A rogue trapper (Victor Mature) on the North American frontier is convinced to become a scout for a local military fort, only for its callous commanding officer (Robert Preston) to return from the field with a plan to wipe out the local Native American community. To complicate matters, the trapper has already fallen for the colonel’s wife (Anne Bancroft).

Anthony Mann’s 1955 western The Last Frontier is a mean, muscular work in which cruel men fight one another across a cruel wilderness. Entirely by accident I have been watching a number of westerns released in 1955; this review follows looks at both Joseph H. Lewis’ A Lawless Street (link) and André De Toth’s The Indian Fighter (link). It is to my mind the strongest film of the three: its bleak, cynical details have allowed it to age the best, and Mature’s central performance as the flawed trapper Jed Cooper is a particular highlight.

There is a lot that The Last Frontier has in common with The Indian Fighter, in that both films take an active standpoint against unfettered colonial expansion and promote indigenous rights. As with The Indian Fighter, Native Americans are represented by white actors in make-up which is unfortunate but also typical of films made during this time. More interesting is seeing how a collective social conscience in the genre is beginning to address the issues involved. It may feel a little underdeveloped and simplistic, and in the case of The Last Frontier the ‘lawless savage’ myth is still very much in play, but every journey by necessity starts somewhere. What is particularly interesting is that Colonel Marston’s genocidal plans are not even driven by direct hatred of the local tribe, but rather by a misguided attempt at redemption. A mistake at the Battle of Shiloh cost Marston 1,000 men, and by massacring the locals he hopes to redeem his image in the eyes of his superiors.

Robert Preston is superb as Colonel Marston: his cruelty is self-evident, and there is fair evidence that he has not psychologically endured the Civil War well, but he also seems oddly reasonable and fair at unexpected times. When his captain (a solid Guy Madison) tries and fails to stage a mutiny, not only Marston forgiving he seems actively impressed. When given a choice between being abandoned to die or to sacrifice his principles, Marston chooses abandonment. It is a strong, powerful character who is well-balanced against Victor Mature’s more chaotic, unruly character. Anne Bancroft is excellent as Marston’s wife Corinna. She clearly loathes her husband, and while attracted to Jed Cooper she clearly loathes his more violent, callous edges as well.

Mann shoots The Last Frontier on location in Mexico and in a vivid Cinemascope presentation. The film’s violent climax is effective and dramatic in this format. The narrative is well-edited to a tight 98-minutes. While the conclusion may tie things together a little too neatly for comfort, for the majority of its length The Last Frontier is a dark, textured little gem.