MovieChat Forums > The Command (1954) Discussion > General Who?

General Who?

posted 14 years ago by magolding
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Who was the General that the troops were marching to join in this movie? I read the original Story by James Warner Bellah in which they were marching to reinforce General Crook's command after the Little Big horn in 1876, and were shadowed by hordes of hostiles, and I always assumed that was their mission in the movie.

But when I watched it again after a long time I didn't hear any mention of the date or Custer's Last Stand. It sounded like they were going to join General Cook on the Paradise River.

[–] MystMoonstruck 13 years ago

They did refer to Custer's Last Stand. I'm trying to remember who brings it up, perhaps an early scene between Madison and Whitmore. Today is a "fibro fog" one for me, in which my thinking is hazy, or else I probably could give a more-solid answer. They mentioned it in connection with being worried about tribes banding together, emboldened by that victory. I think they also mention something about 300 scalps. (Again, excuse my fuzzyheadedness.)

I do know that I'd like to see this again when I feel well enough to follow the story better.

~~MystMoonstruck~~

[–] magolding 13 years ago

If they mention a recent Little Big Horn, perhaps the mission in the movie was to join General Cook on the Paradise River (possibly inspired by the Purgatory River) who would then reinforce General Crook in Wyoming as in "White Invader" and Rear Guard by James Warner Bellah.

The idea of a civilian wagon train traveling with an army unit marching toward battle seems silly but it actually happened at least once. In 1864 a large wagon train headed for Montana accompanied for part of their journey the cavalry division of General Sully which was looking for hostile Sioux.

[–] MAGolding (1240) 7 years ago

I did find this dialog in IMDB:

Capt. Robert MacClaw: Sir, may I suggest that my troop act as rear guard?
Col. Janeway: Where did you learn cavalry tactics, Captain?
Capt. Robert MacClaw: Well, infantry isn't mobile...
Col. Janeway: Neither is dead cavalry. Ask Custer!

The AFI Catalog of Feature Films says:

"The ailing Janeway, who has been risking his health until he can retire with a pension, is concerned that the Indians’ persistence is fueled by news of Indian victory at Little Big Horn."

This implies the time is 1876 when news of Custer's Last Stand was still news. But the synopses of the plot begins: "In Wyoming Territory in 1878". If the fictional date is 1878 the Little Bighorn would be old news. Unless it had been somehow kept from the tribes for two years. It seems strange enough that Fort Starke in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon doesn't get their report until winter is coming, but this would be far odder!

All the online plot descriptions I found just say that the wagon train and the soldiers are going to Paradise River. They don't say the river of Paradise River, the town of Paradise River, or Fort Paradise River, just Paradise River.

There is this dialog in IMDB:

Col. Janeway: Mr. O'Hirons! Mr. O'Hirons! Regulations stipulate $10 a month additional for command functions. When we reach the Paradise, notify the paymaster that Captain MacClaw has commanded with distinction. The government owes him $3.30.

Since he says "the Paradise" I assume they are going to a geographical feature called Paradise River. Since he mentions a paymaster there and assumes Captain MacClaw's command will end there, there should be a lot of troops with high ranking officers there.

[–] MAGolding (1240) 7 years ago

I watched it again 10-13-2017 and Colonel Janeway said they were marching to the Paradise River to join the command of a General named - it sounded more like Cook than Crook or Hook.

It was mentioned that the Indians - Arapaho, Cheyenne, Fox, Sac, Otoe, and Pawnees, I think, were emboldened by news of Custer's Last Stand. So the Command is yet another movie that slanders the Pawnees by depicting them as ferocious warriors fighting against the US instead of ferocious warriors fighting for the US.