''40 Guns to Apache Pass'' is a 1967 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

William Witney William Nuelsen Witney (May 15, 1915 – March 17, 2002) was an American film and television director. He is best remembered for the action films he made for Republic Pictures, particularly serials: ''Dick Tracy Returns'', ''G-Men vs. the Black ...

and starring

Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor and songwriter. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from t ...

Plot

In the

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...

of 1868, the

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

s, led by

Cochise Cochise (; Apache: ''Shi-ka-She'' or ''A-da-tli-chi'', lit.: ''having the quality or strength of an oak''; later ''K'uu-ch'ish'' or ''Cheis'', lit. ''oak''; June 8, 1874) was leader of the Chihuicahui local group of the Chokonen and principa ...

(Michael Keep), are on the warpath. Army Captain Bruce Coburn (

) is tasked with escorting homesteaders to Apache Wells where they can concentrate their defense against the Apaches. But there is dissension in the ranks as some of the men under Coburn’s command feel they are being driven too hard. Coburn has to discipline corporal Bodine (

Kenneth Tobey Kenneth Jesse Tobey (March 23, 1917 – December 22, 2002) was an extremely prolific American actor who performed in hundreds of productions during a career that spanned more than half a century, including his role as the star of the 1957-1 ...

) for stealing rationed water. In an attack at Apache Wells, one of the homesteaders, Harry Malone ( Kenneth MacDonald), is killed. His two sons, Mike (

Michael Blodgett Michael Blodgett (September 26, 1939 – November 14, 2007) was an American actor, novelist, and screenwriter. Of his many film and television appearances he is best known for his performance as gigolo Lance Rocke in Russ Meyer's 1970 cult cl ...

, the eldest) and the younger and more timid Doug ( Michael Burns), then join the Army. In order to defend themselves at Apache Wells, they need guns. Coburn is sent to bring in a consignment of

repeating rifle A repeating rifle is a single- barreled rifle capable of repeated discharges between each ammunition reloads. This is typically achieved by having multiple cartridges stored in a magazine (within or attached to the gun) and then fed individually i ...

s that is on its way, or at least prevent them from getting into the hands of the Apaches. En route, Coburn and his men are attacked. The inexperienced Malone brothers are left to guard the horses, but Mike disobeys orders and goes off to fight the Indians. He is last seen alive pleading for his younger brother's help, but Doug, never having experienced combat and badly frightened by the Apaches, is too afraid to come to his older brother's rescue. When the other soldiers discover Doug hiding behind some rocks and sobbing, he is scorned as a coward. His shame is complete when he subsequently overhears the disgusted Capt. Coburn say he has no use for "a worthless

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the R ...

kid". The survivors of the patrol manage to rendezvous with the consignment of guns. On the way back to Apache Wells, Bodine and four other soldiers decide to take the guns and desert to Mexico, leaving Coburn and the wounded First Sergeant Walker (

Robert Brubaker Robert Brubaker (October 9, 1916 – April 15, 2010) was an American character actor best known for his roles in television and movie westerns, including '' Gunsmoke'' and ''40 Guns to Apache Pass''. Early years Brubaker was born in Robinson ...

) tied up. After some hesitation, Doug again disappoints Coburn when he throws in his lot with the deserters, after Bodine promises to release the two captives. But Bodine intends to kill them, lighting a fuse on a keg of dynamite in the wagon to which Coburn is tied. After Coburn frees himself from his bonds seconds before the wagon explodes, he helps the wounded Walker back to Apache Wells. He wants to go back and retrieve the rifles, but the commander, Col. Reed (

Byron Morrow William Byron Morrow (September 8, 1911 – May 11, 2006) was an American television and film actor. Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois, Morrow served in the Army in World War II, performing in theater productions during his tour of duty ...

), says he cannot spare any men and orders Coburn to stay, threatening him with

court-martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

for the failure of his mission. Disobeying orders, Coburn sets off alone after Bodine anyway, who is attempting to sell the stolen rifles to the Apaches for gold. Under a flag of truce, Bodine meets Cochise and agrees to take him to where the rifles are hidden. Meanwhile, Capt. Coburn finds and single-handedly attacks the deserters guarding the cache of rifles. Doug, still smarting from being branded a coward by Coburn, summons new-found courage and enters the fray, helping Coburn kill the other deserters and recover the rifles. Coburn extends his hand to Doug to show that he now respects the youth as an honorable soldier, before ordering him to get the rifles to Apache Wells. Cochise and Bodine pursue and catch up with Coburn. In a delaying tactic, Coburn distributes five repeating rifles in positions where he can fight off a number of Apaches. When Doug delivers the rifles to the garrison at Apache Wells and explains to Col. Reed what happened, the commander orders the rifles issued to the soldiers to rescue Coburn, with Doug leading them to the besieged captain's location. The rescue party arrives just as he is almost out of ammunition. After a fierce battle, the Apaches are chased off and Bodine flees alone with Coburn in pursuit. In a final shootout between the two foes, Coburn kills Bodine. Doug accompanies Coburn and the triumphant soldiers back to Apache Wells, where Coburn is welcomed by a grateful Col. Reed, and Doug is reunited with his family who had feared him dead.

Cast

as Capt. Bruce Coburn *

as Col. Homer E. Reed *

as First Sgt. Walker *

as Cpl. Bodine *

Ted Gehring Theodore Edwin Gehring Jr. (April 6, 1929 – September 28, 2000) was an American film and television actor. He is known for playing the recurring role as "Charlie" on 16 episodes of the American sitcom television series '' Alice''. Life and ca ...

as Trooper Barratt * Willard W. Willingham as Trooper Fuller *

James Beck Stanley James Carroll Beck (21 February 1929 – 6 August 1973) was an English actor who played the role of Private Walker, a cockney spiv, in the BBC sitcom ''Dad's Army'' from the show's beginning in 1968 until his sudden death in 1973. Ea ...

as Trooper Higgins *

as Trooper Mike Malone * Michael Burns as Trooper Doug Malone * Kenneth MacDonald as Harry Malone * Kay Stewart as Kate Malone *

Laraine Stephens Laraine Stephens is an American actress. Stephens was born in Oakland, California. She studied at both Los Angeles City College and the University of California, Los Angeles. A coloratura soprano, Stephens performed in operas before moving in ...

as Ellen Malone * Michael Keep as Cochise

Production

The film was written by Audie Murphy's friend Willard W. Willingham and his wife. Willingham had appeared in many of Murphy's films (playing Trooper Fuller in this one) as a stand in, stuntman and occasional actor as well as writing several of his films. It was filmed in 1966 in

Red Rock Canyon State Park (California) Red Rock Canyon State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of California which features scenic desert cliffs, buttes and spectacular rock formations. The park consists of approximately within the Mojave Sector of the Tehachapi District of ...

and

Lancaster, California Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, in the Antelope Valley of the western Mojave Desert in Southern California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 173,51 ...

. Murphy's fee was $50,000.

References

External links

* * * * {{William Witney 1967 films 1967 Western (genre) films 1960s English-language films American Western (genre) films Western (genre) cavalry films Apache Wars films Films set in 1868 Films set in Arizona Films shot in California Films shot in the Mojave Desert Films directed by William Witney Films scored by Richard LaSalle Columbia Pictures films Audie Murphy 1960s American films

Plot

Cast

Production

See also

References

External links