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The Raid
(1954)
Anne's Niche: Actress
Character: Katy Bishop
Cast and Crew
Newspaper Clipping
My Too Cents: This movie barely held my interest. Starts out
saying it's a true story about some civil war event. I couldn't sit still
through this, it wasn't good at all. Watch it if you want to see Anne dressed
up in civil-war-rich-yankee-widow clothes.
Synopsis:
___Heflin is a Confederate
officer who escapes a Northern prison camp with some of his men. They flee
to Canada, where they reorganize and plan to strike the Union from the north,
hoping to draw forces away from the main fighting. Heflin disguises himself
as a Canadian businessman and goes to the sleepy Vermont town of St. Albans
to scout it, taking up residence at a boarding house run by widow Bancroft,
with whom his relations become something more than formal. When the time
comes for his plan to swing into action, Heflin is stymied by the
unexpected arrival of a column of Union cavalry. Hotheaded rebel
officer Marvin wants to fight them, and his recklessness endangers
the whole mission until Heflin shoots him. The raid is delayed 48
hours, then goes off as planned; the bank is robbed, and the town
ransacked and set ablaze. Helfin leaves a note for Bancroft,
apologizing and telling her that what he did was for the Confederacy.
This interesting action film is based on a real incident from 1864.
Heflin was at the peak of his popularity, and he contributes a
subtle and effective performance here, taking a character that
is ostensibly the story's villain and effectively showing his
conflicted loyalties and the difficulties of command. A number
of other performances are also arresting. Boone scores as a
veteran Union soldier who has lost his arm to the war. Marvin's
rambunctious rebel and Bancroft's kindly landlady are similarly
effective. Direction by Fregonese is tight and strong, much aided
by the somber camerawork.
(TV Guide)
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