Last Stand at Saber River
Encyclopedia
Last Stand at Saber River is a 1997 television movie
starring Tom Selleck
, based on the 1959 novel of the same title by Elmore Leonard
. Directed
by Dick Lowry
, the film also featured Suzy Amis
, Haley Joel Osment
, Tracey Needham
, Keith Carradine
, David Carradine
, and Harry Carey Jr..
In 1997, Osment won a YoungStar Award award for Best Performance for a TV Movie. In 1998, the film brought Selleck, Leonard, Lowry, Ronald Cohen, Thomas John Kane, Keith Carradine, Michael Brandman, Mary Ann Braubach, and Stephen J. Brandman Western Heritage Awards.
, Paul Cable (Tom Selleck) returns home to Texas
after being years away from his family fighting for the Confederacy. His wife, Martha (Suzy Amis
), is a pretty but strong willed frontier woman, whose independence makes her a force in of herself. She had been told that he was killed in action. Upon his unexpected return, she devotes herself once again to being his wife, but resents him for having left her and their children behind to fight a war she didn't care to understand. Having loved each other since childhood, the two now, though married, are like strangers, and the tension between them is evident. During his absence, their youngest daughter had died from fever, and Martha, having borne that without him, has developed a hatred for her husband. Her father James Sanford (Harry Carey Jr.) scolds her for her attitude toward Cable, to which she stands her ground, never backing down from her stance on the subject. Her father knows her well, and lets the subject alone.
Cable decides he will return to Arizona
and reclaim the ranch he owns there. The family, consisting of Cable, Martha, and their daughter and son, load up what belongings they have, bid farewell to her father, and make their way to Arizona. While en route they come into contact with Lorraine Kidston (Tracey Needham
), the beautiful cowgirl ramrod daughter of rancher Duane Kidston (David Carradine
). While camped at night, horses headed by her men run stampede through Cable's camp, accidentally, leading Cable and Martha to scold her men. Lorraine agrees that her men were foolish running horses at night, and scolds them also. Through this interaction, the cowhands and Lorraine learn that the man in front of them is in fact Paul Cable. They had been told he was dead, and since that time her father had assumed control of Cable's ranch.
Lorraine's father, Duane Kidston, was a former Union
soldier, as was his brother Vern (Keith Carradine
). They had little use for former Confederates, and felt that Cable's ranch now belonged to them. However, upon reaching the ranch, Cable confronts the Kidston men staying in his house, when one attempts to draw on him he is shot and killed from the dark shadows by Martha Cable.
This leads to an ongoing feud between Cable and the Kidston men, during which time several of Kidston's hired guns are killed by Cable. Vern Kidston and Lorraine Kidston, however, begin sympathizing with the Cables, feeling it is better to simply return the ranch to them and let things be. Duane disagrees, but relents to his daughter and brothers wishes. In the end, the real threat to the Cables' new life in Arizona does not come from the Kidstons, but from a one-armed Confederate sympathizer and former soldier, Edward Janroe (David Dukes
), who killed Duane, for which of course Cable is blamed.
Despite everything pointing to it being Cable who killed Duane, not even Duane's brother Vern believes it. In the end Janroe kidnaps Cable's daughter as security during an illegal gun transaction with Mexican
bandits. Cable and Vern team up and chase down Janroe, killing him, then shooting it out with the bandits, eventually with Cable asking Vern to take his daughter out of harm's way, which Vern does. Cable takes on the remaining bandits alone, with them eventually just deciding to take the guns from Janroe's wrecked wagon and leave.
Cable returns home, wounded, where he is nursed by Martha, who has finally learned to accept him how he is, and to forgive and forget all the animosity between them and love again.
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
starring Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
, based on the 1959 novel of the same title by Elmore Leonard
Elmore Leonard
Elmore John Leonard Jr. , better known as Elmore Leonard, is an American novelist and screenwriter. His earliest published novels in the 1950s were westerns, but Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures.Among his...
. Directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Dick Lowry
Dick Lowry
Dick Lowry is an American director and film producer.-Productions:*1980: Kenny Rogers as The Gambler *1983: Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues *1983: Smokey and the Bandit Part 3...
, the film also featured Suzy Amis
Suzy Amis
Susan Elizabeth "Suzy" Amis is an American former film actress and former model.-Career:Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Amis first worked as a Ford model before she began acting in the 1980s. She made her feature film debut in the 1985 comedy film Fandango, opposite Kevin Costner...
, Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump playing Tom Hanks' title character’s son, Osment rose to fame with his performance as Cole Sear in M...
