Directed by William Cameron Menzies & based on a story by Civil War author Hollister Noble, this movie has nothing to do with drums. Not even, one scene with drum boy. Instead, the movie tells the story of a small group of Confederate soldiers leaded by Maj. Clay Clayburn (James Craig) trying to mount, cannons onto a mountain, before a Union railroad convey comes to help burn the city of Atlanta, down. Without spoiling the movie, too much, I have to say, the original titled of this film, 'The Confederate Story' suite it better. However, it's hard to root for these protagonists. Not only, are they fighting for the wrong side, and clearly, had slaves on their cotton farm; but they're kinda self-centered jerks trying to commit adultery while the husband is fighting armies in Atlanta. They also seem to have a problem with caring for others. People die around them, and they barely show any reaction to their deaths. A good example of this, is the whole letter scene and a soldier falling down the cave. It seem like those scenes had didn't hold any water or weight to the characters. Another thing, so jarring about this movie, is how similar, the main characters are, to 1939's film, 'Gone with the Wind'. You really do see it, within the actor's performances. First off, James Craig is really trying too hard to evoke, Clark Gable in this film. While, he had success with his scenes of bravery to fight the war; sadly, he fails miserable as romantic lead, because he has little of Gable's well-crafted charm to back it up. Because of that lacking factor, you really don't feel any chemistry between him and Kathy Summer (Barbara Payton) at all. Then, there is Barbara Payton, whom comes off, as just depressing, stubborn, and evil looking. I was really hoping for a more heart-warming performance from her. It also sad to hear that at the time of the filming, Barbara has really sank deep into the bottle. You can really sense it, here with her, somewhat unemotional delivery and her bloated, blotchy appearance. Her eventual battles with alcohol and drug addiction, cost her everything. On May 8, 1967, the 39-year-old former starlet was found on the bathroom floor - dead from heart and liver failure. Despite the lack of mostly good acting in this. I found one actor to really shine, through this, and that was Guy Madison as Union Maj. Will Denning. You really feel the inner conflict, going through him. You see this man, sweat with every decision, he has to make. All, he wants to do is serve his country, but his friends happen to be for the other side. However, the DVD cover of this movie is a bit misleading. First off, Guy Madison is not the main lead in this film, he's more like a supporting character, and second off; his character doesn't arrive at the battle site, until the end of the 3rd act. I guess, the now new producers of this film, really wanted to target modern audiences, by making it seem that the movie is about Union forces, when it's not. I guess, it would make the film seem, better to sell to a general audience. It might seem like a smart marketing move to some, but for me. It's very sham-full deception. Since, the original producers, King Brothers Productions & RKO Pictures fail to renew the film's copyright. It resulted, with the film, falling into public domain, meaning that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of 'Drums of the Deep South'. Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely or badly edited. Since many of them, come from extremely poor quality, having been duped from second- or third-generation copies. Don't count on the audio and film footage to be good. My copy had awful loud echoing, static, and missing dialogue pauses. Not only that, but it had a lot of scratches, and discoloring in the film footage. Despite that, you can still, mostly see the wonderful recycle production design that William Cameron Menzies, use for this film, as well as producer, David O' Selznick's 1938's 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' & 'Gone with the Wind", here. Another thing that William Cameron Menzies did well, and pioneered, was the use of color in film for dramatic effect. You really do see it, here, in the models based on real-life, Wyoming location, 'Devil's Tower'. It was amazing. It's pretty obvious that director Steven Spielberg saw this movie and was "inspired" to use the Devil's Tower as a setting for 1977's 'Close Encounter of the Third Kind'. The mixer of real-life train scenes with model train explosions, was also well shot, well-edited, and well-made. The action scenes in the cave were also very intense to watch. The score by composer Dimitri Tiomkin, really provides the right amount of sound to the many battle or suspense scenes. However, I wish the movie was little more historic accuracy. A lot of their informative about how cannon fire, works, was a bit misleading. It doesn't help the fact that the author of the source material, was making things up as he goes, like when he said that Union General Sherman was having train being sent to him. In actual history General Sherman's troops advanced without a supply line and lived off the land until they conquered Atlanta, then continued to Charleston, South Carolina. This victory helped to reelect Lincoln and pretty much, help save the Union. So, to hear otherwise, it made for a very awkward watch. Overall: I have to say, this movie was mostly fine. Good, but nothing too memorable. An old gem, worthy of rewatching, despite some flaws. Check it out, if you're a huge Civil War fan.

