Last Stand at Saber River

Plot synopsis:
As America recovers from the Civil War, Paul Cable (Tom Selleck) returns home to Texas after being away from his family for years while fighting for the Confederacy. His wife, Martha (Suzy Amis), is a pretty but strong-willed frontier woman, whose independence makes her a force in and of herself. She had been told that he was killed in action. Upon her husband's unexpected return, she once again devotes herself to being his wife, but resents him for having left her and their children behind to fight a war she didn't care to understand.
Despite having loved each other since childhood and being married, Paul and Martha are now like strangers to each other, and the tension between them is evident. During his absence, their youngest daughter died from a fever, and Martha, having borne that without him, has developed a hatred for her husband. Her father, James Sanford (Harry Carey Jr.), scolds her for her attitude toward Cable, but she stands her ground, never backing down from her stance on the subject. Her father knows her well, and subsequently leaves the subject alone.
Cable decides he will return to Arizona and reclaim the ranch he owns there. The family members, consisting of Paul, Martha, and their daughter and son, load up their belongings, bid farewell to Martha's father, and make their way to Arizona. While en route, they come into contact with Lorraine Kidston (Tracey Needham), the beautiful ramrod cowgirl daughter of rancher Duane Kidston (David Carradine). During the night, horses headed by her men accidentally stampede through the Cables' camp, leading Paul and Martha to scold the men. Lorraine agrees that her men were foolish to run the horses at night, and scolds them. Through this interaction, the cowhands and Lorraine learn that the man in front of them is, in fact, Paul Cable. They had been told that he was dead, and since then, her father has assumed control of Cable's ranch.
Lorraine's father, Duane Kidston, is a former Union Army soldier, as is his brother Vern (Keith Carradine). They have little use for former Confederates, and feel that Cable's ranch now belongs to them. Upon reaching the ranch, Cable confronts the Kidston men staying in his house. However, when one man attempts to draw on Cable, he is shot and killed by Martha Cable, who is in the dark shadows.
The shooting leads to an ongoing feud between Paul Cable and the Kidston men, during which several of Kidston's hired guns are killed by Cable. Vern and Lorraine Kidston, however, begin to sympathize with the Cables, feeling it is better to simply return the ranch to them and let things be. Duane disagrees, but relents to his daughter and brother's wishes. In the end, the real threat to the Cables' new life in Arizona does not come from the Kidstons, but from a one-armed Confederate sympathizer and former soldier, Edward Janroe (David Dukes), who kills Duane, an event for which Cable is blamed.
Despite everything pointing to Cable as Duane's killer, not even Duane's brother Vern believes it. Janroe kidnaps Cable's daughter as security during an illegal gun transaction with Mexican bandits. Cable and Vern team up and chase down Janroe, killing him, then get involved in a shootout with the bandits. Cable eventually asks Vern to take his daughter out of harm's way, which Vern does. Cable then takes on the remaining bandits alone, with them eventually just deciding to take the guns from Janroe's wrecked wagon and leave.
Cable returns home wounded, where he is nursed by Martha, who has finally learned to accept him as he is. She decides to forgive him, forget all the animosity between them, and love her husband again.

Tags: violence

Review:
Tom Selleck made a couple of made-for-cable TV westerns that were very good, and this is one of them.
The always-reliable Selleck is convincig in the lead role and Suzy Amis is fun to watch to in the corresponding female lead.
It's also kind of neat to see a very young Haley Joel Osment two years before he became famous in "The Sixth Sense."Once again, as these westerns tend to be, the viewer is treated to some beautiful scenery and in addition, a good story of a man taking taking family back home to Arizona - not the north or south - after the Civil War and not finding a nice welcome from the home folks.In this film, we also get two Carradines: David and Keith, villains but not as despicable as many are shown in other westerns.
The Carradine family has produced some really fine actors over the years.It's just another one of these solid, relatively-unknown westerns that I am glad to discover.
Although made for television, this is an excellent western; far better than the usual fair one finds on the tube.
I bought the DVD after watching Selleck in Crossfire Trail, The Sacketts, and The Shadow Riders .
No doubt about it: Tom Selleck makes a Hell of a cowboy!
The plot has been described in previous reviews so there is little point in repeating what has already been said.The actors are uniformly fine especially Suzy Amis, Keith and David Carradine, and Tracey Needham.
Haley Joel Osmet was also fine in a relatively minor (but important part)and Rachel Duncan was marvelous as Cable's daughter Clare (watching her ride side by side with Selleck on a horse drive mimicking his actions is great fun).
