Five Confederate soldiers have deserted — hence the term Yellowneck — and are trying to make their way through the Everglades to the ocean. They quickly discover the guide they paid for is either phony or has been killed by the Seminoles.
So they begin they journey through the forest on their own, with Sgt. Todd (Lin McCarthy) serving as their leader. And they soon discover the Seminoles aren’t their only concern. There are all sorts of threats in this jungle-like environment — rattlesnakes, alligators, quicksand and wildcats.
Then there’s the inevitable infighting among the five. Oh, the Kid gets along with everyone well enough; he even admires the sergeant. But Plunkett has a small stash of gold in his belt that Cockney wants. An everyone resents the colonel, who apparently got drunk during the Battle of Murfreesboro and has no desire to lead this band of riff-raff.
Review:
Original subject matter helps, but this is a dreary film and most of the hazards encountered by the small party are pretty predictable.
What strikes one as more authentic is the fact that no one really wants to lead this small outfit, not the colonel or the sergeant. Both are weary of the responsibility that goes with command.
This marked the first feature film for McCarthy, who had a long career as a character actor in TV shows. Courtleigh also did most of his work on TV; this was his only film. Berry Kroeger had a long career in TV and film that ended in 1983 with a bit part on the hit series “WKRP in Cincinnati.”
Directed by:
R. John Hugh
Cast:
Lin McCarthy … Sgt. Todd
Stephen Courtleigh … The Colonel
Berry Kroeger … Plunkett
Harold Gordon … Cockney
Bill Mason … The Kid
Al Tamez … Seminole
Jose Billie … Dead body
Runtime: 83 min.
Memorable lines::
Sgt. Todd to The Kid: “You shouldn’t have followed me kid. You shouldn’t have started running. I’ve been running ever since I knowed how. Running from everything I never liked. Yeah, I reckon there ain’t much to like around in this world. I’ve been running so long, I don’t know how to stop … You can’t run away from yourself. Don’t run away from nothin’, kid. It don’t do no good.”
Colonel to Sgt. Todd: “If I wanted to lead, I’d be back fighting the war. If I wanted to lead, I wouldn’t want miserable, quavering, filth-infested scum like this in my command. You lead, Mr. Todd. I’ll just come along. I prefer it that way.”
Sgt. Todd to the Kid: “There ain’t much time for bravery between a gunshot and the time it hits.”
The Kid: “They (the men in his unit) was brave. I know they was.”
Sgt. Todd: “Alright, so they were brave. They ran up and tickled a Yankees’ nose before they got their heads blown off. Being brave didn’t keep them alive did it. Maybe I’m sick of hearing about brave men. Tired of hearing about the way they die. Tired of hearing them scream and seeing them fall.”
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