Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)

Tony Martin plays Linus Quincannon, a former Army officer turned scout turned civilian. And his services are badly needed.

Seems someone has swiped 800 Henry repeating rifles, and the cavalry is concerned that they’ll fall into the hands of the ambitious Arapahoe Chief Iron Wolf, and ignite an Indian war.

Initially reluctant, Quincannon soon sees a reason for accepting the mission. A lovely young blonde (Peggy Castle as Maylene Mason) has arrived in town. She’s brought along $2,000 to ransom her brother from the Indians.

That starts Quincannon thinking that there might be some “white skunks” at Fort Smith, where the theft of the rifles occurred.

Indians aren’t fond of money; and Maylene’s brother was supposed to be killed in an Indian raid.

Tony Martin as Linus Quincannon, detained and hardly thrilled about the prospect of working for the cavalry again in Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)

Peggie Castle as Maylene Mason, concerned as Quincannon fights one of the officers in Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)

Review:

Standard gun-running Western made worse by Martin’s arrogant, know-it-all persona. Is anyone but me rooting for this guy to be turned into a pin cushion by Indian arrows?

And while Martin’s character seems sympathetic to the plights of the Indians — whites are patriots when they kill; Indians are perceived as savages when they do the same, Quincannon reminds his commander — the film shows them no respect. A couple of sips of whiskey, and they can be fooled into doing anything.

On top of that, Martin — primarily a pop singer — is saddled with one of the worst names in Western film history. And everyone calls him Quinnie! Oh, boy.

Fortunately, this was Martin’s only Western outing. John Bromfield as Lt. Burke and John Doucette as Sgt. Clarke get to be his sidekicks. At one point, they ditch their saddles and paint themselves up as Indians to fool the Sioux war parties. It works, of course.

Quincannon’s sidekicks on his mission — John Bromfield as Lt. Burke and John Doucette as Sgt. Calvin in Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)

Morris Ankrum as Col. Conover, explaining the danger of traveling into Indian territory to Maylene Mason in Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)

Directed by:
Lesley Selander

Cast:
Tony Martin … Linus Quincannon
Peggie Castle … Maylene Mason
John Bromfield … Lt. Burke
John Doucette … Sgt. Calvin
Ron Randell … Capt. Bell
John Smith … Lt. Hostedder
Morris Ankrum … Col. Conover
Peter Mamakos … Blackfoot Sam
Edmund Hashim … Iron Wolf

Runtime: 83 min.

Title Tune: “Quincannon, Frontier Scout”

Ron Randall as Capt. Bell, the officer in command of the fort where the stolen rifles disappeared in Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)

John Smith as Lt. Hostedder, the officer who led the mission in which Maylene’s brother supposedly died in Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)

Memorable line:

Quincannon to Maylene, after she starts screaming when he bursts into her room: “Now stop spitting little bobcat, and I’ll let you go. Is that a treaty?”

Col. Conover, having convinced Quincannon to accept the mission: “How many men do you want?”
Quincannon: “Two.”
The colonel: “Two what? Two squads? Two troops?”
Quincannon: “Two men.”
The colonel: “Are you joking? Is that safe?”
Quincannon: “No. It’s less dangerous.”

Quincannon, to the two men with him: “Put this dye on your hands and face. Between now and Fort Smith, we’re Indians. Or corpses.”

Peter Mamakos as Blackfoot Sam, the white man who trades whiskey to the Indians in Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)

Edmund Hashim as Iron Wolf, the Indian chief who winds up in possession of 800 repeating rifles in Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)

Maylene Mason, as Quicannon hands her riding clothes: “What makes you think they’ll fit?:
Linus Quincannon, looking her up and down: “I’ve given the matter a lot of study.”

Sgt. Calvin, as Quincannon and Burke head out on a dangerous scout: “Three things a man has to have handy in the West — a dry rifle, something to eat and a prayer. And many a time, a prayer is the only answer.”

Quincannon, heading to the Indian camp with liquid diversion: “The whiskey’s just a tactic.”
Sgt. Calvin: “I wish I had a little of that tactic right now.”

Tony Martin as Linus Quincannon, trying to silence Maylene Mason (Peggie Castle) when they first meet in Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)

Tony Martin as Linus Quincannon, wondering about the companions he’s picked for a dangerous mission in Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)

Tony Martin as Linus Quincannon, trapped and trying to fight off an Indian attack in Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)

Tony Martin as Linus Quincannon and Peggie Castle as Maylene Mason in Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)