I have to also mention western character actor extraordinaire' Harry Carey, Jr., who was fine as Cable's father-in-law in an all too brief roll at the beginning of the movie Carey was once a member of John Ford's stock company with John Wayne, Ward Bond, and many other western genre greats.In a sense this is an anti-war movie as it certainly does not glorify the Civil War (or the War for the Southern Confederacy).
The confederate gun runner offered a accurate statement when he said that war changes men and that it makes those who survive killers.
I thought Selleck's portrayal as Cable and Keith Carradine as Vern Kidston were right on target.
Calling Vern a bad guy is hardly accurate and frankly, this is a movie with no quintessential bad guys with the possible exception of David Dukes as Edward Janroe.
Janroe, an ardent Confederate nationalist, however is far more of a tragic figure having lost the use of his right arm in the war and remaining extremely bitter as a result.
The ending of the war in favor of the north seems to have caused Janroe to lose his senses...a tragic (bot hardly sympathetic) figure indeed.In sum, this movie has enough action to keep it exciting but it is honestly a human interest movie about how war effects those who participate in it and those left behind.
I thought this was a darn good western.
Keith Carradine was really good you see why their back in Monty Walsh.
A good plot and running story line.
David Carradine always as weird as ever playing Duane.
I like the scene where Paul Cable sits on the porch with riders coming up slightly pulls his gun out from the holster for a quick draw and cocks his Henry rifle.
I also notice Comet rides again from Brisco County Jr. It looks like that horse that Tom rode was what Brisco rode too.
A good movie won't be disappointed..
Tom Selleck joined forces with Turner Pictures for 3 westerns.
this was the first of the 3 (Crossfire Trail, Monte Walsh).this has a great plot as Selleck's character, a former confederate soldier returns home and things are what they should be.
Deserves more recognition.
It may be a 'made for TV' movie but this is about as good as a Western can get.
It should definitely receive more recognition than it does.
Perhaps it's movie snobbery because it was made for TV, maybe people don't like Ted Turner or Tom Selleck - who knows?This is one of those DVD's that doesn't come down in price too often - a sign of a good film.
Cohen form the novel of the same name written by Elmore Leonard.It stars Tom Selleck, Suzy Amis, Tracey Needham, Keith Carradine, David Carradine, Haley Joel Osment and Rachel Duncan.
Texas remains deeply committed to the Confederate cause."Nicely mounted Oater from the tail end of the Civil War, Last Stand at Saber River does, however, suffer from predictability.
Selleck is Paul Cable, who is back from fighting for the Confederates in the war, he finds that his family thought he was dead and his homestead has been claimed by Union men.
A feud ensues between Cable and the Kidston family, while Cable and his wife Martha (Amis) struggle to reform their love in a haze of confusion and bitterness.
Cue some Western movie staples that file in and out of the plot and a finale that turns on an unlikely character switch around.
The war's over but the killing don't stop.Characters are nicely drawn, though, with the script allowing some mature conversations and themes to be born out within the plot.
Selleck manfully carries the film on his tall frame, he looks the part and conveys great acting skills with face and body.
Rest of cast are up to a required TV Western standard, with Amis standing out by expertly portraying guts and emotional turmoil without histrionics.
A good and safe time filler for the Selleck and TV Western watchers, but it really doesn't linger in the memory once the predicted ending has closed.
Elmore Leonard wrote Westerns before he started writing crime novels.
Last Sand at Saber River is about Paul Cable, (Tom Selleck,) a former Confederate soldier, who returns home to his ranch in Arizona, only to find it occupied by Union sympathizers.
Cable and his family have to fight to get their home back.
It's another movie based on an Elmore Leonard story.
It's another movie based on an Elmore Leonard story.
All right, without giving away much of the plot, Cable is a Civil War veteran who headed to Texas to join the Confederate Army, and according to the story.
Story of a Confederate soldier returning home..
This movie is based on an Elmore Leonard novel, but don't expect the usual high quality of dialog that makes Leaonard stories stand out.
Tracey Needham is good in a supporting role.
Tom Selleck is always believable as a cowboy hero..
Last Stand At Saber River finds Confederate veteran Tom Selleck mustered out of the army a few months before the end of the Civil War come home to his family in Texas to start his life again.
The problem is that a family of Unionists played by David and Keith Carradine and Tracy Needham are sitting, nay squatting on the land that was his.