Another treasure from the America One library of public domain movies! "Drums in the Deep South" looks like a good movie, but it lacks something a good movie must have: characters the audience can care about. I looked carefully for such characters, and couldn't find one. In fact, I hardly cared what happened to any of them, even when the would-be adulterous couple was blown up at the end of the movie! I really thought the Vile Yankee Devil was going to throw himself on the fuse wire to save his buddy; he looked ready to cry. But, no; the mountain blew up--where will the aliens land now? Curiously, though this tale is supposed to be in part about a love triangle, the husband-angle goes off to war and is NEVER seen again, but is mentioned briefly to be still alive! We're never ever given a reason why Kathy REALLY preferred Clay to Braxton; Brax used complete sentences, seemed to genuinely care for Kathy, appeared to have a practical attitude towards running pseudo-Tara, and there wasn't the faintest suggestion that Brax so much as ever said a cross word to Kathy. But off he goes and she forgets him, telling Clay to learn Spanish for California, implying that that is their next stop in life.This is exceeding strange for a movie made in 1951.If ONLY Kathy had known how KEWEL Brax was going to be in a few years when he morphed into Peter Gunn! Imagine Braxton returning home to Devastation, and lurid tales of fickle Kathy...but the movie was already too long...

The film deals with an old rivalry between two former West Point Academy roommates , under the present circumstances are on opposite sides in Georgia 1861 during the American Civil War (1861-1865) . War breaks outs , both of whom are Officers from Union (Guy Madison) and Confederation (James Craig) , besides they compete for the same woman (a gorgeous and blue-eyes Barbara Payton) and wind up in a military showdown . The film is a historical drama based on true facts which narrate the Sherman campaign over Georgia . The general established his reputation as a successful and relentless ruler , an advocate of total war he believed in bringing hostilities to a quick end inflicting the hell of war on the civil population , destroying goods , crops , public buildings and factories . On his 'March to the Sea' through Georgia , Sherman burned and destroyed on a sixty-mile-wide front . In the movie , Confederates put cannons in the Mountain of the Devil for attack supplies trains lead towards Atlanta and the Union soldiers use a big naval cannon .This historic drama takes parts from ¨Gone with the wind¨ , it packs a loving triangle with action , shootouts and suspense . The film is starred by Guy Madison , an usual Western actor as American as Spaghetti Western . Principal protagonist is Barbara Payton (she formerly acted in important films as ¨Dallas¨, ¨Only the valiant¨) as one of the saddest stories from dark chronicle Hollywood . Attractive blonde sexpot and her life eventually disintegrated , mostly for her own doings . She was the subject of a spread in Confidential Magazine in the early 1950s when then fiancé Franchot Tone allegedly caught in bed with Guy Madison . Tone later married her , despite of the indiscretion , in addition she had a tempestuous relationship with Tom Neal . But happened the downfall , her once enticing countenance now blotchy and once sensational figure now bloated , Barbara sank deeper into the bottle and had several brushes with law , among them public boozy , bad checks and ultimate prostitution . The 39 years former star was found on the bathroom floor . The picture is rightly directed by William Cameron Menzies , rather known as production designer such as ¨The thief of Bagdad¨ and ¨Gone with the wind¨ , and realized two Sci-fi classics as ¨Invasors of Mars¨ and ¨Things to come¨ .

Director William Cameron Menzies served up one of the worst movies about the Civil War aka The War Between the States aka The War of Northern Aggression ever made. In "Drums in the Deep South" the story begins in Georgia on the eve of the firing upon Fort Sumter at a plantation mansion that looks like a prefab golf clubhouse. West Point grad Braxton Summers (Craig Stevens) returns from a business trip with a gift for his seemingly adoring spouse, Kathy (Barbara Payton). He mentions that he's invited two academy classmates, Clay Clayburn (James Craig) and Will Denning (Guy Madison) for dinner. At the mention of Clay's name, Kathy freezes with the intense emotion of a failed Method actress, signaling that she and Clay have a shared past.An awkward dinner follows ended by the bellicose announcement that war has begun. Will is off to serve the Union, Clay and Braxton will fight for the South.Fast forward - literally - to 1864 and Kathy lives alone at the mansion with her uncle and an occupying Union outfit looking for her husband while also protecting a threatened rail line needed by GEN Sherman for his advance through the Peach State. The federal soldiers are shown as crude, even cruel, but Kathy knows how to deal with them.Then Clay arrives with orders to destroy Union rolling stock at a critical point called "Snake Gap." Interestingly, Union forces did take a Georgia pass named Snake Gap during Sherman's offensive but the story that follows has nothing to do with the Civil War reality.Clay, a major, has to get cannon to the top of a prominence from which he can blow up the Yankee trains. And who should be in command of the Union detachment tasked to destroy the Confederate unit? Why Will, of course (Guy Madison was a stock "B" film staple.)Clay also finds time to renew his acquaintance with Kathy who'll do anything for her beloved Confederacy. This being a 1951 flick and she being a fine Southern lady, they don't make love but her anguished concern for the absent Braxton's safety evaporates as she and Clay plan to head for bliss anywhere but in a war zone. And away from Braxton who might take umbrage at his wife's desertion with his classmate.The rest of the story is silly and the military action is unbelievable, indeed impossible. The film is a rushed muddle of stereotyped roles and predictable outcomes.And, on top of that, the DVD transfer is very poor with washed out color, blurred dialog and text that doesn't fit the TV screen.Dimitri Tiomkin's score is good but nowhere near his best.Skip this one-"The Horse Soldiers" with John Wayne and William Holden is infinitely better, a fine example of this genre.4/10.