Apache Rifles (1964)

Caught in the Crossfire of Passions and Greed!

Apache Rifles is directed by William Witney and adapted to screenplay by Charles B. Smith from a story written by Kenneth Gamet and Richard Schayer. It stars Audie Murphy, Michael Dante, Linda Lawson, L.Q. Jones, Ken Lynch, Joseph Vitale and Robert Brubaker. Music is by Richard La Salle and De Luxe cinematography is by Arch R. Dalzell.

Murphy stars as Capt. Jeff Stanton, a cavalry officer in Arizona territory, 1879, who is assigned to bring to the reservation the runaway Apaches who have had enough of the greedy gold miners pillaging from their promised land. Originally driven by his hatred towards Native Americans, Stanton's cause is muddied when he starts to fall for half Indian Dawn Gillis (Lawson), who in turn is courted by Red Hawk (Dante).

By 1964 the conventional B Western was very much on the wane, with the theme of being sympathetic to the Native Americans having already been explored significantly in far better Westerns than Apache Rifles. Though it never hurts to have another one in any day and age, mind! Apache Rifles is pretty standard stuff, it's decently constructed and paced by Witney, who gets to show his talent for action scenes, Murphy is his usual affable self, even getting to put some emotion conflict into the portrayal, and exterior photography out of Mojave and the Bronson and Red Rock Canyons is most pleasing. It never quite hits the dramatic heights it aims for because the simmering love triangle often stops the picture in its tracks, a shame especially as some political shenanigans could have been explored further, while a quick about turn in the finale smacks of audience manipulation and comes off as a cheat. But it's inoffensive stuff for the most part, enjoyable for the right reasons within its low budget, even if it's just one for Murphy fans to tick off their lists, never to be seen again. 6/10

_**Shoestring Western remake with Audi Murphy**_

In the Arizona Territory, 1879, a captain (Audi Murphy) is assigned to a cavalry unit with the task of bringing in a band of Mescalero Apaches who have left the Reservation. Joseph Vitale and Michael Dante play the chief and his son respectively while L.Q. Jones and Ken Lynch appear as greedy miners.

“Apache Uprising” (1964) is a ‘B’ Western remake of “Indian Uprising” (1952). It liberally uses stock footage from it and the contrast with the new footage is too glaring. If you can look past that and the obvious Caucasians playing Apaches, this is a decent Audie Murphy ‘B’ Western with enough human interest to keep your attention. Unfortunately the sudden change-of-mind of a certain character at the end is unconvincing and reflects bad writing.

Dark-haired Linda Lawson has a unique beauty as a missionary sympathetic to the Apaches.

The film runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot in Bronson Canyon and Red Rock Canyon State Park in California.

GRADE: C