As he's recently been making war on the US government, Selleck's rights and title to the land are in question.
Forms the basis for the conflict throughout the film.Selleck's wife is Suzy Amis and during the war she lost a child which Selleck finds out on his return.
They've got their problems to get through as well including the eternal one of the veteran coming home and just wanting to get back to civilian life.Playing the small role of Amis's father is Harry Carey, Jr. for whom this is his last screen role.
He's reason enough to see this film which in the old days would have had theatrical release.Last Stand At Saber River is a good made for TV western and fans of Tom Selleck should approve..
How The West Was Won meets Annie Get Your Gun. The secret of a watchable western is a rugged cowboy and his 'Annie get your gun' moll/wife, a wild west terrain, spectacular scenery and a story like this of a returning "reb" soldier having to make peace with himself, his family and then be involved in a land dispute etc or whatever with the Yankie occupiers.It is also about people coming to terms with the new order of things if they can.I like a good Western and this is one even though the tale is in some respects often weak and far fetched yet the stunning scenery and great photography makes up for that, so this is worthy of at least: 6/10.
One of Tom Selleck's best Westerns.
Released to TV in 2007 and directed by Dick Lowry based on Elmore Leonard's novel, "Last Stand at Saber River" is a Western starring Tom Selleck as Cable, an aging Confederate who knows the cause is lost and thus comes home prematurely in the last couple months of the war (1865).
He picks up his wife, Martha (Suzy Amis), and two kids (Haley Joel Osment & Rachel Duncan) in west Texas and proceeds to their small ranch in Arizona, which they discover has been confiscated by Union settlers.
David Carradine and Keith Carradine play the pro-Union antagonists, one bad and the other reasonable.
Tracey Needham is on hand as the former's daughter while David Dukes appears as a shady Confederate gunrunner.This is a solid Selleck Western with a unique plot and awesome New Mexican cinematography.
Cable and Martha have an interesting and satisfying story arc, as does the character played by Keith Carradine, at least as far as a secondary character goes.
Needham stands out as the minxish babe while the revelation about the Confederate die-hard isn't surprising.
This is a quality modern Western about making a bold stand when you have to, doing what's right even when you feel like doing what's wrong, confessing past mistakes or regrets and moving on, inner healing, living and let living.
There are numerous tense standoffs and brief thrilling shootouts.The film runs 95 minutes and was shot in Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Santa Clara & Valle Grande, New Mexico.GRADE: Borderline A-/B+.
Except for 127 hour this is the most boring movie I ever have seen.At first it looks quite interesting, but then it go down of a bad slope.Nothing really happened, the go home to the state and conversation with on another.
If you want entertainment, go look another tittle, there such much other great movies and great western you can see..
"Last Stand at Saber River." Sounds desperate, like a Three Mesquiteers movie from the 1930s.
Actually there is no last stand, and if Saber River was ever mentioned I missed it.It's 1865.
The Civil War is about over and a bearded, filthy Tom Selleck who fought for the Confederacy rides home after three years to his family in Texas.
His schoolteacher wife, Suzy Amis, and his two young children are waiting for him.
He kinda runs things and his men have taken over Selleck's dilapidated homestead.
The General Store is owned by an unregenerate Southerner who welcomes Selleck as a fellow-in-arms.
I can't find the guy's name in the cast list, although he gives one of the best performances in the movie.It sounds like a simple-minded contest of good against evil.
In some ways it even LOOKS like it, because some of David Carradine's men have obviously been hired for their appearances, with the evil already punched in.But it's more subtle than that.
And there's a sub plot involved the "running" of cattle and/or horses and/or guns back and forth to Mexico.
David's brother, Keith Carradine, has a bit more perspective than the rest of the clan and changes sides.
When the war ends, the manager of the general store, who has been a friendly figure, goes ape.
And there's a final shoot out that leaves Selleck wounded and the bad guys routed.
This happens to me all the time but I find it harder to walk away than Selleck does.Suzy Amis is just about right for the part of the hardened frontier wife.
I'm surprised Tom Selleck hasn't made more theatrical release Westerns.
"Quigley Down Under" (1990) was pretty good, and I enjoyed his TV movie "Crossfire Trail" (2001).
Going back in time to 1982, "The Shadow Riders" didn't really resonate with this viewer, but it did have some good cinematography.This story has Confederate war veteran Cable (Selleck) conflicted over his role in the War Between the States, while his wife Martha (Suzy Amis) has her own issues to work through, as the couple embark on reclaiming their Arizona homestead from Union sympathizers encroaching on their land.
