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Silent Tongue ()


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Mad with grief after the death of his Kiowa wife, Talbot awaits death under a tree with her body beside him. She begins to haunt him because he won't burn her. His father, who bought him the wife, thinks her sister might reason with him.

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Eamon McCree
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Prescott Roe
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Talbot Roe
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Reeves McCree
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Awbonnie / Ghost
Jeri Arredondo ...
Velada McCree
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Comic
David Shiner ...
Straight Man
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Silent Tongue
Tommy Thompson ...
Medicine Show Band Performer
Jack Herrick ...
Medicine Show Band Performer
Bland Simpson ...
Medicine Show Band Performer
Clay Buckner ...
Medicine Show Band Performer
Chris Frank ...
Medicine Show Band Performer
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Little Person Acrobat #1
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Little Person Acrobat #2 (as Joseph Griffo)
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Petrified Man
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Boy Tap Dancer
Al Lujan ...
Kiowa Drummer
Devino Tricoche ...
Fire-Eater
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Contortionist
Tim Carroll ...
Stage Coach Driver
Nicholas Ortiz y Pino ...
Young Reeves
Robert Harnsberger ...
Buffalo Hunter
Fred Maio ...
Owner
David E. Wynne ...
Easterner
Sky Fabin ...
Easterner
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Easterner (as Leslie Flemming)
Jill Scott Momaday ...
Prostitute (as Jill Momaday)
Lynn Davies ...
Prairie Girl (as Lynn Davis)
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The Lone Man (as Tim Scott)

Directed by

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Sam Shepard

Written by

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Sam Shepard ... (writer)

Produced by

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Ludi Boeken ... producer
Carolyn Pfeiffer ... producer
Gene Rosow ... executive producer (as Eugene Rosow)
Catherine Scheinman ... associate producer
Bill Yahraus ... executive producer

Music by

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Patrick O'Hearn

Cinematography by

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Jack Conroy

Editing by

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Bill Yahraus

Editorial Department

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Gary Burritt ... negative cutter
Lee Fonvielle ... assistant editor
David Orr ... color timer
Martha Rubin ... assistant editor (as Marty Rubin)

Production Design by

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Cary White

Art Direction by

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John Frick
Michael J. Sullivan ... (as Michael Sullivan)

Set Decoration by

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Barbara Haberecht

Costume Design by

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James Echerd
Van Broughton Ramsey

Makeup Department

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Patricia Androff ... assistant makeup artist
David Atherton ... makeup department head
Jeffrey S. Farley ... special makeup effects artist
Jeaneen Muckerman ... assistant hair stylist
Joani Yarbrough ... key hair stylist

Production Management

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Michael Bennett ... unit production manager
Michael J. Harker ... post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Matthew J. Clark ... assistant director
Patricia Frazier ... second second assistant director
Robert Lorenz ... second assistant director
Bill Yahraus ... second unit director

Art Department

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Kim Aeby ... scenic artist
David Best ... construction foreman
Robin Blagg ... carpenter
Holly Gent ... swing gang
Stanford Gilbert ... assistant property master
King Orba ... property maker (as Mark Wallace)
Shane Patrick ... on-set dresser
Cheri Paul ... property master
Jeff Schwan ... lead man
Joe Self ... swing gang
Ed Vega ... head scenic
Christopher Windisch ... carpenter (as Christopher David Windisch)
Ben Zeller ... construction coordinator
Carl Zeller ... carpenter

Sound Department

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Albert Aquino ... boom operator (as Alberto Aquino)
Duncan Burns ... sound editor: ACME Soundworks
Rubén Domingo ... sound assistant: ACME Soundworks (as Reuben Domingo)
John Edwards-Younger ... sound editor: ACME Soundworks
Gary Gegan ... re-recording mixer: Skywalker Sound
Jerelyn J. Harding ... sound editor: ACME Soundworks
Mark Harris ... recordist: Skywalker Sound
Kevin Hearst ... sound editor: ACME Soundworks (as Raoul)
Gary A. Hecker ... foley artist (as Gary Hecker)
Matthew Iadarola ... re-recording mixer: Skywalker Sound
Tim Song Jones ... sound transfer: Split Reel Recording (as Tim Jones)
John A. Larsen ... sound editor: ACME Soundworks
Dan O'Connell ... foley artist
Lauren Palmer ... sound editor: ACME Soundworks
Rodger Pardee ... sound editor: ACME Soundworks
Charleen Richards ... adr mixer
Randy Singer ... foley mixer
Steve F.B. Smith ... stereo consultant: Dolby
Greg Steele ... recordist: adr (as Gregory Steele)
John Joseph Thomas ... sound editor: ACME Soundworks
Susumu Tokunow ... production sound mixer
Nancy Tracy ... sound apprentice: ACME Soundworks
R. Dale Tsosie ... cable person

Special Effects by

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Wayne Elliott ... special effects assistant
Tom Knott ... special effects assistant
John K. Stirber ... special effects
Dirk Von Besser ... special effects makeup

