Frontier Uprising (1961)

Jim Davis is Jim Stockton, who’s leading a fur train out of the California hills when it’s attacked by Shoshone.

Most alarming: For the first time, those Shoshone are armed with rifles. They’ve entered an alliance with the Mexican Army to keep Yankees out of California.

That’s going to make Stockton’s next task more dangerous. He hires on to guide a wagon train to California. Making the job slightly more appealing: The passengers include pretty Consuela Montalvo, daughter of a wealthy California landowner

Naturally, the wagon train is attacked too. And when the settlers wind up being separated from their Army escort by a canyon avalanche caused by the Indians, only Jim’s daring saves the day.

But can he save Fort Monterey. That’s the next target for the Mexican forces.

Jim Davis as Jim Stockton in Frontier Uprising (1961)

Nancy Hadley as Consuela Montalvo in Frontier Uprising (1961)

Review:

A remake of 1950’s Davy Crockett Indian Scout and, with the liberal use of stock footage from that film and the short runtime, it’s hard to imagine this took more than a week to make.

It’s marked by a couple of surprisingly humorous scenes — including one where Stockton mistakenly winds up in the same both pool as Consuela and another where he tries to shock her by explaining the more primitive duties an Indian woman performs for her man.

But there are also a couple of scenes likely to make you chuckle because they’re unintentionally funny, like a death scene involving one of Jim’s buddies.

Ken Mayer and David Renard play those bubbies, Beaver McBride and Lopez, respectively. Don Kelly is the U.S. lieutenant vying with Stockton for Consuela’s affections.

Don Kelly at Lt. Kilpatrick in Frontier Uprising (1961)

Eugene Iglesias as Lt. Ruiz under the kife of Beaver McBride (Ken Mayer) in Frontier Uprising (1961)

Directed by:
Edward L. Cahn

Cast:
Jim Davis … Jim Stockton
Nancy Hadley … Consuela Montalvo
Ken Mayer … Beaver McBride
Nestor Paiva … Don Carlos Montalvo
Don Kelly … Lt. Kilpatrick
Stuart Randall … Ben Wright
Eugene Iglesias … Lt. Ruiz
John Marshall … Gen. Torena
David Renard … Lopez
Tudor Owen … Charley Bridger
Renata Vanni … Augustina
Addison Richards … Commander Kimball
Herman Rudin … Chief Taztay
Jan Arvan … Toyon

Runtime: 68 min.

Herman Rudin as Chief Taztay with John Marshall as Gen. Torena in Frontier Uprising (1961)

Memorable lines:

Jim Stockton: “Just looking at Consuela sitting on that wagon like a queen made me feel more and more like what she’d called me back at Fort Bridger — a barbarian.”

Jim Stockton to Beaver, when he balks at taking a bath because he’s been wounded: “That bullet hole isn’t going to let in enough water to drown you.”

Beaver of Lt. Kilpatrick: “He sure is stubborn. A whole tribe of wild Indians couldn’t change his mind.”

Consuela: “Why wait (to pick a girl)? There’s several girls on the train — young, pretty, unmarried. Surely one of them would jump to claim a rugged specimen …
Jim Stockton: “But they’re white girls.”
Consuela: “What did you say?”
Stockton: “Yeah, they’re white. Now what would a man like me want with one of those frail little critters.”

Nestor Paiva as Don Carlos Montalvo discusses California’s future with Mexican Gen. Torena (John Marshall) and Lt. Ruiz (Eugene Igelsias) in Frontier Uprising (1961)