Distant Drums (1951)

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Niven Busch (screenplay) and
Martin Rackin (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 December 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Western

Plot:

After destroying a Seminole fort, American soldiers and their rescued companions must face the dangerous Everglades and hostile Indians in order to reach safety

Plot Keywords:

Everglades | Fort | Scout | Florida | African American

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Capt. Quincy Wyatt
Mari Aldon	...	Judy Beckett - a prisoner of the Seminoles
Richard Webb	...	Lt. Richard Tufts
Ray Teal	...	Pvt. Mohair
Arthur Hunnicutt	...	Monk
Robert Barrat	...	Gen. Zachary Taylor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dany Aldon	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Mel Archer	...	Pvt. Jeremiah Hiff (uncredited)
Gregg Barton	...	Pvt. James Tasher (uncredited)
Beverly Brandon	...	Mme. Duprez (uncredited)
Bob Burns	...	Indian Boy (uncredited)
Sidney Capo	...	Indian Boy (uncredited)
Larry Carper	...	Chief Oscala (uncredited)
Larry Chance	...	Chief Oscala (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Sgt. Shane (uncredited)
Carl Harbaugh	...	M. Duprez (uncredited)
Kenneth MacDonald	...	General's Staff Officer (uncredited)
Warren MacGregor	...	Pvt. Sulllivan (uncredited)
Angelita McCall	...	Amelia (uncredited)
Darren McGavin	...	Navy Lt. (uncredited)
Lee Roberts	...	Pvt. Tibbett (uncredited)
George Scanlan	...	Bosun (uncredited)
Ginger Stanley	...	Extra (uncredited)
George Walsh	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Cpl. Peachtree (uncredited)
Sheb Wooley	...	Pvt. Jessup (uncredited)

Directed by
Raoul Walsh

Writing credits
Niven Busch		(screenplay) and
Martin Rackin		(screenplay)
Niven Busch		(story)

Produced by
Milton Sperling	....	producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Sidney Hickox		(as Sid Hickox)

Film Editing by
Folmar Blangsted

Art Direction by
Douglas Bacon

Set Decoration by
William Wallace

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist
Rudolph Liszt	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Russell Saunders	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Oliver S. Garretson	....	sound

Stunts
Slim Talbot	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marjorie Best	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Murray Cutter	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Mitchell Kovaleski	....	technicolor color consultant

Production Companies

• United States Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1952) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (VHS)
• Lions Gate Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (1952) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1952) (France) (theatrical)
• Olive Films (2012) (Canada) (DVD) (DVD and Blu-ray)
• Olive Films (2012) (USA) (DVD) (DVD and Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• National Park Service, The  this picture was photographed through the courtesy of (as The United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #15280) | UK:U | West Germany:12 (nf) | Norway:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument - One S. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, Florida, USA

Company:

United States Pictures

Trivia:

WILHELM SCREAM: This film contains the first known instance of "The Wilhelm Scream" (a sound effect of a man screaming, since used in over 149 other movies). During a scene in which the soldiers are wading through a swamp in the everglades, one of them is bitten and dragged underwater by an alligator. The scream for that character was recorded later. Six short pained screams were recorded in a single take, which was slated "man getting bit by an alligator, and he screams." The fifth scream was used for the soldier - but the 4th, 5th, and 6th screams recorded in the session were also used earlier in the film when three Indians are shot, one after another, during a raid on a fort. Although the "signature" or "classic" screams, takes 4 through 6 on the original recording, are the most recognizable, all of the screams are referred to as "Wilhelm" by those in the sound community. Ben Burtt, sound effects designer on Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), named it "Wilhelm" after the character that let out the scream in The Charge at Feather River (1953). He discovered a file at Warner Bros. for this movie, which contained paperwork that was left over from the picture editor when the film was completed. One of the papers was a short list of names of actors who were scheduled to come in to perform various lines of dialogue for miscellaneous roles in the movie. After reviewing the names and even listening to their voices, one person seemed to be the most likely suspect: Sheb Wooley. Sheb played the uncredited role of Private Jessup in "Distant Drums", and was one of the few actors assembled for the recording of additional vocal elements for the film. It is very likely he was asked on the spot to perform other things for the film, including the screams for a man being bitten by an alligator.

Goofs:

Continuity: The uniforms, besides being anachronistic, don't stay the same throughout the movie. At the beginning, Captain Wyatt wears trousers with Infantry white stripes on them. The "sergeant" (actually Sergeant Major chevrons) and corporal's chevrons are Cavalry yellow. The Captain appears wearing trousers with Cavalry yellow stripes and, shortly afterwards, Artillery red ones. The sergeant and the corporal also appear briefly wearing Artillery red chevrons.

Quotes:

Monk:[to Tufts] Shakin' hands with an Indian's like pumpin' a well!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in High Heels (1991)

Not your usual oater

The only thing about this film is the Indians, in this case the Florida Seminoles, are the bad guys. Oscala meets Coop underwater in a duel to the finish, in good early 50s Hollywood style. Other than that, it's not your usual oater. The story is OK with an aging Coop showing he's not yet over-the-hill and a young Richard Webb, later TV's Captain Midnight. Not a lot of memorable moments here but nevertheless fun to watch. Cooper was always worth the price of admission.