Alongside with The Gunfighter, the other western which Gregory Peck made in the early 1950s, this one against his will, was Only the Valiant, a low-budget movie, produced by James Cagney’s younger brother.
Peck disliked the script and would later label this movie as the lowest point of his career.
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Peck’s non-exclusive contract with David O. Selznick permitted Selznick to loan him out to other studios, and Selznick sold his services to Warner for this movie, after running into financial difficulties.
The movie’s plot is common and familiar: “an unpopular strict leader assembles together a rag-tag group of men and leads them on an extremely dangerous mission, turning them into a well-oiled fighting machine by the end and earning respect along the way.
In this variation of the plot, Peck portrays a U.S. army captain and the mission is to protect an undermanned army fort against the attacking Apache.
The romantic interest of Peck in the movie was lesser-known, troubled Barbara Payton.
Variety’s review said “In this cavalry yarn … great pains have been exerted to provide interesting characters. Peck makes the most of a colorful role.”
Only the Valiant did fair business at the box office, earning $5.7 million in receipts, ranking 35th for the year of 1951.
This little-remembered picture is not even included in most film guides, although Peck’s acting is still regarded as professional and impressive.
Credits:
Directed by Gordon Douglas
Written by Charles Marquis Warren (novel)
Screenplay by Edmund H. North, Harry Brown
Produced by William Cagney
Cinematography Lionel Lindon
Edited by Walter Hannemann, Robert S. Seiter
Music by Franz Waxman
Production company: William Cagney Productions
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date: April 21, 1951
Running time: 105 minutes
Budget $1,499,000
Box office $3,085,000; $2 million (US rentals)
