Rachel Zachary is the adopted brother of Ben, Cash and Andy; their late father rescued her after the local Kiowa Indians killed her parents; at least that is what they all believe. Things change after a strange old man, armed with a sabre turns up; soon afterwards a small group of Kiowa turn up at the house and demand that the family give Rachel to then; claiming that she was kidnapped from their tribe. They are shocked to hear such a suggestion and deny it but others who live nearby start treating the family differently. In order to find out what the old man's part in it was they ride out and capture him; he claims that what the Kiowa said was true; he'd been part of a raid on an Indian village where the Zachary's father took the baby. Shunned by everybody they return home and the mother admits the truth of the story; Cash can't take the idea of having an Indian sister so leaves. Not long afterwards the Kiowa return and a battle ensues; ultimately Rachel must decide whether to return to the tribe with her real brother or stay with the adoptive brothers she has known all her life.
This was an interesting western; I thought it was well acted although I couldn't buy for one minute that Audrey Hepburn could be a Native American... which was a bit of a problem given that she was meant to be a full-blooded Kiowa! Burt Lancaster did a fine job as her older brother and Audie Murphy was good as Cash... although personally I found him more entertaining in various B-Westerns I've seen. The action was well directed and exciting; especially the prolonged confrontation at the end. Taken as a piece of entertainment it was good enough but I must say I found the racial politics highly suspect; I felt we were meant to sympathise with the white family as they fought to keep their adopted sister rather that to side with the tribe she was kidnapped from... even after the family start the conflict by murdering a Kiowa when they came in peace to talk! Overall I'd say it is worth watching if you are a fan of the genre although rather sit down and watch a cheap B-western personally!
This was an interesting western; I thought it was well acted although I couldn't buy for one minute that Audrey Hepburn could be a Native American... which was a bit of a problem given that she was meant to be a full-blooded Kiowa! Burt Lancaster did a fine job as her older brother and Audie Murphy was good as Cash... although personally I found him more entertaining in various B-Westerns I've seen. The action was well directed and exciting; especially the prolonged confrontation at the end. Taken as a piece of entertainment it was good enough but I must say I found the racial politics highly suspect; I felt we were meant to sympathise with the white family as they fought to keep their adopted sister rather that to side with the tribe she was kidnapped from... even after the family start the conflict by murdering a Kiowa when they came in peace to talk! Overall I'd say it is worth watching if you are a fan of the genre although rather sit down and watch a cheap B-western personally!