"Allegheny Uprising" is a spectacular saga with an outlandish setting, as it is set in an America pre-revolutionary, an America still under British rule. Sixteen years before the revolutionary war, in Pennsylvania valley, a group of British colonists spoke with guns in defend of liberty. This is the story of James Smith and his black boys, and a chapter of history long lost in the Allegheny mountains. It begins with an exchange of prisoners between the French and British. Canadian border 1759. Stars John Wayne as James Smith who battles against Delaware Indians, smugglers : led by Brian Donlevy, who are selling weapons and licour to Indians, and a tyrannical British commandant, George Sanders and his soldiers. As Wayne will stop at nothing to stop the bad guys sell guns to Indians.
This is an entertaining film with noisy action, battles, romance and comedy . After the hit of Stagecoach, RKO hurriedly put their new hero cowboy , The Duke John Wayne, and his partenaire Claire Trevor in another Western, but this time resulted to be a lesser effort. Pretty good man and support cast accompany the brave and stuborn protagonists. Not a bad movie, but not memorable, either, however, being entertaining enough . Wayne gives a nice acting as the frontiersman who clashes with a British commander in order to stop his injustice. His leading lady Claire Trevor provides a silly acting and overacting, at times, as the obstinate sweetheart chasing Wayne here and there. And notorious secondaries appearing, such as : George Sanders as British military commander, Brian Donlevy as the villain seller, Wilfrid Lawson, John Hamilton, Moroni Oldsen, Roger Barrat, Ian Wolfe, Eddie Quillan and a thin Chill Wills. It packs an atmospheric cinematography in black and white by Nicholas Musuraka, a bit later on, to become one of the best Film Noir cameramen as well as John Alton, John Seitz or Sol Polito. Furthermore, it delivers a thrilling and evocative musical score. The motion picture, lavishly produced by RKO/Pandro S. Berman, was regular but professionally directed by William A Seiter 1890-1964. He was a fine craftsman who diected films of all kinds of genres as drama, thriller , musical, Western, romantic comedy, such as : In person, Stowaway, Dimples, Room service, The moon's our home, Susannah of the Mounties, It is a date , Nice girl?, You were never lovelier, Lady takes a chance, Destroyer, Little giant, I will be yours, Up in the Central Park, One touch of Venus, Borderline, Make haste to live. Rating : 6/10. Decent, passable and acceptable, though very inferior to Stagecoach . Also available on horrible colorized version.
