Springfield Rifle - Warner Archive Collection

After saving a town that wouldn’t step in to help him, Gary Cooper followed up his Oscar-winning turn in High Noon with another dusty sagebrush Western, Springfield Rifle. Directed by the cycloptic visionary Andre De Toth, the film is a clever blend of genres, offering Civil War action, Old West-style rustling, political intrigue, and a smattering of romance for extra flavor. It’s certainly not Gary Cooper’s best film, nor is it De Toth’s finest, but it’s a slick adventure worth riding the trail for. 

In this film, Gary Cooper shines his boots as Union Cavalryman Major ‘Lex’ Kearney. With the war between the Union and the Confederacy raging on, his frontier post is tasked with bringing in thousands of fresh horses for the war effort. But somehow, Confederate-backed bushwackers always remain three steps ahead, outflanking every delivery and making off with each herd. On the latest drive, Kearney is faced against a far superior attacking force. Rather than risk the lives of his men, he abandons the herd. Drummed out for cowardice by career-focused Captain Tennick (Philip Carey), Kearney must find a way to figure out how the Union is being betrayed and clear his name. 

There’s more to Springfield Rifle than that, but plot-wise, that’s all you need to know without drifting into serious spoiler territory. Overall, this is a fun, fine Western adventure - but it’s not altogether surprising. As the film centers around the internal spycraft and intrigue of Civil War strategy, there’s a mystery angle that is tantalizing, but it feels undercooked. Plot and character reveal amount to “well, who else is left to be the bad guy?” Then there’s the title focusing on a historically important piece of military hardware. It’s a point that’s brought up early, forgotten about for 90% of the film, and then brought up again as a matter of plot armor and title justification in time for the climax. 

But, faults aside, this is an enjoyable excursion. Frank James Cooper delivers his standard Gary Cooper performance. Affable and fearless, Cooper shines in another standup role as Kearney. Philip Carey chews into his role as Tennick, enjoying his time as the internal antagonist with extra menace. Phyllis Thaxter is fine as Kearney’s semi-estranged wife Erin, but it’s a relatively thankless role. There’s a romance angle because every film of the period needed a romance angle, not because it actually serves a purpose in the story. For some extra flavor, Lon Cheny Jr. chimes in as one of the rustlers, and you can spot Alan Hale Jr. in the mix, too. The standout uncredited role goes to Fess Parker in a pre-Davey Crockett role as one of the bushwackers. 

Ultimately, the enjoyment of Springfield Rifle rests on Andre De Toth. This isn’t his finest Western, but it’s an energetic piece. De Toth knew when and how to exploit suspense beats and character relationships so that this thin thread of a plot had some urgency, leading to some exciting action beats. These sequences are beautifully staged with an impeccable sense of the "where" for the performers to occupy. The wrap-up might be a little too neatly knit together for some genre fans out there, but it’s a fitting conclusion for a story that’s in and out in under 95 minutes. 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
Springfield Rifle takes a shot at Blu-ray with a single-disc release from Warner Archive. Pressed on a BD50 disc, the disc is housed in a standard Blu-ray case replicating the classic poster artwork. The disc loads to a static image main menu with standard navigation options. 

In keeping with Warner Archive’s efforts, Springfield Rifle rides onto Blu-ray with a strong 1.37:1 1080p transfer reportedly sourced from a 4K restoration. This one might not always come in as crisp and clean as some other WAC releases, but it’s a very healthy presentation. The only aspect I feel holds this one back is the frames surrounding optical effects and transitions. It’s a common thing where the color can get a little washed out and the grain can thicken a bit; you see that a lot in older films, but it seems more noticeable here. Probably because the rest of the footage is so damn good looking. The biggest "offender" in this regard is the breakneck optically swirling court-marshall sequence, but once that's rolled out and Copper is yellow-tailed a coward, the image evens out and rides high. The fine details are often razor-sharp, and the colors are so vibrant and lifelike, these transitional moments stand out. Grain can slide from being nicely refined and cinematic to appearing a bit gauzy and out of place for those process shots. Not out of the ordinary for a nearly 75-year-old film, and still an overall impressive transfer.

On the audio side, the film is treated to a strong DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio mix. Dialog is strong and clear without issue. The Max Steiner score is a lovely accompaniment to the action and drama. I mean, it’s no Treasure of Sierra Madre or Now Voyager, but it’s good stuff. Sound effects are nicely prioritized, letting the quieter moments stand strong and help build drama or suspense, and then the big action comes in and fills the soundscape nicely. The track is clean, no issues, no hiss, no pops.

True to Warner Archive Collection, we get a mixture of extras. Nothing focused on the film itself, but another short and a pair of cartoons to pass the time. 

• So You Want to Enjoy Life (SD 10:59)
• Classic Cartoons:
• Rabbit’s Kin (HD 6:53)
• Feed the Kitty (HD 7:23)
• Trailer

There are good Westerns, there are bad Westerns, and then there are Westerns that just get the job done. Springfield Rifle is one that falls in the latter category. It’s a fine film that’s certainly entertaining and passes the time. However, it’s not Gary Cooper or Andre De Toth’s best. Realistically, it’s probably as good as it is simply because these two genre titans were involved. In the hands of other less-than talents and this film likely would have slipped by as another run-of-the-mill B-movie effort. Warner Archive gives this film a fitting and impressive 1080p release with a strong video transfer and great audio to match. Bonus features might not be much to speak of, but the cartoons are a hoot. Recommended