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 ...

William Hale William Hale may refer to: Academics *William Gardner Hale (1849–1928), American classical scholar and professor of Latin * William Jasper Hale (1874–1944), president of the historically black Tennessee State University * William Mathew Hale (b ...

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...

Michael Sarrazin Michael Sarrazin (May 22, 1940 – April 17, 2011)

Brenda Scott Brenda Scott (born March 15, 1943) is an American film and television actress. Her stage name comes from an F. Scott Fitzgerald character. Early life On March 15, 1943, Scott was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Career Scott appeared in films suc ...

. The film is based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Will Henry first published in 1960.

Plot

Seven young Texans in the

Confederate army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, The Concho County Comanches, journey to Shiloh, Tennessee where a major battle is about to take place. Along the way they encounter many perilous adventures. J.C. decides he no longer wants to follow Buck and takes his money and leaves. Buck finds him just as he is shot and killed by card sharks. Buck rejoins the remaining five and takes a stage to

Shreveport, LA Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is ...

, on the way picking up a run-away slave. Out of duty they deliver him to the next town's sheriff, only to see him hung on the road out of town, despite promises he would be returned to his owner. In Shreveport Buck meets and makes love to Gabrielle DuPrey, but leaves her to lead his men to join the Confederate Army in Richmond, VA. After being forced to join Braxton Bragg's army and joining the Battle of Shiloh, Little Bit Lucket dies of disease. Todo dies gutshot, Eubie Bell dies in a mortar attack and Willie Bill is shot in the head - all but Miller and Buck are killed in the battle or die of wounds. Miller deserts and is shot by a bounty hunter and dies with Buck by his side, trapped in a barn with the army closing in on them. Before Miller dies, he encourages Buck to leave the army, go get the girl he met in Shreveport and return to Texas. Sgt. Barnes, who had befriended the Texans, convinces Gen. Bragg to allow Buck to return alone back to Texas instead of being shot as a deserter, the last survivor of the seven who set out for Richmond.

Cast

*

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...

as Buck Burnett *

Michael Sarrazin Michael Sarrazin (May 22, 1940 – April 17, 2011)

Brenda Scott Brenda Scott (born March 15, 1943) is an American film and television actress. Her stage name comes from an F. Scott Fitzgerald character. Early life On March 15, 1943, Scott was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Career Scott appeared in films suc ...

as Gabrielle DuPrey *

Don Stroud Donald Lee Stroud (born September 1, 1943) is an American actor, musician, and surfer. Stroud has appeared in over 100 films and 200 television shows. Early years Stroud was the son of vaudeville actor Clarence Stroud (of "The Stroud Twins" team ...

as Todo McLean *

Paul Petersen William Paul Petersen (born September 23, 1945) is an American actor, singer, novelist, and activist. Petersen first rose to prominence in the 1950s playing Jeff Stone on ''The Donna Reed Show'', and transitioned to a singing career in the 19 ...

as J.C. Sutton * Michael Burns as Eubie Bell *

Jan-Michael Vincent Jan-Michael Vincent (July 15, 1944 – February 10, 2019) was an American actor known for portraying helicopter pilot Stringfellow Hawke in the TV series ''Airwolf'' (1984–1987) and the protagonist, Matt Johnson, in the 1978 film ''Big W ...

as Little Bit Lucket (as Michael Vincent) *

Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...

as Willie Bill Bearden *

John Doucette John Arthur Doucette (January 21, 1921 – August 16, 1994) was an American character actor who performed in more than 280 film and television productions between 1941 and 1987. A man of stocky build who possessed a deep, rich voice, he ...

as General Braxton Bragg * Noah Beery Jr. as Sgt. Mercer Barnes (as Noah Beery) *

Tisha Sterling Patricia Ann "Tisha" Sterling (born December 10, 1944) is a retired American actress. She is the only daughter of actor Robert Sterling and actress Ann Sothern. Life and career Sterling was born in Los Angeles, California. Her parents divorced ...

as Airybelle Sumner *

James Gammon James Richard Gammon (April 20, 1940 – July 16, 2010) was an American actor, known for playing grizzled " good ol' boy" types in numerous films and television series. Gammon portrayed Lou Brown, the manager in the movies '' Major League'' and ...

as Tellis Yeager * Brian Avery as Carter Claiborne * Clarke Gordon as Colonel Mirabeau Cooney *

Robert Pine Robert Pine (born Granville Whitelaw Pine, July 10, 1941) is an American actor who is best known as Sgt. Joseph Getraer on the television series ''CHiPs'' (1977–1983). Including ''CHiPs'', Pine has appeared in over 400 episodes of television. ...

as Collins * Sean Kennedy as Curtis Claiborne *

Wesley Lau Wesley Lau (June 18, 1921August 30, 1984) was an American film and television actor, and occasional screenwriter. Early life Wesley Lau was born and raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. His parents were Albert and Agnes ( Feldner) Lau. He graduated ...

as Colonel Boykin * Chet Stratton as Mr. Claiborne *

Bing Russell Neil Oliver "Bing" Russell (May 5, 1926 – April 8, 2003) was an American actor and Class A minor-league baseball club owner. He was the father of Hollywood actor Kurt Russell and grandfather of ex–major league baseball player Matt Franco ...

as Greybeard *

Lane Bradford Lane Bradford (born John Myrtland Le Varre, Jr., August 29, 1922 – June 6, 1973) was an American actor, who appeared in more than 250 films and television series between 1940 and 1973, specializing in supporting "tough-guy" roles predomin ...

as Case Pettibone * Rex Ingram as Jacob *

Myron Healey Myron Daniel Healey (June 8, 1923 – December 21, 2005) was an American actor. He began his career in Hollywood, California during the early 1940s and eventually made hundreds of appearances in movies and on television during a career sp ...

as Sheriff Briggs * Eileen Wesson as Ella Newsome *

Albert Popwell Albert Popwell (July 15, 1926 – April 9, 1999) was an American stage, television and film actor with a career spanning six decades. Born in New York City, Popwell started as a professional dancer before taking up a career in acting. Popw ...

as Samuel

Reception

Critical reception

''TV Guide'' gave it a negative review, scoring it 2/5, and finding it too talky despite a small number of good action scenes; they also found attempts to establish parallels to the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

did not work.

References

External links