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

Elsa Martinelli, who played the Indian girl, never would have gotten the part if Kirk Douglas's wife, Anne, hadn't discovered her on the pages of Vogue Magazine and recommended her for the part. Kirk Douglas, in his autobiography, "The Ragman's Son", describes how he and Elsa had constant sex during the filming of the movie. So much for gratitude.

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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

Kirk Douglas rules the west

The Indian Fighter (1955) is a nearly forgotten western gem about the former Indian fighter Johnny Hawks (Kirk Douglas).A war breaks out between the Indians and the whites when some of them are too interested in their gold.Walter Matthau (Wes Todd) and Lon Chaney Jr. (Chivington) are two of such people.Also Hawks' interest in the Sioux Chief's daughter Onahti (Elsa Martinelli) causes some trouble.André De Toth is the director of this western movie.Kirk Douglas has some credibility in the lead.He was just the right man to play these tough guy roles and still would be if he decided to do new movies.His ex-wife Diana Douglas plays a tough woman called Susan Rogers.Walter Matthau could be the funny man and in this movie he makes a fine crook.Lon Chaney Jr. makes a perfect accomplice to Walter.I enjoyed watching this western.It entertained me from the beginning till the end.Isn't that what a good western should do?