From the prolific pen of screenwriter Robert E. Kent comes this colourful historical fantasy about George Washington's early days as a loyal British soldier. He's played stolidly by James Seay, who does his best under the circumstances. Washington is trying to forge an alliance with the Delaware Indian tribe against the French, who have lined up their own set of Native American militia in an effort to assert their authority over the Atlantic Seaboard. The aging Jon Hall, an expert at playing 'non-white' characters in earlier films such as The Hurricane (1937) and Arabian Nights (1942), is appallingly miscast as Prince Hannoc, the heir to the Delaware throne and a vital pawn in the British plans. When his arranged marriage to Indian maiden Morna (Sherry Moreland) falls through, Hannoc's father Shingis (Pedro de Cordoba, who gets the film's best lines and delivers the best acting) declares his neutrality, setting in motion the reasonably well realized action sequences that dominate the final half hour of the film. Produced by cheapskate producer Sam Katzman, When the Redskins Rode is ostensibly shot in SuperCineColor, which actually seems to consist of two distinctly different types of film stock. Most of the film is bright and sharp, but there are frequent scenes shot on what seems to be washed out film stock. Thanks to the wonders of SuperCineColor and the inability of DoP Lester White to adapt the lighting accordingly, the film also suffers from some of the worst day-for-night cinematography you'll ever see. Basically, scenes at night appear to have been shot in broad daylight with a few crickets overdubbed to add suitable night time ambiance.
Review of When the Redskins Rode
