Springfield Rifle 1952-Gary Cooper-Action-packed Western

Action-packed Western starring Gary Cooper as a Union officer during the American Civil War who gets himself cashiered from the army on a charge of cowardice in order to go undercover to break up a Confederate gang stealing horses from the North.



Springfield Rifle unfolds beautifully, like a piece of music. It has great storytelling flow. Many of the scenes introduce a new character, often in relationship to an existing character. In the scene, the viewer wants to find out everything about the new character, and his relationship to the other people and the plot. This desire is usually fulfilled very satisfactorily. Then the whole cycle starts over in the next scene, and another new character. Even when we already know both characters in a scene, we usually get some new relationship between them. Eventually a huge mosaic is built up.



Interwoven with all of this is a mystery, which is set forth right at the start of the film: how are the rustlers getting their inside information on the Union soldiers' cattle treks? This mystery runs through the film, and is gradually filled in. Springfield Rifle is more of an actual mystery story than are many crime films. It starts out with a mystery, one that is gradually and logically resolved by the end of the picture.



Each encounter with new characters is staged by Toth in a visually pleasing manner. This beautiful flow of images seems to work hand in hand with the flow of the plot. It gives the film its musical effect, a cinematic experience that seems to unfold with the sort of inner logic and beauty of a piece of classical music.

Cast:



Gary Cooper - Maj. Alex Kearney

Phyllis Thaxter - Erin Kearney

David Brian - Austin McCool

Paul Kelly - Lt. Col. John Hudson

Lon Chaney, Jr. - Elm

Philip Carey - Capt. Tennick

James Millican - Matthew Quint

Martin Milner - Olie Larsen

Wilton Graff - Col. Sharpe

Richard Hale - Gen. Henry W. Halleck

James Brown - Private Ferguson

Vince Barnett - Cook

Poodles Hanneford - Corporal Hamel

Jack Woody - Sims

Jerry O'Sullivan - Lt. Evans

Ned Young - Sgt. Poole

William Fawcett - Corporal Ramsey