''Yellowneck'' is a 1955

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 ...

film directed by R. John Hugh and starring

Lin McCarthy Linwood Winder McCarthy (February 23, 1918 – November 23, 2002) was an American film, television and theatre actor. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, McCarthy served in the military during World War II, and afterwards studied acting at Geller's Thea ...

, Stephen Courtleigh,

Berry Kroeger Berry Kroeger (October 16, 1912 – January 4, 1991) was an American film, television and stage actor. Career Kroeger was born in San Antonio, Texas. He got his acting start on radio as an announcer on ''Suspense'' and as an actor, playing fo ...

and Harold Gordon. It tells the story of five deserters from 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 ...

who make their way past the

Everglades The Everglades is a natural region of tropical climate, tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orland ...

and angry

Seminole Indians The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, an ...

, in an attempt to get to the

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

coast and then to

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. The film was made in

Trucolor Trucolor was a Color motion picture film, color motion picture process used and owned by the Consolidated Film Industries division of Republic Pictures. It was introduced as a replacement for Consolidated's own Magnacolor process. Republic used T ...

and released by

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

. The title refers to a Confederate word for a deserter.

Plot

It is the Florida Everglades in 1863. Four deserters of the Confederate Army—Sergeant Todd, Plunkett, Cockney and the Kid—are hiding out. The Colonel, a fellow deserter, appears from the brush with a note from an Indian who has arranged to take him to the ocean so he may be taken to Cuba. When the Indian guide is found dead by Seminoles, the foursome reluctantly join forces with the Colonel in order to reach the coast and ride out the rest of the Civil War. As the group treks through the dangerous Florida everglades, it's revealed that Plunkett has stolen a large amount of gold from the Confederate army, which Cockney wants to steal from him. The group continues its trek, and it is revealed Cockney is drop-dead afraid of snakes, and being in close contact with them sends him into a paralyzed state. Cockney also reveals that the Colonel deserted after giving drunk orders during the

Battle of Murfreesboro The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was a battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the Ame ...

, leading to a slaughter. A drought ensues, and when the group reaches water, they also find two dead fellow deserters, killed by Seminoles. The Colonel wishes to bury them, but the foursome disagrees, citing the danger of nearby Seminoles. However, the Kid changes their minds. Soon after, the Colonel begins experiencing troubles, getting a fever, and hallucinating. The group sees smoke, and the Sergeant (the leader of the group) goes to investigate and is attacked by a panther. The rest of the group follows and encounters a seemingly abandoned Seminole settlement. The Colonel, in his deranged state, charges head first into the encampment and is shot by an arrow. The Sergeant rejoins the group and they are attacked by Seminoles. Though they escape, the Colonel dies that evening. After the Colonel's death, the Sergeant declares that it's every man for himself. The rest of the group soldiers on, heading towards the ocean. Cockney is killed when the group accidentally stumbles upon a nest of rattlesnakes, and he trips and falls into them. Plunkett becomes increasingly strained and paranoid out of fatigue. The remaining trio is forced to cross a river filled with alligators, which they successfully do. Upon getting to the other side, Plunkett offers the Sergeant his gold (as he has provided his safety for the duration of the trip) and finds only rocks in his satchel. Concluding that Cockney stole his gold, he dives back into the river and is eaten by the alligators. Only the Kid and the Sergeant remain. They venture further and further, but after a heartfelt conversation where the Sergeant regrets running from all his problems, he steps into quicksand. Though the Kid attempts to save him, he is consumed by the sand. The Kid freaks out, running madly through the forest while hearing the voices of his dead comrades. The heartfelt talk about running away returns to him, however, and in the final sequence, the Kid finally reaches the ocean.

Cast

as The Sergeant * Stephen Courtleigh as The Colonel *

as Plunkett * Harold Gordon as Cockney * Bill Mason as The Kid * Al Tamez as Seminole * Jose Billie as Dead body * Roy Nash Osceola as Seminole

DVD release

On October 27, 2009,

Alpha Video Alpha Video (also known as Alpha Home Entertainment) is an entertainment company, based near Philadelphia, that specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of public domain movies and TV shows on DVD. Alpha Video releases approximately 30 ne ...

released ''Yellowneck'' on

Region 0 DVD region codes are a digital rights management technique introduced in 1997. It is designed to allow rights holders to control the international distribution of a DVD-Video, DVD release, including its content, release date, and price, all acc ...

DVD. On November 6, 2012, Mill Creek Entertainment release ''Yellowneck'' on DVD as a bonus feature on their Lincoln: Trials by Fire documentary collection.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yellowneck 1955 films American Civil War films 1950s English-language films Films about deserters Films scored by Laurence Rosenthal Films set in Florida Films shot in Florida Republic Pictures films 1950s American films 1955 war films American war films

Plot

Cast

DVD release

See also

References

External links