is a galloping entertainment success. Guy Madison portrays 7th cavalry doctor Capt. Robert MacClaw, unexpectedly handed the reins of his battered troop’s command. Unfamiliar with by-the-book military tactics, MacClaw nevertheless knows how to take charge. He keeps the book closed and his mind open as he leads his men and a settlers’ wagon train on a desperate journey besieged by waves of Indian attacks. Multiple Oscar winner* Dimitri Tiomkin provides the lively score pacing the thunderous action. And plenty of hoofs provide the thunder: the movie’s wrangler estimated the project required 41,882 horse-hours (number of horses times number of hours used). That ain’t hay!
Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
from Charlotte North Carolina on 12/30/2011Comments about Command, The (DVD):
This is a western classic with a great cast and even greater story. Not your usual run of the mill western. Beautifully filmed with great movie score. It holds your attention till the end and has lot of excitment.
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from New York on 4/18/2010Comments about Command, The (DVD):
Very good action movie from the early 1950's. But that is its biggest problem, leading to cardboard characters and dialogue. If you are a forgiving fan of old movies and have never seen this western, go for it. Also great musical score from and old master.
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from Philadelphia, Pa. on 5/26/2009Comments about Command, The (DVD):
THE COMMAND is based on the Fort Stark stories by James Warner Bellah that appeared in The Saturday Evening Post magazine. Bellah's stories were also used by John Ford for his Cavalry Trilogy with John Wayne. Sam Fuller and Russell S.Hughes adapted the story for the movie.
This is a great "one man in the right place" kind of story. Guy Madison's character actually isn't qualified to lead, but everyone else accepts him as a leader because of the way he carries himself. So he takes "The Command".
Trivia: Part of the plot and the actual action sequences from "The Command" were reused for a first season episode of Warner's CHEYENNE TV-series called, "Decision" (a.k.a.The Blackhawk War).
I've had a pan and scan version, from TV, of "The Command" for many years and it's great to finally have a nice copy of the film in widescreen.
[5 of 6 customers found this review helpful]
from California on 4/15/2009Comments about Command, The (DVD):
This is an entertaining "B" level action western ("Indians versus the Calvary" genre) with a terrific "A" level music score by Dimitri Tiomkin. You may recall that Tiomkin wrote an impressive score to HIGH & THE MIGHTY for Warner Bros.at this general period. It's a treat having Guy Madison in the title role, and James Whitmore in a rugged supporting role is a big plus. Joan Weldon also co-stars, and you may remember that that both Whitmore and Weldon were casted together in the acclaimed monster movie for Warner Bros., THEM! Guy Madison also starred in this period in another Warner Bros. western (with occasional comedic touches thanks to two supporting characters) titled CHARGE AT FEATHER that I personally enjoyed somewhat more than THE COMMAND, and it had a wonderful music score by Max Steiner. I hope WarnerArchive releases that title soon as well! Nevertheless, if you are a fan of Guy Madison, and the music of Dimitri Tiomkin, I strongly urge readers to go ahead and buy THE COMMAND.
When I studied sections of the music score at USC/Warner Bros Archives in January 1992, I noticed that the working title of this movie was actually REAR GUARD. This has significance in the plot since the reluctant doctor-turned-command-Captain(Madison) suggested that he command in the "rear guard" of the civilian wagon train. One of the sub-plots is the fear of smallpox being carried in the wagon train. Tiomkin creates a highly moody motif for this illness or smallpox theme. You hear it several times in the movie, the last effectively played at Reel 12/part 4 (cue # 35572), 5 pages, 17 bars, orchestrated by Manuel Emanuel. Dvd location: 1:29:23. Instrumentation: flute, piccolo, oboe, english horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, bassoon, contra bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, marimba, chimes, xylophone, vibe, harp, celesta, piano, and strings ( I believe, based on other cues, 12 violins, 4 violas, 4 celli, 2 contrabasses). The harp is in an “atonal gliss” pp notated simply as wavy lines first going up and then down and then up in Bar 1 to (Bar 2) down wavy line to up to down, and so forth to mid-Bar 7. The vibe is marked as rubbing playing pp a series of notes notated here as I presume as gliss notes (about a dozen up and down lines per bar). ETC. I may discuss this more in my upcoming Blog # 40.
Reel 9/part 2 (dvd location 1:08:14)is very nice, a classic Tiomkinesque touch!This one was orchestrated by George Parrish. Cue # 35563. The "love theme" (so to speak) starts on Bar 5 (1:08:24) as Martha (Weldon)comments to the Captain, "I heard what you're going to do." Frankly I do not see much chemistry between these two (!) but I guess they couldn't get Grace Kelly!
Anyway, most film buffs have heard of Tiomkin but relatively few have heard his score to THE COMMAND--until now, thanks to the premiere of Warner Archive! Here's your opportunity to finally hear his dynamic music.