That subtext added a compelling backdrop to the story, rather than having just a wild shoot 'em up Western in which the lead hero takes out all the bad guys.
In fact, even the bad guys here have some redeeming qualities; Vern Kidston (Keith Carradine) has a change of heart when he learns that shopkeeper Janroe (David Dukes) is playing both sides against each other for his own personal gain.I kept a close eye on the two kids, the actors Rachel Duncan and Haley Joel Osmont really looked like they could have been brother and sister, so that was pretty good casting there.
Clare Cable (Duncan) did a real good job as well while herding those horses, she looked like a pretty fair cowgirl when all was said and done.The one thing that gets me though, going as far back as movies of the 1930's, is when a runaway wagon suddenly breaks away from a team of horses to head on over a cliff while someone aboard is saved just in the nick of time.
It occurred here and looks spectacular, but how does that happen for real is what I'd like to know..
Superior complex Civil War-western, emphasizing family.
Of the 3 films in my Tom Selleck westerns DVD collection, this is clearly the most complex and interesting to me, if not to many reviewers.
In fact, I regard it as probably the most interesting Civil War-related western I have seen!
The opening scene, at the crack of dawn, with cowboys chasing horses, and a dramatic sky, is a great way to begin a film: much like the beginning of "The Cowboys", for example.
Selleck's character, Paul Cable, has his hands full, having initial problems getting reacquainted with his wife and small children after returning from the war(he was reported dead), as well as problems with his Union and Confederate-supporting neighbors who won't let him forget the nearly over war which he wants to put behind him immediately.
Sometimes, he regrets deciding to accept the request for him to help the Confederate cause.The actors were all great, and include both the Carradine brothers as the Yankee Kidston brothers, and Harry Carry, Jr., in a small role as wife Martha's gunsmith father, who decides to remain in his home in Texas when the others try to reclaim their abandoned ranch in Arizona(which was part of NM territory when the war began).
Cable's two young kids are cute and occasionally play a small role in the drama.
Suzy Amis was great as Cable's frontier-independent, sharpshooting wife, Martha, who has been emotionally scarred by the death of their two -year old, and claims that Cable isn't the same man she married.Besides his occasional problems with 2 women, Cable has to deal with 3 successive enemies.
First, the Yankee Vern and Duane Kidston brothers, plus hands, who took over the Cable's ranch in their absence and affiliation with the Confederates, and believe the Cables have no further claim to it.
Later, he has to deal with the initially friendly Confederate gun runner Janroe, who turns feral as the war ends, being unsuccessful in trying to convince Cable to join him.
Janroe had lost the use of his left arm from a battle wound, which perhaps has accentuated his determination to continue serving the Confederate cause to the bitter end as a non-soldier.
The chase of Janroe and his Enfield rifles toward Mexico includes several dramatic incidents, alternatively handled by Verne or Cable.
Lastly, Cable has to survive an ambush by a gang of Mexicans who want the Enfield rifles Janroe initially was expecting to send to the Confederates.
This war was going strong when the war between the states was winding down.Much of the film deals with the gradual switching of sides of the gradually depleted Kidston bunch with the simultaneous gradual falling out of favor of Janroe with the Cables.
Janroe's wife is the second significant woman in the story, becoming friendly with Martha and her children.
Janroe shoots her just before leaving for Mexico with his Enfields.
Apparently, because she found out that he didn't tell Cable the war was over, like he promised, and because she came to believe that he, not Cable, killed Duane Kidston, after learning the war was over.I don't believe it's ever clearly established whether Cable was a deserter, or whether he was officially reported as dead to allow him to go home: probably the latter....
Of course, Cable and Martha rigorously stuck by this code, which eventually impressed their adversaries sufficiently to cause them to become friendly.About midway, Lorraine(Tracy Needham): the saucy independent-minded tomboy daughter of Duane, makes a play for Cable, showing up at his cabin after Cable had sent his family to the Janroes for safety.
Not clear if she was looking for a one-night stand, trying to break up Cable's marriage to weaken his position against her father's family(as she once suggested) or hoping to replace the seemingly troubled Martha as his wife.
Perhaps , she was satisfied in confirming her suspicion that Cable was sexually attracted to her, and willing to wait and see what would happen between Cable and Martha, before making more moves....
She initially made a splash leading a strange nocturnal horse drive during a thunder storm, which happens to go right through the Cable's camp, on their way from Texas, knocking over their wagon.