Warner Bros. Pictures
Not part of a collection.
Springfield Rifle
The Gun... The Girl... They Made One Man The Equal Of Five!
Major Lex Kearney, dishonourably discharged from the army for cowardice in battle, volunteers to go undercover to try to prevent raids against shipments of horses desperately needed for the Union war effort. Falling in with the gang of jayhawkers and Confederate soldiers who have been conducting the raids, he gradually gains their trust and is put in a position where he can discover who has been giving them secret information revealing the routes of the horse shipments.
- Original title
- Springfield Rifle
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- —
- Revenue
- —
CinemaSerf
Jul 2, 2026 · via TMDB
With all the pomp and ceremony of a dishonourable discharge, "Kearney" (Gary Cooper) is drummed out of his regiment for having a much broader yellow streak on his trousers than usual. Leaving in disgrace, he is soon embroiled with some horse thieves, led by the aptly named "McCool" (David Brian), who have been helping themselves - thanks to a bit of insider information - to herds intended for the Union Army and selling them instead to some Johnny Rebs. It takes him a while, but gradually "Kearney" begins to earn a position of trust within this gang thanks to his considerable logistical skills - but is all as it appears to be? There's something of another 1952 film - "Against All Flags" to this, as we fairly quickly guess his motives and purpose and appreciate that this is a much more subtle Civil war movie extolling the virtues of espionage and subterfuge. Cooper thrives here as his character provides plenty of fisticuffs, but also just a little more of the cerebral for us too. It's probably Lon Chaney Jnr though who steals the acting plaudits as his odious henchman "Elm" quite successfully manages to get under just about everyone's skin and Phyllis Thaxter's game effort as "Erin", a wife with plenty of starch in her corset, has also a bit more substantial a role than many of the more damsel-in-distress parts usually assigned to women in westerns. It does sag a little in the middle and is perhaps a bit over-written, but as we build to the denouement there is plenty of action, lots of duplicity, some burning bushes and - of course - evidience that the newly designed Springfield Rifle is something the Yankee cavalry need to have.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Gary Cooper
Maj. Alex 'Lex' Kearney
Phyllis Thaxter
Erin Kearney
David Brian
Austin McCool
Paul Kelly
Lt. Col John Hudson
Philip Carey
Capt. Edward Tennick
Lon Chaney Jr.
Pete Elm
James Millican
Matthew Quint
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams
Sgt. Snow
Alan Hale Jr.
Mizzell
Martin Milner
Pvt. Olie Larsen
Wilton Graff
Col. George Sharpe
George Eldredge
Judge Advocate (uncredited)
Fess Parker
Jim Randolph (uncredited)
Ewing Mitchell
Capt. Spencer (uncredited)
Richard Hale
Gen. Halleck (uncredited)
James Brown
Pvt. Ferguson (uncredited)
Michael Chapin
Jamie Kearney (uncredited)
Ben Corbett
Sergeant Major (uncredited)
Vince Barnett
Cook (uncredited)
William Fawcett
Cpl. Ramsey (uncredited)
Edward Hearn
Calhoun (uncredited)
Mike Ragan
Red (uncredited)
Nedrick Young
Sgt. Poole (uncredited)
Artie Ortego
Spectator at Ceremony (uncredited)
Poodles Hanneford
Cpl. Hamel (uncredited)
George Sowards
Trooper (uncredited)
Jack Tornek
Trooper (uncredited)
William Steele
Trooper (uncredited)
Philo McCullough
Barfly (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford
Barfly (uncredited)
Rory Mallinson
Barfly (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey
Barfly (uncredited)
Ray Bennett
Commissioner (uncredited)
Kit Guard
Barfly (uncredited)
Jack Mower
Guard (uncredited)
Edwin B. DuPar
Director of Photography
Ted Mapes
Stunts
Ben Corbett
Technical Advisor
André de Toth
Director
Max Steiner
Original Music Composer
Charles Marquis Warren
Screenplay
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Oct 22, 1952
New York City, New York
Oct 25, 1952
