I think that this movie has been very much underrated and over criticized.As far as they way the actors speak, it is simply not practical to give them all lessons in how people spoke in those days.And many of the audience would't understand a lot of the dialog. After all, movies about Rome aren't made with everyone speaking Latin. As far as the way Claire Trevor dressed, well there is plenty of evidence that women on the fringes of civilization often dressed "practical",particularly young tomboyish ones Some people have referred to George Saunders as a "villain". Which he is not,Brian Donlevy and his men are the villains. He does cause trouble by his obvious contempt for the "yokels", and his insistence of going strictly by the book. But there is no doubt that if he had known Donlevy was violating the law by carrying forbidden goods,misusing his permit, that he would have arrested him on the spot. That is the one weak point in the plot. If when the fort surrendered, instead of having the troops march out and grabbing Donlevy and his men, Smith had exposed the whiskey kegs in the flour barrel and other frauds, the farmers could have left the fort and left Saunders in charge. Once Saunders had seen that Donlevy had deceived General Gage, and was desecrating the Royal permit in that way, he would never have protected the culprits.He was an honorable man, just stiff necked. He would have swallowed his pride and done his duty. This is a rousing movie about its times,and well captures the spirit that the colonials showed in those last days before the Revolution,and I think that it should not be judged too harshly on some of its technical shortcomings.
Review of Allegheny Uprising
