Kattiera Nana I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

PodBill Just what I expected

Seraherrera The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

bkoganbing Rod Cameron and the then married team of Joanne Dru and John Ireland star in Southwest Passage about an expedition to test the feasibility of using camels in the American Southwest. Purportedly after the experiment was eventually dropped and the camels turned loose on the Arizona desert descendants of them even now can be spotted to this day every now and then.Rod Cameron plays the real life character of western explorer Edward Beale who in his life also had naval service and eventually got to be Ambassador to the Hapsburg Empire. I think his life would make one fascinating movie myself, the real story. But here he's on a surveying party with camels, mules, and horse and the human participants are soldier, muleskinners and a few Arabs. Add to them a fugitive John Ireland posing as a doctor and his girlfriend Joanne Dru as someone they rescue in the desert you've got quite a mix facing the Apaches who eventually turn hostile.Ireland has just robbed a bank and bottom feeding muleskinner John Dehner recognizes him. He also recognizes he's got needs when he sees Joanne Dru. She takes a liking to Cameron. The real Beale was a married man so there's no hint of reciprocation. But Ireland is not a happy camper.There's a nice desert shootout with the Apaches which must have been something in the original 3-D this was shot in. Southwest Passage is a nice action packed most adult western where the camel experiment is just a side note. Nothing whatever to do with the really fascinating career of Edward Fitzgerald Beale.

bsmith5552 The "Southwest Passage" of the title is an government sponsored expedition across a desert in hopes of finding a shorter route to California. The trek led by Ed Beale (Rod Cameron)is also testing the feasibility of using camels as they had proved capable of traveling for long periods with little or no water in their home lands.The story opens with bank robbers Clint McDonald (John Ireland), Lilly (Joanne Dru) and her brother Jeb (Daryl Hickman) being pursued by sheriff Kenneth MacDonald and his posse. When Jeb is wounded Lilly brings a tipsy Doc Stanton (Morris Ankrum) to tend his wounds. Clint learns that the Doc is scheduled to join Beale's expedition. He decides to impersonate him and joins up with the expedition with Lilly joining him later.This picture was filmed at the end of the 50s 3D craze so most of the film is designed to show off the usual 3D "comin' at ya" effects such as rifles pointed at the screen, a bull whip cracking in your face, a pitch fork, an Indian attack etc. etc.As for the story which makes minimal use of the camels, the deception of Clint posing as a doctor takes up most of the plot. Mule skinner Matt Carroll (John Dehner) learns of the deception and blackmails Clint. Meanwhile, Clint is forced into using his "skills", as we knew he would be on the trail guide, grizzled side kick, comic relief Tall Tale (Guinn "Big Boy" Williams).Although Cameron is top billed, the story centers on the Ireland and Dru characters. Coincidently, they were married at the time. Cameron appeared in a similar role the following year in Republic's "Santa Fe Passage".Given the nature of Ireland's character, I found that the "happy" ending of the story to be a little too Hollywood. But nonetheless the overall film makes for an entertaining 75 minutes.

alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) Average western originally made in 3D where Rod Cameron is leading a caravan that among horses and mules,also uses camels. They are joined by outlaw John Ireland who poses as a doctor and his girlfriend, Joanne Dru. Dru and Ireland are the real stars of the film, their relationship gets into a crisis because of Dru's admiration of Cameron. Ireland convinces them that he is a doctor up to the point where he has to amputate a man's arm. They are followed by Native Americans that at the beginning believe the camels are gods, and don't attack. The story, by Harry Essex, who wrote such good screenplays as "The Lonely Man" and "The Sons off Katie Elder" deserved a better treatment.

TedMichaelMor Making the film must have taken great effort with location shooting in Utah. I would like seeing it in 3-D; the colour is vivid, well saturated. Director Ray Nazzaro knew his business; writer Harry Essex was not as skillful. The plot works but the dialogue often sounds silly.The cast with beautiful Joanne Dru, her husband John Ireland, and Ron Cameron, along with excellent stock actors make watching this movie fun. You realise that actors like John Dehner, Darryl Hickman, and Stuart Randall enriched many films and television programs we enjoy.I almost forgot about the camels while watching the movie. The hook works, I suppose, but that is not what makes it work. The fine cast, good direction, interesting photography, crisp editing, and great location do.I enjoyed watching this movie.