The Indian Fighter (1955)

A scout leading a wagon train through hostile Indian country unwittingly gets involved with a Sioux chief's daughter.

Director:

André De Toth

Writers:

Robert L. Richards (story), Frank Davis (screenplay),

Stars:

Kirk Douglas, Elsa Martinelli, Walter Matthau

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kirk Douglas	...	Johnny Hawks
Elsa Martinelli	...	Onahti
Walter Matthau	...	Wes Todd
Diana Douglas	...	Susan Rogers
Walter Abel	...	Captain Trask
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Chivington (as Lon Chaney)
Eduard Franz	...	Red Cloud
Alan Hale Jr.	...	Will Crabtree (as Alan Hale)
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Briggs (as Elisha Cook)
Ray Teal	...	Morgan
Frank Cady	...	Trader Joe
Michael Winkelman	...	Tommy Rogers
William Phipps	...	Lt. Blake
Harry Landers	...	Grey Wolf / Captain Trask Attaché
Hank Worden	...	Crazy Bear / Guardhouse Keeper

Storyline

Johnny Hawks, a former Indian fighter, returns to the West after the Civil War. He reacquaints himself with the Indian band led by Red Cloud. Red Cloud's beautiful daughter has now grown into womanhood... Unscrupulous whisky traders are after the gold on Indian land. Hawks averts serious bloodshed by convincing Red Cloud to make a treaty... Hawks leads an Oregon-bound wagon train through Indian territory. When he slips away to see the chief's daughter, trouble between braves and whisky traders flares up anew, putting the wagon train and the nearby fort in peril...

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Plot Keywords:

wagon train | fort | fisticuffs | sioux wars | stabbing | 

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Taglines:

Only one man has the power to stop a war.

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 March 1956 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

Indian Fighter

Filming Locations:

Bend, Oregon, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bryna Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hank Worden, who has a substantial role as the Indian Crazy Bear, also does a cameo appearance as the jailer at the cavalry fort guardhouse; likewise, Harry Landers plays both Grey Wolf and also one of Captain Trask's attachés.

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Goofs

In the beginning of the film, after Red Cloud shows to Johnny Hawks two men hung by the feet, Hawks stands talking to Red Cloud and Grey Wolf. Then his hands appears either grabbing the holster or by his sides, alternately, when it cuts from one shot to another.

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Quotes

[In order to rescue Wes, Johnny must defeat Gray Wolf to a fight to the death]
Wes Todd: What does that mean?
Johnny Hawks: I gotta fight him for your hide.
Wes Todd: What happens if you lose?
Johnny Hawks: Well, my troubles will be over... yours will just begin.

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Connections

Referenced in Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958)

User Reviews

If i don't? My troubles are over, yours will only just be starting.

We are at the end of the US civil war, Johnny Hawks, a renowned Indian fighter, is at peace with the Sioux and wants to rebuild his life, even romance with the chiefs daughter is in the offering. But as the peace between the US and the Indians is being brokered, two greed driven Whiskey traders usurp everything due to their greed for Indian gold up in the hills. So just as Hawks leads a wagon train through Sioux territory on the way to Oregon, war has again been declared, with Hawks coming under suspicion of favouring the Indians.

Directed by André De Toth and starring Kirk Douglas {Hawks}, Walter Matthau, Lon Chaney Jr, Elisha Cook Jr and the outrageously beautiful Elsa Martinelli, The Indian Fighter, if I may be so bold? Is vastly undervalued on certain internet sites! Just about breaking the mold of its B movie feel, it's a piece that with a little bit of intelligence from the casting department, could have been a far better picture. The American cast do fine, but in amongst this splendidly shot picture (and it is), we have to suffer none Indian actors playing excellently written Sioux Indian characters. It's such a shame because here it's a delight to see the Sioux portrayed as a complex and resourceful race, not just in dialogue exchanges, but in a quite exhilarating attack on a US Fort, the use of horses for a disguise operation, and the method of attack {hello, it's a wooden Fort} shows them to have a bit more about them than the cannon fodder they were often portrayed as in many lower grade Westerns.

It's still one fine entertaining film tho!

Kirk Douglas leads the way with a typically ebullient genre show that he was especially good at, a different kind of hero is given just about the right amount of credibility from Douglas, who is in turn backed up by Chaney and Matthau who appear to be revelling in playing slimy characters. André De Toth is a director who has a couple of bona fide classics on his CV, not a name that is mentioned often, but his construction of a story and his excellent staging of the action on offer here, ensures that I personally will be seeking out more of his efforts. Last but by no means least, one has to mention the delightful work from cinematographer Wilfred M. Cline, who gleams the best from the Bend, Oregon location shoot, to round out The Indian Fighter as one hugely enjoyable genre piece. 7/10