Red Mountain

Red Mountain

Year: 1951

Runtime: 84 mins

Language: English

Directors: John Farrow, William Dieterle

Western

In the waning days of the American Civil War, a Confederate captain escapes to Colorado and joins a ruthless band of Southern mercenaries. When a gold‑prospecting couple becomes caught up in his plans, the husband is blamed for a murder he actually committed, thrusting the innocent pair into danger as the raiders spread terror across the West.

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Timeline & Setting – Red Mountain (1951)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Red Mountain (1951). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1865

The story unfolds in the Civil War's immediate aftermath, a time when loyalties are divided and frontier towns rely on vigilante justice. Quantrill's Confederate raiders invade the West, spilling over into mining camps and creating constant danger. Makeshift rescues, ambushes, and brutal confrontations typify the period's rough justice.

Location

Colorado, Red Mountain

Red Mountain in Colorado serves as a rugged frontier town centered around a gold mine. The landscape features rocky canyons, cabins, and a cave that becomes a hideout, underscoring the harsh, isolated setting. This frontier town hums with prospectors, raiders, and a military presence, reflecting the era's lawlessness.

🏜️ Western frontier 🪙 Gold mining town 🏔️ Mountain terrain

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:38

Main Characters – Red Mountain (1951)

Meet the key characters of Red Mountain (1951), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Lane Waldron

A gold mine owner whose claim that the assayer tested his sample prompts his actions; he denies shooting the assayer despite the murder he’s suspected of. Captured and wounded, Lane clings to the belief that his mine will secure his future, even as events threaten to strip him of everything. In the end, dying, he wishes for Chris and Brett to have his gold mine, revealing his tragic mix of greed and stubborn pride.

🪙 Greed 🧭 Self-interest 🔗 Deception

Brett Sherwood

A Confederate captain who rescues Lane and becomes a complex ally to Chris. He is capable, resourceful, and driven by a mix of duty and personal loyalties, frequently navigating between the war’s politics and the needs of the people around him. Brett ultimately ends Quantrill's threat, showing a decisive, protective side amid the frontier chaos.

🪖 Loyalty 🗡️ Duty

Chris

Lane's sweetheart who harbors grievances against the rebels, partly because Quantrill’s raids killed her family. She assists in the efforts to free Lane and Brett, shares difficult conversations about war and loyalty with Brett, and acts decisively when danger comes, including shooting a raider to warn the approaching army. Chris embodies resilience and pragmatic courage in a volatile landscape.

🧭 Loyalties 💔 Love 🛡️ Courage

Gen. William Quantrill

Leader of the raiders who ambush the group and seize captives. Quantrill embodies the war's ruthless pragmatism, using cunning setups and intimidation to further his objectives and complicate the protagonists’ rescue attempts. His eventual confrontation with Brett provides a climactic clash that tests every character’s resolve.

⚔️ Rebel 🧭 Strategy

Dr. Terry

The town doctor who treats Lane’s injuries, operating under the tense conditions of a frontier frontier operation. He becomes a target in the chaos surrounding Quantrill's ambushes, and his escape with Brett is a crucial moment for saving Lane’s life and leg.

🩺 Doctor 🕯️ Medicine

Ute Indian

A Native ally involved with Quantrill that participates in the broader raid, underscoring the multi-front nature of the frontier conflict. He is one of the attackers in the cave ambush where Lane is shot, and his actions are central to the film’s climactic violence.

🪶 Indigenous Ally 🛡️ Raider

Sgt. Skee

A tough, pragmatic sergeant who represents the military presence pursuing Quantrill's men and recovering order in the aftermath of raids. He embodies the frontier’s rough, procedural response to lawlessness.

🔫 Lawman 🗡️ Vigilant

Old Posse Member

A veteran figure of the posse who contributes to the pursuit and the tense moral atmosphere of frontier justice. He reflects the seasoned, wary attitude of frontiersmen who have faced repeated threats.

👤 Old Posse

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:38

Major Themes – Red Mountain (1951)

Explore the central themes of Red Mountain (1951), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🪖 Loyalty

War memories strain personal bonds as Brett's Confederate past collides with Chris's anti-Quantrill stance and Lane's self-serving motives. The trio's loyalties are tested through rescues, betrayals, and uneasy alliances. The narrative probes who remains reliable when the fighting ends and the gold fever remains.

💎 Greed

Lane's gold mine is the central lure driving most decisions, from deception to capture and rescue. Greed motivates risk-taking and the manipulation of others, often at the cost of safety and trust. The story asks whether wealth can coexist with honor in a world ruled by violence.

🗡️ Revenge

The pursuit of vengeance threads through Quantrill's ambushes and the personal clashes that follow. Brett's lethal actions against Quantrill punctuate the cycle of retaliation born from war. Violence acts as a catalyst that reveals true motives and pressures characters toward drastic choices.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:38

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Red Mountain Summary

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Red Mountain Summary

Red Mountain Timeline

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Red Mountain Timeline

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