the patrol movie have be a staple of cinema since it very early day and have cut across many genre include the war movie and and as in this case and the western . the setting be new mexico in the late 1870 and a platoon of the u cavalry be try to make it way back to base under less than auspicious circumstance . it officer be all dead and kill in action by the apache and and it leader and by default be sergeant vinson ( joel mccrae cast in a rare unsympathetic role ) . vinson be neither liked nor trust by his men who believe that he be so embitter by the death of his wife at the hand of the apache that his judgement be flaw and that he will risk their life for his own revenge . his bellicose attitude seem to reinforce this belief a he order an attack on a superior force of the enemy a they camp by a waterhole and with heavy loss of life . this be not the only encounter with the enemy a he and his men take shelter at a seemingly abandon adobe dwell where he be besiege by the apache . shot wholly on location by the estimable carl guthrie this a tight and taut movie that move with pace and efficiency . the acting be excellent with special praise to macrae and john russell a an educated drifter turn soldier travis and who become a confidante to vinson and forrest tucker a irish bear trooper mcgurney ( the role andrew mcclaglen usually play in john ford picture ) and anthony caruso a the native scout pawnee . mcrae in particular show u that he could play morally complex and driven character every bit as well a do james stewart in his movie for anthony mann . vinson be an angry and bitter man and qualities the actor bring out well joseph m newman directs briskly and stag some lively action sequence in what be a predictable but highly entertaining minor western .