Stunts

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Micki Dahn Akard ... stunts
James 'Scotty' Augare ... stunts
Pat Judge Hall ... stunts
Allan R.J. Joseph ... assistant stunt coordinator
Alvin William 'Dutch' Lunak ... stunt coordinator (as Dutch Lunak) / stunts
Shelly Bird Matthews ... stunts
Joyce McNeal ... stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Jeff Bettis ... grip
Roberto 'Tito' Blasini ... second assistant camera
Chris Browne ... electrician
Nick Cline ... best boy
Thomas Crawford ... grip
Milo Durben ... dolly grip
Harland Espeset ... grip
Gary Farr ... still photographer
Bob Gorelick ... steadicam operator
Jeffrey Greeley ... second assistant camera (as Jeffrey P. Greeley)
Vilma Gregoropoulos ... first assistant camera: second unit
Paul Grindrod ... grip
Chris Hayes ... camera operator: "a" camera
Richard Mall ... key grip
Matthew Thomas Moles ... grip (as Matthew T. Moles)
Richard Mosier ... first assistant camera
Stephen Mullen ... gaffer: second unit
Dale Myrand ... first assistant camera
Paul Paguyo ... grip
Stefanie Rosen ... second assistant camera
Daniel L. Turrett ... camera operator
Michael Warren ... grip
Rick A. West ... gaffer
Heather Page ... second assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department

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Sally Jackson ... location casting
Elizabeth Shull ... casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Rochelle Best ... wardrobe assistant (as Rochelle Amrein)
Taneia Lednicky ... wardrobe supervisor
Janet Powell ... on-set costumer (as Janet L. Powell)
Cathy Smith ... costumer: Native Americans

Location Management

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Barbara Simpson ... location manager

Music Department

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Richard McIlvery ... scoring stage manager
Ginger Baker ... musician (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Barbara Tuss ... script supervisor

Transportation Department

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Jimmy Jones ... transportation coordinator
Randy Peters ... driver

Additional Crew

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Rachel Aberly ... unit publicist
Carrie Barton ... production assistant
Céline Bertrand ... production accountant: Paris
Gail Compeau ... assistant production accountant
Gina Fortunato ... production coordinator
Leigh French ... adr group coordinator
Kristofer Lindquist ... production assistant
Susan P. McCarthy ... assistant production coordinator
Tal Meirson ... production accountant
David O'Shaugnessy ... assistant production coordinator
Rex Peterson ... wrangler
Jake Rose ... production executive (as Jacobus Rose)
David K. Sanchèz ... production assistant
John V. Stuckmeyer ... completion executive
Adam C. Taylor ... production assistant
Jason S. Turner ... production assistant
Stephanie Zessos ... assistant: Mr. Shepard

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

It's 1873, Indian Territory. Talbot Roe is going mad with grief over losing his Indian wife, Awbonnie. In an effort to save him, his father, Prescott Roe, seeks to purchase the dead wife's sister, Velada, from the same travelling carnival he acquired Awbonnie. The girls' father, carnival master Eamon McCree, is willing to do business, but her stepbrother, Reeves, protests, putting an end to the negotiation. Desperate, Prescott kidnaps Velada and promises her the means to be rid of her father in return for comforting Talbot out of his obsession. In Talbot's madness, he guards his wife's corpse, preventing her from passing to the beyond. As a result, Awbonnie's ghost begins haunting and cursing everyone involved in the transaction of selling her as a wife. Meanwhile, Reeves and Eamon search the prairie for Velada. Drunken Eamon several times wants to turn back and leave his daughter to her own devices, but Reeves refuses. At the site of a hunting party of Indians, Eamon panics and loses his mount. Reeves continues the search alone, leaving behind the drunk, rapist father who only cared for himself, with whom he has always been disgusted. Meanwhile, the other carnival members pack up and head back east, glad to be rid of the unreasonable carnival master. At the gravesite, Talbot is distrustful of everyone who tries to separate him from Awbonnie's corpse. Her angry ghost causes a commotion with runaway horses and Prescott manages to throw what's left of the corpse on the fire. As soon as he does, Talbot seems to come to his senses, and Velada sees Awbonnie's spirit appear in the flames, finally at peace. Talbot and Prescott are able to walk away from the gravesite somewhat resigned to Awbonnie's death, and Velada presumably collects the horses and gold from her agreement with Prescott. Eamon is eventually captured by Indians and looks to be headed for an ill-fated ending. Written by Shoomado

Plot Keywords
Taglines Justice can never be silenced. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Le gardien des esprits (France)
  • New Mexico 1873 - Die Rache der Indianerin (Germany)
  • Schweigende Zunge - Die Rache der Götter (Germany)
  • Lengua silenciosa (Spain)
  • American Legacy (Japan)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 102 min
Country
Language
Color
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Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia Although filmed in the spring of 1992, the movie did not have a theatrical release until 1994. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Red Rock West/Clifford/Threesome/Silent Tongue/The Blue Kite (1994). See more »
Soundtracks Little Acrobat's Song See more »
Quotes Prescott Roe: He just stands over her corpse like a lost soul, watchin, speakin' tongues, guarding, as though she were still in the world.
Eamon McCree: Well, he'll soon get over that business. You know how the heart goes. Give him time. After all, 'twas only his first wife.
See more »

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