Drum Beat (1954)

In 1872, Indian fighter Johnny MacKay is appointed peace commissioner for the California and Oregon territory but he faces tough opposition from the renegade Modocs led by their chief Captain Jack.

Director:

Delmer Daves

Writers:

Delmer Daves (screenplay), Delmer Daves (story)

Stars:

Alan Ladd, Audrey Dalton, Marisa Pavan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alan Ladd	...	Johnny MacKay
Audrey Dalton	...	Nancy Meek
Marisa Pavan	...	Toby
Robert Keith	...	Bill Satterwhite
Rodolfo Acosta	...	Scarface Charlie
Charles Bronson	...	Kintpuash - aka Captain Jack
Warner Anderson	...	Gen. Canby
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Blaine Crackel
Anthony Caruso	...	Manok
Richard Gaines	...	Dr. Thomas
Hayden Rorke	...	President Ulysses S. Grant
Frank DeKova	...	Modoc Jim
Perry Lopez	...	Bogus Charlie
Isabel Jewell	...	Lily White
Peggy Converse	...	Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant

Storyline

President Grant orders Indian fighter MacKay to negotiate peace with the Modocs of northern California and southern Oregon. On the way he must escort Nancy Meek to the home of her aunt and uncle. After Modoc renegade Captain Jack's group engages in ambush and other atrocities, MacKay eventually ends up tracking Captain Jack down and fighting him one-on-one to apprehend him.

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Plot Keywords:

year 1872 | bare chested male | romantic rivalry | interracial romance | brother sister relationship | 

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Taglines:

Only the fierce Modocs knew the terrible meaning of each beat of the Drum !

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Genres:

Adventure | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor Charles Buchinsky (his birth name) changed his name to Charles Bronson, using his new moniker for the first time in this film, and remained so for the rest of his acting career.

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Goofs

This movie is obviously filmed in Arizona and not the Klamath area around Oregon.

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Quotes

Blaine Crackel: Modoc Jim says he just wants to see how thick your door is, Bill.
Bill Satterwhite: What business is that of his?
Blaine Crackel: Well, he says the last time he fired at you, the arrow didn't go through it. He says the next time, he's going to use a heavier bow.
Bill Satterwhite: Take your stinking fingers off that door!

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Connections

Featured in The Good Life (2007)

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Soundtracks

Drum Beat
Music by Victor Young
Lyrics by Ned Washington

User Reviews

Well made but pretty ordinary.

The only reason I saw this film is because is starred Alan Ladd. Other than that, it really has nothing special to add to the 134427923459329 other westerns made during this era (don't believe me? I counted!). Sure, it has nice scenery and decent acting, but the plot is quite ordinary.

The film begins with Alan Ladd being summoned to the White House to talk with President Grant. It seems that Ladd was called because he is a famed 'Indian fighter' and knows a lot about the recent uprisings among the Modoc Indians in the Washington/Oregon area (though the film sure didn't look that that part of the country to me). Ladd is given a commission as a Peace Commissioner--to pacify the problems, not just go in and kill everyone!

As Peace Commissioner, Ladd is in a bind. Some settlers and a cavalry officer and his wife have been murdered. The settlers are calling for action, but Ladd can't just start killing Indians without knowing exactly who was at fault. Ladd's job sure looks like a tough one.

When you see Captain Jack (not the pirate but the leader of these Indians), you will not be surprised that he's not played by a real American-Indian--this was very typical for the time period. Heck, the 1950s saw the likes of Rock Hudson(!), Jeff Chandler and other non-natives playing Indians. In this film, Charles Bronson (!!) plays the renegade Indian warrior--the same man of Lithuanian ancestry who was born Charles Buchinsky! Well, at least he WAS able to carry off the role, as despite his very white ancestry his chiseled looks were a reasonable approximation for a Modoc Indian--though his nose is clearly not correct (you can't win 'em all). Anthony Caruso, an Italian-American, also plays a Modoc tribesman but frankly, he WAS able to carry off playing an Indian very well and you'd swear he was one himself. And, Mexican-born Rodolfo Acosta also plays one of the tribesmen. IMDb did not indicate he had Indian blood, either, but he, too, at least looked like a very good approximation of a Modoc Indian.

This is a well-polished and decent western with good production values. However, aside from discussing the Modocs (hardly a tribe mentioned in a typical western), there really is nothing new here. The Indians are, generally, shown as unreasonable savages and the day is saved by a combination of macho-Ladd and the US Cavalry. I am quite sure that the Modocs would have a different interpretations of these hostilities! Watchable and well made but also quite ordinary.

By the way, although the dates are wrong and several important omissions occur, the general facts of the film were essentially correct (there WAS a Captain Jack, for instance as well as a hold-out in the mountains by the warriors). There was a lot of friction between the Modoc tribe and settlers--with quite a few 'massacres'. However, by 1876 (when the film is set), the Modocs had been forcibly moved to Oklahoma and their leader hanged following the killing of a US Major. It makes for interesting reading and is actually a lot more interesting than this movie.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 April 1955 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Delmer Daves' Drum Beat

Filming Locations:

Coconino National Forest, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jaguar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) (magnetic prints) Mono (optical prints)

Color:

Color (WarnerColor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1