, Tracey Needham
Tracey Needham
Tracey Needham is a Texas-born American actress best known as Paige Thatcher on Life Goes On during the series' second to fourth seasons , and then on the first season of JAG as Lt. Meg Austin .-Biography:...
, Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
, David Carradine
David Carradine
David Carradine was an American actor and martial artist, best known for his role as a warrior monk, Kwai Chang Caine, in the 1970s television series, Kung Fu, which later had a 1990s sequel series, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues...
, and Harry Carey Jr..
In 1997, Osment won a YoungStar Award award for Best Performance for a TV Movie. In 1998, the film brought Selleck, Leonard, Lowry, Ronald Cohen, Thomas John Kane, Keith Carradine, Michael Brandman, Mary Ann Braubach, and Stephen J. Brandman Western Heritage Awards.
Plot
As America recovers from the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Paul Cable (Tom Selleck) returns home to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
after being years away from his family fighting for the Confederacy. His wife, Martha (Suzy Amis
Suzy Amis
Susan Elizabeth "Suzy" Amis is an American former film actress and former model.-Career:Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Amis first worked as a Ford model before she began acting in the 1980s. She made her feature film debut in the 1985 comedy film Fandango, opposite Kevin Costner...
), is a pretty but strong willed frontier woman, whose independence makes her a force in of herself. She had been told that he was killed in action. Upon his unexpected return, she devotes herself once again to being his wife, but resents him for having left her and their children behind to fight a war she didn't care to understand. Having loved each other since childhood, the two now, though married, are like strangers, and the tension between them is evident. During his absence, their youngest daughter had died from fever, and Martha, having borne that without him, has developed a hatred for her husband. Her father James Sanford (Harry Carey Jr.) scolds her for her attitude toward Cable, to which she stands her ground, never backing down from her stance on the subject. Her father knows her well, and lets the subject alone.
Cable decides he will return to Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and reclaim the ranch he owns there. The family, consisting of Cable, Martha, and their daughter and son, load up what belongings they have, bid farewell to her father, and make their way to Arizona. While en route they come into contact with Lorraine Kidston (Tracey Needham
Tracey Needham
Tracey Needham is a Texas-born American actress best known as Paige Thatcher on Life Goes On during the series' second to fourth seasons , and then on the first season of JAG as Lt. Meg Austin .-Biography:...
), the beautiful cowgirl ramrod daughter of rancher Duane Kidston (David Carradine
David Carradine
David Carradine was an American actor and martial artist, best known for his role as a warrior monk, Kwai Chang Caine, in the 1970s television series, Kung Fu, which later had a 1990s sequel series, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues...
). While camped at night, horses headed by her men run stampede through Cable's camp, accidentally, leading Cable and Martha to scold her men. Lorraine agrees that her men were foolish running horses at night, and scolds them also. Through this interaction, the cowhands and Lorraine learn that the man in front of them is in fact Paul Cable. They had been told he was dead, and since that time her father had assumed control of Cable's ranch.
Lorraine's father, Duane Kidston, was a former Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
soldier, as was his brother Vern (Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
). They had little use for former Confederates, and felt that Cable's ranch now belonged to them. However, upon reaching the ranch, Cable confronts the Kidston men staying in his house, when one attempts to draw on him he is shot and killed from the dark shadows by Martha Cable.
This leads to an ongoing feud between Cable and the Kidston men, during which time several of Kidston's hired guns are killed by Cable. Vern Kidston and Lorraine Kidston, however, begin sympathizing with the Cables, feeling it is better to simply return the ranch to them and let things be. Duane disagrees, but relents to his daughter and brothers wishes. In the end, the real threat to the Cables' new life in Arizona does not come from the Kidstons, but from a one-armed Confederate sympathizer and former soldier, Edward Janroe (David Dukes
David Dukes
David Coleman Dukes was an American character actor.-Life:Dukes was born in San Francisco, California, the son of a highway patrolman...
), who killed Duane, for which of course Cable is blamed.
Despite everything pointing to it being Cable who killed Duane, not even Duane's brother Vern believes it. In the end Janroe kidnaps Cable's daughter as security during an illegal gun transaction with Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
bandits. Cable and Vern team up and chase down Janroe, killing him, then shooting it out with the bandits, eventually with Cable asking Vern to take his daughter out of harm's way, which Vern does. Cable takes on the remaining bandits alone, with them eventually just deciding to take the guns from Janroe's wrecked wagon and leave.
Cable returns home, wounded, where he is nursed by Martha, who has finally learned to accept him how he is, and to forgive and forget all the animosity between them and love again.