Cattle Queen of Montana (1954)

Director:

Allan Dwan

Writers:

Robert Blees (screenplay) and
Howard Estabrook (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 November 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

She strips off her petticoats . . . and straps on her guns !

Plot:

Sierra Nevada Jones must fight a villainous rancher to regain the land that is rightfully hers.

Plot Keywords:

Skinny Dipping | Native American | Implied Nudity

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck	...	Sierra Nevada Jones
Ronald Reagan	...	Farrell
Gene Evans	...	Tom McCord
Lance Fuller	...	Colorados
Anthony Caruso	...	Natchakoa
Jack Elam	...	Yost
Yvette Duguay	...	Starfire (as Yvette Dugay)
Morris Ankrum	...	J.I. 'Pop' Jones
Chubby Johnson	...	Nat Collins
Myron Healey	...	Hank
Rodd Redwing	...	Powhani (as Rod Redwing)
Paul Birch	...	Col. Carrington
Byron Foulger	...	Land Office Clerk
Burt Mustin	...	Dan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Andre	...	(uncredited)
Bob Burrows	...	(uncredited)
Wayne Burson	...	(uncredited)
John L. Cason	...	(uncredited)
Bill Coontz	...	Indian (uncredited)
Danny Fisher	...	(uncredited)
Roy Gordon	...	Bit (uncredited)
Jonathan Hale	...	(uncredited)
Betty Hanna	...	Customer (uncredited)
Riza Royce	...	Customer (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford	...	Store Clerk (uncredited)
Tom Steele	...	(uncredited)
Harry Tyler	...	Telegraph Operator (uncredited)
Bob Woodward	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Allan Dwan

Writing credits
Robert Blees		(screenplay) and
Howard Estabrook		(screenplay)
Thomas W. Blackburn		(story) (as Thomas Blackburn)

Produced by
Benedict Bogeaus	....	producer

Original Music by
Louis Forbes
Howard Jackson		(uncredited)
William Lava		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
John Alton		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Carlo Lodato

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase

Set Decoration by
John Sturtevant

Production Management
Lee Lukather	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nathan Barragar	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Francis M. Sarver	....	sound (as Francis N. Sarver)

Stunts
Bob Burrows	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wayne Burson	....	stunts (uncredited)
John L. Cason	....	stunts (uncredited)
Danny Fisher	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Woodward	....	stunts (uncredited)

Editorial Department
James Leicester	....	supervising editor

Other crew
Benedict Bogeaus	....	presenter

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (as An R K O Radio Picture)
• Benedict Bogeaus Production (as Filmcrest Productions) (uncredited)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (as RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.)
• Buena Vista Home Video (2004) (USA) (video)
• Comet Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Montana Film Office  special thanks

Also Known As:

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #17158) | UK:PG | Portugal:M/6

Filming Locations:

Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

The role of Farrell was originally offered to Robert Mitchum, who turned it down because he didn't like the script. It was then offered to Ronald Reagan, who took it.

Quotes:

Colorados:And you go back to your settlement. Tell them that there are Indians who do not wish death to all whites... but peace.
Sierra Nevada Jones:You going to help us.
Colorados:Is it so hard to believe that I am a human being too?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Fame: Hail to the Chief (#3.3)" (1983)

Soundtrack:

Montana

A Private Scheme

An unusual alliance is operating in the film Cattle Queen of Montana. Cattle baron Gene Evans and dissident Blackfoot chieftain Anthony Caruso have an arrangement of convenience. Evans provides whiskey and arms and in return Caruso makes sure the braves under his command raid and kill any settlers who come into the Montana valley that Evans wants to keep all to himself.

Of course they pick on the wrong party when they attack Barbara Stanwyck's party. She and father Morris Ankrum have staked a claim on a piece of the valley. Her father is killed, but Stanwyck survives and his taken to the camp of Lance Fuller, Caruso's rival in the Blackfeet nation.

So we have some unusual white/Indian alliances forming here and lurking through it all is a mysterious stranger played by Ronald Reagan who is not quite what he seems to be at all.

It's a good, but routine western, helped considerably by good location photography and crisp direction by Allan Dwan. Stanwyck looks very much like she's in preparation for her role as Victoria Barkley in The Big Valley. And Ronald Reagan who while he doesn't do mysterious real well, does look right at home on the range.