Tomahawk (1951)

In 1866 Wyoming, a frontier scout tries to prevent a war between the Sioux and the U.S. when the Army builds a road and a fort on territory previously ceded to the Sioux by treaty.

Director:

George Sherman

Writers:

Silvia Richards (screenplay), Maurice Geraghty (screenplay)

Stars:

Van Heflin, Yvonne De Carlo, Alex Nicol

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Van Heflin	...	Bridger
Yvonne De Carlo	...	Julie Madden
Alex Nicol	...	Lt. Rob Dancy
Preston Foster	...	Col. Carrington
Jack Oakie	...	Sol Beckworth
Tom Tully	...	Dan Castello
John War Eagle	...	Red Cloud
Rock Hudson	...	Burt Hanna
Susan Cabot	...	Monahseetah
Arthur Space	...	Captain Fetterman
Russ Conway	...	Major Horton (as Russell Conway)
Ann Doran	...	Mrs. Carrington
Stuart Randall	...	Sergeant Newell

Storyline

In 1866, a new gold discovery and an inconclusive conference force the U.S. Army to build a road and fort in territory ceded by previous treaty to the Sioux...to the disgust of frontier scout Jim Bridger, whose Cheyenne wife led him to see the conflict from both sides. The powder-keg situation needs only a spark to bring war, and violent bigots like Lieut. Rob Dancy are all too likely to provide this. Meanwhile, Bridger's chance of preventing catastrophe is dimmed by equally wrenching personal conflicts. Unusually accurate historically.

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Plot Keywords:

treaty | u.s. army | frontier scout | fort | starts with narration | 

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Taglines:

The Glory Story of the Great Sioux Indian Uprising!

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Genres:

History | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 February 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tomahawk - Aufstand der Sioux

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$750,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The main action towards the end re-enacts the 'Fetterman Fight' (aka 'Fetterman Massacre') an actual event that took place in December 21 1866. The basic facts are correct - reinforcements are set to protect a wagon train of soldiers gone to collect wood. However, the numbers of troops involved and their disposition are incorrect. Fetterman had 49 infantry (none in this film) and 27 cavalry as part of his detachment (all were killed). Similarly there were significantly more Indians attacking them. As the fight occurred in December, there were areas of snow and ice in the higher areas around the fort. No secondary attack took place against a relief force.

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Goofs

When Red Cloud attacks the soldiers with their new rifles, the weather changes; when Red Cloud is getting ready to attack, there are dark storm clouds behind the Indians; in the next scene, minutes later, there are only a few scattered clouds in a mostly sunny sky.

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Quotes

Dan Castello: I have to keep moving. Got iron in my blood. If I sit still, I rust.

User Reviews

Scenic and Gutsy

When the US breaks a treaty with the Sioux in order to access gold on Indian land, the specter of war looms.

Wow!—this may be the biggest big sky movie of all time. Those blue and white expanses almost swallow up the viewer in their awesome majesty. This is a really underrated Western that I expect got lost in Universal's crowd of Technicolor oaters of the time. But it's got a superior script that dares to put Indian rights on the same level as the settlers', plus outstanding photography and first-rate performances from Heflin and Foster. Then too, DeCarlo really looks good in Technicolor. Also, I detected only one exterior set—the Heflin- DeCarlo conflab in the forest. Pretty good for lower-budget Universal.

I'm especially glad they used real Indians in close-ups instead of the usual Hollywood types made-up to look evil. That way, the 'original Americans' are humanized, and we become more aware of the real costs involved in Winning the West. But notice, those good intentions don't extend to all the Sioux. Hollywood reverts to form by dressing up a comely white girl (Cabot) as the Indian maiden, instead of using a real Indian girl. At the same time, Monahseetah has few lines so a professional actress wasn't really needed. So draw your own conclusions.

The action is pretty much standard, except for the massed attack on the equipment wagons. There, the script makes clear that it's the white man's technology that triumphs and not his superior fighting skills. However, I wondered why the Sioux didn't attack in steady waves instead of in intervals that give the soldiers time to re-load. And catch that final scene in the fort. That's certainly no cliché.

I don't know how much of the story is based on fact, but however much, it at least makes you think. Anyway, this is a grandly scenic, gutsy Western, definitely underrated, and deserving of more than just a few scattered showings.