Western

Pillars of the Sky

Universal International Pictures

United States of America

English

Jeff Chandler

Dorothy Malone

Ward Bond

Keith Andes

Lee Marvin

Sydney Chaplin

Willis Bouchey

Michael Ansara

Olive Carey

Charles Horvath

Orlando Rodríguez

Glen Kramer

Floyd Simmons

Pat Hogan

Felix Noriego

Paul Smith

Martin Milner

Robert Ellis

Ralph Votrian

Walter Coy

Alberto Morin

Richard Hale

Frank De Kova

Terry Wilson

Philip Kieffer

Gilbert Conner

Marshall Green

Russell A. Gausman

Rosemary Odell

Oliver Emert

Joseph Gershenson

Leslie I. Carey

Frank H. Wilkinson

Bud Westmore

Joan St. Oegger

Harold Lipstein

Heck Allen

Sam Rolfe

George Marshall

Bill Newberry

Alexander Golitzen

Polly Burson

Robert Arthur

William Lava

Heinz Roemheld

Milton Carruth

Luanna Sherman

**_Cavalry vs Indians in 1868 by the Snake River with Jeff Chandler_**

Near the Oregon Trail in what is now southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon, tribal leaders are upset by the movements of a new cavalry officer and his troops, which break the treaty. An established First Sergeant whom the Indians trust (Chandler) tries to keep the peace, but war is inevitable. Lee Marvin is on hand as a young sergeant while Michael Ansara plays a hostile chief.

"Pillars of the Sky" (1956) came in the tradition of John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy from 1948-1950 and the ensuing “Warpath,” as well "The Last Frontier" (aka "Savage Wilderness"). While it’s arguably just as worthwhile as the Cavalry Trilogy in its own unique way, it’s not as compelling as the other two.

Some of the key actors playing American Indians are Lebanese, Latino, Tennessean, and a New Yorker, but one is a Kickapoo and there are some other genuine Indian peripherals. Overall, their depiction is well done. Meanwhile Chandler’s character is supposed to be an alcoholic, but he doesn’t look or act like a typical functioning alcoholic, such as Ulysses S. Grant. Actually, Jeff is towering and god-like as the commanding noncommissioned officer, despite his drinking.

There’s a love triangle thrown into the mix involving Chandler, Dorothy Malone and Keith Andes. While this might cause some eye-rolling, I’m pretty sure there were one or two love triangles during the decades of the Indian Wars. Speaking of rolling your eyes, there’s some lame (and incongruous) comedy involving a raw recruit and his horse, but it’s so minor it can be overlooked.

The best thing about this Western is the superb authentic locations and the muscular action. But I also liked the emphasis on Christianity with Ward Bond playing the missionary-physician. You’d never see this today, of course, as it’s a great sin now to show Christianity in a positive light. Get real.

It runs 1 hour, 26 minutes (the version I watched), and was shot in northeast Oregon at Joseph and nearby Wallowa Lake, as well as LaGrande, which is to the west of there. Studio scenes were done at Universal Studios in the Los Angeles area.

GRADE: B-

PILLARS OF THE SKY(1956) Trailer

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Pillars of the Sky

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Cast

Jeff Chandler

Dorothy Malone

Ward Bond

Keith Andes

Lee Marvin

Sydney Chaplin

Willis Bouchey

Michael Ansara

Olive Carey

Charles Horvath

Box office

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