In this traditional, no-nonsense western, Gregory Peck plays a cavalry commander whose harsh methods make him less than popular with his men, though everyone pulls together heroically when the Apaches gather at the mountain pass. It's based on a novel by Charles Marquis Warren and is clearly influenced by earlier westerns, most notably Red River and Fort Apache. Peck has a decent role as the martinet officer, and the supporting cast includes such familiar faces as Ward Bond and Jeff Corey.

Only the Valiant, a classic western adventure, based on a novel by Charles Marquis Warren, the film tells the story of a Cavalry officer who volunteers for a suicidal mission to fight the hostile Apaches in an effort to prove his loyalty to his men and the woman he loves.