Sitting Bull

SITTING BULL is a sluggish western about a cavalry major (DALE ROBERTSON) who is compassionate toward the Indians and must face insubordination for some of his actions against harsh superior officers.

There's a traditional romance thrown into the mix, between a General's daughter (MARY MURPHY) and Robertson, with rival suitor WILLIAM HOPPER as another man interested in Murphy. J. CARROL NAISH is Chief Sitting Bull, who wants peace and refuses to put on his war paint although some members of his tribe are anxious to fight some of the white men's injustices. DOUGLAS KENNEDY is flamboyant and seriously miscast as the yellow-haired General Custer of the 7th Cavalry.

It's handsomely produced in outdoor settings that look authentic, but the stilted dialog is handled indifferently by a lackluster cast of players. DALE ROBERTSON gives a leaden performance in the major role and he doesn't get much help from WILLIAM HOPPER or MARY MURPHY, who in real life, married Robertson after this film. Their chemistry on film fails to register and her motivations throughout are sketchy, to say the least.

A major plot development has President Grant helping Robertson when he is condemned for helping Chief Sitting Bull and there are a few other subplots before we get to the battle at Little Big Horn. Robertson's compassion for the redskins almost lands him in big trouble toward the end, until Chief Sitting Bull intercedes just before he's about to be executed for treason by a firing squad.

Good western should have been much better but is marred by dull performances and uninspired direction of Sidney Salkow. The director unwisely allowed few close-ups of his cast throughout the film, depending solely on medium shots for most of the scenes, probably because he was new at the CinemaScope process. Since most of the cast underacts considerably, this is a real drawback in the more intimate moments.