Producer: Milton Sperling. A United States Picture, released through Warner Bros. Copyright 17 December 1951 by United States Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Warner: 25 December 1951. U.S. release: 29 December 1951. U.K. release: May 1952. Australian release: 23 July 1953 (sic). 101 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: In 1840, deep in the Florida Everglades, General Zachary Taylor accepts an idea put forward by Captain Quincey Wyatt to strike a blow at gun-runners supplying the Seminole Indians.
NOTES: Although its story is somewhat similar to Northwest Passage, this film is a more direct re-make of Walsh's own Objective Burma (1945) with Errol Flynn in the role now played by Gary Cooper.
Photographed on locations in the heart of the Florida Everglades at Silver Springs, and at the Castillo de San Marcos in the South-Eastern National Monuments, through the courtesy of the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
COMMENT: Pale adventure, lacks the gusto and excitement of say a Savage Islands and now seems feeble and dated. The laughable introduction of glamor girl Mari Aldon into the plot, the stiff acting by some of the support players (Webb who also narrates, Barratt) negate the realism of actual location filming.
At best, an adequate adventure for Cooper fans. Others beware! And it has one of Steiner's least memorable, if atmospherically appropriate music scores.
OTHER VIEWS: Although largely (and beautifully) shot on Florida locations (including the famous Everglades swamp), this film is burdened with a laughably inept, cliché-ridden script. Fortunately, most of the dialogue can be ignored in favor of the splendid action scenes which Walsh handles with his customary vitality. - JHR writing as George Addison.
Walsh at half-steam. Even the Everglades action is rather listlessly handled until the pursuit really gets underway. But then the chase is hampered by Mari Aldon with her needlessly boring romantic punctuations which do nothing for realism and undermine suspense. Sub-hero Webb is little help either. Distant Drums has all the makings of a first-class action adventure. What it needed was a film editor with a much sharper pair of scissors. - JHR writing as Charles .Freeman.
SYNOPSIS: In 1840, deep in the Florida Everglades, General Zachary Taylor accepts an idea put forward by Captain Quincey Wyatt to strike a blow at gun-runners supplying the Seminole Indians.
NOTES: Although its story is somewhat similar to Northwest Passage, this film is a more direct re-make of Walsh's own Objective Burma (1945) with Errol Flynn in the role now played by Gary Cooper.
Photographed on locations in the heart of the Florida Everglades at Silver Springs, and at the Castillo de San Marcos in the South-Eastern National Monuments, through the courtesy of the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
COMMENT: Pale adventure, lacks the gusto and excitement of say a Savage Islands and now seems feeble and dated. The laughable introduction of glamor girl Mari Aldon into the plot, the stiff acting by some of the support players (Webb who also narrates, Barratt) negate the realism of actual location filming.
At best, an adequate adventure for Cooper fans. Others beware! And it has one of Steiner's least memorable, if atmospherically appropriate music scores.
OTHER VIEWS: Although largely (and beautifully) shot on Florida locations (including the famous Everglades swamp), this film is burdened with a laughably inept, cliché-ridden script. Fortunately, most of the dialogue can be ignored in favor of the splendid action scenes which Walsh handles with his customary vitality. - JHR writing as George Addison.
Walsh at half-steam. Even the Everglades action is rather listlessly handled until the pursuit really gets underway. But then the chase is hampered by Mari Aldon with her needlessly boring romantic punctuations which do nothing for realism and undermine suspense. Sub-hero Webb is little help either. Distant Drums has all the makings of a first-class action adventure. What it needed was a film editor with a much sharper pair of scissors. - JHR writing as Charles .Freeman.