Drums in the Deep South

Two former West Point classmates meet again as opposing officers during the American Civil War, when a Confederate attempt to cut a Union railroad supply line leads to a battle for a mountain position. A woman from their shared past, now married to a Georgia plantation owner, is drawn back into the conflict as well.

Drums in the Deep South is a 1951 American action drama with historical and Western elements, produced by RKO Radio Pictures with King Brothers Productions and running 87 minutes. It was directed by William Cameron Menzies, whose earlier feature work includes Things to Come (1936) and Address Unknown (1944); the film sits between those titles and Invaders from Mars (1953) in his directing career. The screenplay is by Philip Yordan and Sidney Harmon, with Frank and Maurice King producing. The cast is led by James Craig as Maj. Clay Clayburn, Guy Madison as Maj. Will Denning and Barbara Payton as Kathy Summers, alongside Barton MacLane, Robert Osterloh and Tom Fadden.

The film holds a rating of 5.8 out of 10 on IMDb across 499 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 5.3 out of 10 from 12 votes. Both figures point to a modest overall response, with the larger IMDb sample suggesting a middling reception rather than a strongly favourable one.