Southwest Passage

{{Short description|1954 film by Ray Nazarro}} {{hatnote|For the Southwest Passage around the Americas to China and the Spice Islands, see [[Straits of Magellan]].}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Use American English|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox film | image = Southwest Passage poster.jpg | alt = | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = [[Ray Nazarro]] | producer = [[Edward Small]] | writer = [[Harry Essex]] | narrator = | starring = {{Plainlist| * [[Rod Cameron (actor)|Rod Cameron]] * [[Joanne Dru]] * [[John Ireland]] }} | music = {{Plainlist| * [[Arthur Lange]] * [[Emil Newman]] }} | cinematography = [[Sam Leavitt (cinematographer)|Sam Leavitt]] | editing = [[Grant Whytock]] | studio = [[Edward Small Productions]] | distributor = [[United Artists]] | released = {{Film date|1954|4|1}} | runtime = 75 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }}

'''''Southwest Passage''''' is a 1954 American [[Pathécolor]] [[Western film]] directed by [[Ray Nazarro]] and starring [[Joanne Dru]], [[Rod Cameron (actor)|Rod Cameron]] and [[John Ireland]], who are determined to make a unique trek across the west, using camels as his beasts of burden. The picture was originally released in [[3-D Film|3-D]].

==Plot summary== With $20,000 in stolen gold, Clint McDonald, his girl Lilly and wounded brother Jeb head for the hills, just ahead of a posse. Lilly goes to town to find a doctor for Jeb, then returns with the best she can find, Dr. Stanton, a drunken veterinarian.

Clint becomes aware of a camel-led caravan being led by Edward Fitzpatrick Beale and decides to join it, taking Dr. Stanton's medical kit and pretending to be him. Lilly rides up later, claiming to be separated from a wagon train, but Jeb dies from his injuries.

Mule skinner Matt Caroll is at odds with Clint from the beginning, becoming attracted to Lilly and suspicious of Clint's skill as a doctor. After scout Tall Tale is bitten by a gila monster and needs a limb amputated, Clint's true identity is revealed and Beale makes him leave. Carroll follows, after the gold, but Clint kills him. Clint repents to Beale by leading the caravan to water and helping fend off attacking Apache braves. He reunites with Lilly and vows to return the gold.

==Cast== * [[Rod Cameron (actor)|Rod Cameron]] as [[Edward Fitzgerald Beale]] * [[Joanne Dru]] as Lilly * [[John Ireland]] as Clint McDonald * [[John Dehner]] as Matt Carroll * [[Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams]] as Tall Tale * [[Darryl Hickman]] as Jeb * [[Stuart Randall (actor)|Stuart Randall]] as Lt. Owens * [[Mark Hanna (screenwriter)|Mark Hanna]] as Hi Jolly * [[Douglas Fowley]] as Toad Ellis * [[Morris Ankrum]] as Doc Stanton

==Production== Parts of the film were shot in Johnson Canyon and Coral Pink Sand Dunes in [[Utah]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=D'Arc |first=James V. |title=When Hollywood Came to Town: A History of Moviemaking in Utah |date=2010 |publisher=Gibbs Smith |isbn=9781423605874 |edition=1st |location=Layton, Utah}}</ref>

==Notes== *Navajo Indians from Utah played Apaches in the film. John Ireland and Joanne Dru were husband and wife when this film was made.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Southwest Passage |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/20986/southwest-passage#notes |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240813021316/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/20986/southwest-passage |archive-date=2024-08-13 |access-date=2025-07-06 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]]}}</ref> *This used to be one of only two feature films for which the original 3-D elements are lost, the other being ''[[Top Banana (film)|Top Banana]]'' (1954). However, 3-D Film Archive founder Bob Furmanek has confirmed that the four missing reels from the right side were located in a UK film lab in 2018 by Darren Gross of MGM. The UK lab had acquired the inventory of a bankrupt Italian lab, and the reels in question had been labeled as "Camels West", which Darren knew to be the film's UK title. The film is now slated to be restored by the 3-D Film Archive and released on Blu-ray 3D in 2024 by Kino Lorber.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 18, 2023 |title=Blu-ray Forum - View Single Post - Golden Age 3-D Features |url=https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=20813846&postcount=4655 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250607120837/https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=20813846&postcount=4655 |archive-date=2025-06-07 |access-date=2025-07-06 |website=Blu-ray.com}}</ref> *The film was originally known as ''Camel Corps''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 29, 1953 |title=Movieland Briefs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-movieland-briefs/176100082/ |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |page=B6 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

==See also== * [[List of incomplete or partially lost films]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb title}} * {{TCMDb title|20986}}

[[Category:1954 films]] [[Category:1954 Western (genre) films]] [[Category:1954 English-language films]] [[Category:American 3D films]] [[Category:1954 3D films]] [[Category:American Western (genre) films]] [[Category:Films directed by Ray Nazarro]] [[Category:Films produced by Edward Small]] [[Category:Films scored by Emil Newman]] [[Category:Films scored by Arthur Lange]] [[Category:United Artists films]] [[Category:Films shot in Utah]] [[Category:1954 American films]] [[Category:English-language Western (genre) films]]