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The Command ()

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An army doctor, with no combat experience, is forced to take command of a cavalry troop escorting a wagon train through hostile Indian country when the unit's commanding officer dies.
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Cast

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Capt. Robert MacClaw
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Martha Cutting
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Sgt. Elliott
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Col. Janeway
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Pvt. Gottschalk
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Dr. Trent
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2nd Lt. O'Hirons (as Bob Nichols)
Don Shelton ...
Maj. Gibbs
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carl Andre ...
Trooper (uncredited)
Emile Avery ...
Outrider (uncredited)
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Trooper (uncredited)
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Infantryman (uncredited)
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Capt. Forsythe (uncredited)
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Webb (uncredited)
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Sergeant Major (uncredited)
Richard Boyer ...
Infantry Sergeant (uncredited)
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Indian Brave (uncredited)
Mack Chandler ...
Infantry Lieutenant (uncredited)
Joseph Costarella ...
Giacomo Pallegrini (uncredited)
Russell Custer ...
Trooper (uncredited)
Slim Gaut ...
Twist (uncredited)
John Gifford ...
Davis (uncredited)
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Infantry Lieutenant (uncredited)
Wes Hudman ...
Trooper (uncredited)
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Trooper (uncredited)
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Pvt. Nikirk (uncredited)
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Trooper (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan ...
Cpl. Fleming (uncredited)
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Bit (uncredited)
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Infantryman (uncredited)
Phil Rich ...
Settler (uncredited)
Ronald Shuan ...
Sentry Infantryman (uncredited)
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Sgt. Maj. Jason (uncredited)
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Trooper (uncredited)
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Mrs. Pellegrini (uncredited)
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Trooper (uncredited)
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Indian Chief (uncredited)
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Screaming Indian (uncredited) (archiveSound)
Zacharias Yaconelli ...
Mr. Pellegrini (uncredited)

Directed by

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David Butler

Written by

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Russell S. Hughes ... (screen play by) (as Russell Hughes)
 
Samuel Fuller ... (adaptation by)
 
James Warner Bellah ... (novel "Rear Guard")

Produced by

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David Weisbart ... producer

Music by

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Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by

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Wilfrid M. Cline ... director of photography

Editing by

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Irene Morra

Art Direction by

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Bertram Tuttle

Set Decoration by

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William L. Kuehl ... (as William Kuehl)

Makeup Department

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Gordon Bau ... makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Philip Quinn ... assistant director (as Phil Quinn)
Oren Haglund ... assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Stanley Jones ... sound
Ed Scheid ... sound editor (uncredited)
Robert G. Wayne ... sound editor (uncredited)

Stunts

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Charles Haefeli ... stunt stand-in (uncredited)
Sailor Vincent ... stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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J. Peverell Marley ... additional photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Moss Mabry ... wardrobe

Music Department

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Ray Heindorf ... musical director

Script and Continuity Department

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Irva Mae Ross ... script supervisor (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Ben Corbett ... technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Just before dying from wounds received in a skirmish with Indians Capt. Forsythe orders his cavalry troop's doctor, Capt. Robert MacClaw, to take command. His men don't like it and think that Sgt. Elliott should have been put in temporary command until they reach the Fort. MacClaw admits he knows little of battle tactics but takes charge only with the promise that he will do the best he can. If anything, the men are embarrassed at having such an inexperienced man leading them and MacClaw agrees not to let on that he's a doctor. When they arrive at a staging post they are ordered by the Colonel in command of a group of infantry to escort a wagon train of settlers moving west. There may be smallpox among them however and MacClaw is caught between his promise to his men and the demands of Martha Cutting who is trying to deal with the epidemic. Written by garykmcd

Plot Keywords
Taglines The Story of the Unconquerable! See more »
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Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Rear Guard (United States)
  • La poursuite dura sept jours (France)
  • Retaguardia (Spain)
  • Den sidste kommando (Denmark)
  • L'invasore bianco (Italy)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 94 min
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Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia There's a scene where Indians are attacking the wagons full of soldiers and one Indian gets shot off his horse, then is run over by a wagon drawn by four horses (at about 1 hour, 19 minutes). That wasn't a planned stunt--he was supposed to be "shot" and fall off the side of his horse, but the horse unexpectedly reared back and dumped him into the path of the wagon, which ran over him. He suffered numerous broken bones and ribs, but the scene was left in. See more »
Goofs In 1876 the single-shot Springfield Model 45-70 1873 rifle was the standard US Army infantry rifle, as identified by Captain MacClaw when he picks up an abandoned one. The cavalry used a single-shot carbine version of the Springfield 1873. Yet the final battle sequences show both the infantry and the cavalry troopers exclusively using Winchester or Henry style lever action repeating rifles, even though these weapons were never Army issue. See more »
Movie Connections Referenced in Lucky Me (1954). See more »
Quotes Sgt. Elliott: Never say an injun is dumb. He just waits for the chance to use his one good cavalry tactic: ring around and close in.
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