Customer Reviews

Allegheny Uprising

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have to admit it. John Wayne made a LOT of "generic" westerns.

This hides the fact that he really DID provide some STELLAR performances.
And this is one of them.

ALLEGHENY UPRISING, Stagecoach, The Searchers, Back To Bataan and True Grit are ALL John Wayne at his best.

He got the Oscar for Best Actor in "True Grit" but he deserved it more for his performance in "The Searchers." a movie in which he portrays a man dead-set on EVIL revenge.

Allegheny Uprising presents John as an early colonist (before the American Revolution). It tells a fascinating tale of when we were all proud to call ourselves "British" citizens.

No cheesy shootouts or costumes...but an intricate portrayal of the building of our Nation.

Newly out on DVD...it's well worth a watch!

This is an enjoyable movie set in Colonial America, and it seems fresher for that reason than maybe it really is. But the story is good, managing to be both patriotic and cynical, until a limp ending.

John Wayne battles Loyalist George Sanders and corrupt trader Brian Donlevy, who is selling arms to Indians, under the *protection* of Sanders. So Duke does what Duke does so well, busting up the shipment and seeing that the values of Western Civilization prevail. Then the movie ends not with a shootout or tomahawk battle, but rather with well-acted yet shallow courtroom intrigue. Sigh.

Still, another thing that makes this movie better than the plot might otherwise allow is the charismatic Claire Trevor, beautiful even in what is basically a throwaway tomboy role. Let’s call her the Duchess, at least for the purposes of this movie; not because she was in very many notable westerns or had any particular tie to the Duke, but because she was such a consummate performer that she could hold her own in a scene with him, as she did in Stagecoach.

Another point this film serves to illustrate is how even programmers like this one had better scripts than most anything produced today. Despite the lopsided story, it is evident that great care was given to the dialogue, and much devotion given to performances.

In summation: Generally more entertaining than Drums Along the Mohawk; not better, mind you, just more entertaining.

We enjoyed our copy of Allegheny Uprising that was recently purchased on Amazon. We are history buffs, so picking up a few more facts about about US history pleased us. However, the Claire Trevor character was totally un-necessary! We wondered what movie she was acting in because her part didn't fit in at all. Here were these colonial characters talking and then Trevor starts talking a la 1930s movie style. Great for 1939, but not for the 1700s! Kinda reminds one of the bouffant hairdos on the 1960s tv shows like "The Big Valley"! Anyway, if you want something with a plot and is interesting, buy it. Especially if you want to just relax and not worry about something distasteful popping up on the screen -- it won't. Just phase out the Trevor character!

I had never heard of this movie before reading about it on Amazon. It sounded good and I took a chance. I won! This is an early John Wayne movie, and some of those are not very good. This one is terrific! I loved the early American time period. The acting was very good, and the script--fresh. This is one of the better movies I've seen in a while. Watch it. You won't regret your time!

Not only is this film good entertainment it is based on historical fact. The Place Fort Loudoun does exist in South Central PA and Smiths rebellion actually did take place. Hollywood did take liberties as usual with certain things presented in the film but most of it is very sound. The events portrayed did not take place in the short time that Hollywood led you to believe in this film, but all did take place....

The same year Stagecoach was released, John Wayne and Claire Trevor teamed for another movie, Allegheny Uprising, that's almost completely forgetten in relation to the John Ford classic. In 1760 after three years in captivity by an Indian tribe, James Smith and his friend, the Professor, return home to find several tribes on the warpath. These Indians have been supplied with muskets, shot and powder, and tomahawks by a trader looking to make it big. Smith and his neighbors must figure out how to stop the traders before they too are attacked, all the while dealing with the British command nearby who thinks Smith and Co. want to destroy British goods. This isn't a great movie, but it's an exciting movie for a lazy Saturday afternoon. It's fun to see a movie set in the colonies before the Revolution, a period often ignored in movies.

Teaming up again, Claire Trevor, with top billing, and John Wayne lead the cast. Trevor is Janie MacDougall, a tomboy who's loved James Smith as long as she can remember and isn't about to let him slip away a second time. Wayne plays Smith, the tough leader of his valley trying to protect the community. The parts aren't as good as in Stagecoach, but the two still have good chemistry. George Sanders is very good as Captain Swanson, the commander of the British troops in the valley trying to figure out exactly what's going on. Brian Donlevy is excellent as Callendar, the trader selling guns and whiskey to the Indians, an evil bad guy role he played many times. The supporting cast includes Wilfrid Lawson as Mac, Janie's father who loves drinking and fighting, and John Hamilton as the Professor, Smith's friend who does all the talking. Also look out for a young Chill Wills as one of Smith's friends, that voice is instantly recognizable.

The DVD is a good buy although there's some odd features added. The movie is shown in a good-looking standard presentation, really nice considering it's 80 years old. The features include a 16-minute live action short film about the Bill of Rights and a WB cartoon, a "Merry Melodies," that's got nothing to do with the movie or the storyline. Maybe I'm missing something. Still, it's a good but not great John Wayne movie, so give Allegheny Uprising a try!

This movie is so good that I have seen it so many times on TV snd was thrilled to now have it on DVD. The action of the movie was great ! This is in the top 20 of my favorite movies.

THis was a ecellant movie of the duke in his prime. I would highly recommend this movie to not jus John Wayne collectors, but anyone who likes the movie of the old frontier.

I had this title on vhs and was up grading to dvd because this is an excelant movie

John Wayne, a very young John Wayne, is animating (giving some life to) the situation exposed in the film : the unacceptable duplicity of the English, and particularly English soldiers and English businessmen in the territory of New York before the Independence of the USA. The businessmen want to make a profit from both the settlers and the Indians by selling both camps anything, even arms. The soldiers want to establish their own peace that is founded on the integration of Indians in their own scheme which is to control the territory more than govern the people : if they have to encourage the Indians in their skirmishes and wars to control the settlers, they will do it. If they have to encourage the settlers in their anti-indian attitudes and posses they will do it. The best situation from their military point of view is to encourage both camps into constant war because then they may appear as the intermediary or go-between, the peace maker or at least the peace keeper between the two camps, and the English Crown may find its interest in both camps. That is true if you do not take into account the wider perspective that the settlers represent and independence is already in their minds.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU