Robert DoQui is Eli Brown, a man constantly in trouble for his womanizing ways who decides to escape by joining the black 10th Cavalry at Fort Davis, Texas.
Once enlisted, he meets the woman — a pretty seamstress named Julie Brown (Janee Michelle) — who will entice him to settle down to married life.
But the 10th is also having trouble with Indians in the area, though Private Armstrong has managed to make a friend of a man named Walking Horse (Robert Dix).
When two renegade whites make off with some Indian ponies, Armstrong and Brown are among the soldiers detailed to find the thieves and recover the horses.
Meanwhile, Julie’s tempted to stray while Eli’s away by Sgt. Hatch (Lincoln Kilpatrick), who keeps finding excuses to visit their home until he finally seduces the young wife.
Robert DoQui as Eli Brown, a new recruit in the 10th Cavalry in The Red, White and Black (1970)
Lincoln Kilpatrick as Sgt. Hatch in The Red, White and Black (1970)
Review:
An interesting film, though crudely made and marred by some second-rate acting.
The biggest problem, though, is a lack of focus, especially early in the movie, and the choppiness in the plot.
That said, several sites list the film’s run time as 103 minutes. The print now available runs 77 minutes. If 25 minutes are truly missing … well, it’d be nice to see the film in its entirety.
And, yep, that’s the Barbara Hale who starred in a number of 1950 B Westerns, but is best remembered as Della Street from the “Perry Mason” TV series, in the role of the colonel’s wife.
Robert DoQui played the pimp King George in the 1973 film “Coffy,” starring Pam Grier, but spent most of his career — complete with more than 120 screen credits — as a character actor.
Rafer Johnson turned to acting after winning a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics. His first part was an uncredited role in 1960’s “Sergeant Rutledge,” the John Ford film about a black trooper accused of rape and murder.
Rafer Armstrong as Private Armstrong in The Red, White and Black (1970)
Isaac Fields as 1st Sgt. Robertson in The Red White and Black (1970)
Directed by:
John “Bud” Cardos
Cast:
Robert DoQui … Eli Brown
Isaac Fields … First Sgt. Robertson
Barbara Hale … Mrs. Alice Grierson
Rafer Johnson … Pvt. Armstrong
Lincoln Kilpatrick … Sgt. Hatch
Isabel Sanford … Isabel Taylor
Janee Michelle … Julie Brown
Robert Dix … Walking Horse
Steve Drexel … Capt. Louis Carpenter
Bill Collins … Pvt. Washington
Russ Nannarello Jr. … Lt. Bigelow
Cesar Romero … Col. Grierson
Bryd Holland … The sutler
Runtime: 77 min.
aka:
The Buffalo Soldiers
Soul Soldier
Song: “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”
performed by Joe Williams
Janee Michelle as Julie Brown, the pretty seamstress in The Red, White and Black (1970)
Robert Dix as Walking Horse in The Red, White and Black (1970)
Memorable lines:
Sgt. Robertson: “Don’t you get any fancy ideas that because you’re wearing the cavalry uniform, people are gonna like you. Because they ain’t. The Mexicans are gonna hate you cause you’re part of the American government. Texans, some of them are gonna hate you cause you’re black, some cause you’re wearin’ the union blue. The Indians are gonna hate you because you’re soldiers. And if you do anything to cross me, you’re gonna hate yourselves for bein’ born.”
Pvt. Armstrong: “How do you know it was white men (who stole Indian ponies)?”
Walking Horse: “Footprints.”
Sgt. Hatch, watching Julie walk away: “Been looking at that girl a long time. Don’t know why I ain’t said nothing go her. Guess I must like her. Sergeant, what’s she like in the hay>”
Sgt. Robertson: “I find that very distasteful. Now you get that wagon out of hear.”
Sgt. Hatch: “Ssh. White folks listenin’. They might think black folks don’t get along.”
Cesar Romero as Col. Grierson, commander of Fort Davis in The Red, White and Black (1970)
Barbara Hale as Alice Grierson, wife of Col. Grierson in The Red, White and Black (1970)
Bryd Holland as the sutler in The Red, White and Black (1970)
Steve Drexel as Capt. Louis Carpenter in The Red, White and Black (1970)
){kind=link}