IMDb RATING
6.3/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
In 1866 Wyoming, a frontier scout tries to prevent a war between the Sioux and the U.S. after the Army builds a road and a fort on territory previously ceded to the Sioux by treaty.In 1866 Wyoming, a frontier scout tries to prevent a war between the Sioux and the U.S. after the Army builds a road and a fort on territory previously ceded to the Sioux by treaty.In 1866 Wyoming, a frontier scout tries to prevent a war between the Sioux and the U.S. after the Army builds a road and a fort on territory previously ceded to the Sioux by treaty.
Russ Conway
- Maj. Horton
- (as Russell Conway)
Chief American Horse
- Indian
- (uncredited)
Sheila Darcy
- Woman
- (uncredited)
Abner George
- Man
- (uncredited)
James A. Hermstad
- Man
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJack Oakie's character Sol Beckworth is based on James Beckwourth, a mountain man, fur trapper, army scout and explorer. A companion of Jim Bridger, "Liver Eater" Johnson, Portuguese Philips, Del Gu and Frenchy La Blatte, he lived among the Crow tribe and married the daughter of a Crow chief and became a respected warrior and leader of the Crow nation. He was born around 1800 and was the son of a slave mother and her owner, Sir Jennings Beckwourth. His father acknowledged his paternity and treated him as a son. He granted James his freedom in 1824. He started as a blacksmith's apprentice, but headed west to work for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. He is credited with discovering and mapping Beckwourth Pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. For all his exploits and deeds, he became one of the Old West's legendary figures. He died October 29, 1866, in Denver, CO.
- GoofsWhen Dancy is shot and killed by an arrow, padding can clearly be seen beneath his shirt.
- Quotes
Dan Castello: I have to keep moving. Got iron in my blood. If I sit still, I rust.
- Alternate versionsAccording to Wikipedia, Tomahawk was originally released in the UK under the title "Battle of Powder River". The reference for this is given as Monthly Film Bulletin, 18 (204), London, January 1, 1951, p. 217 and google searches return images of movie posters in that name. The title is erroneous, however, as the real Battle of Powder River took place just over the border, in Montana, in 1876, ten years after the events depicted in Tomahawk.
Featured review
Scenic and Gutsy
When the US breaks a treaty with the Sioux in order to access gold on Indian land, the specter of war looms.
Wow!—this may be the biggest big sky movie of all time. Those blue and white expanses almost swallow up the viewer in their awesome majesty. This is a really underrated Western that I expect got lost in Universal's crowd of Technicolor oaters of the time. But it's got a superior script that dares to put Indian rights on the same level as the settlers', plus outstanding photography and first-rate performances from Heflin and Foster. Then too, DeCarlo really looks good in Technicolor. Also, I detected only one exterior set—the Heflin- DeCarlo conflab in the forest. Pretty good for lower-budget Universal.
I'm especially glad they used real Indians in close-ups instead of the usual Hollywood types made-up to look evil. That way, the 'original Americans' are humanized, and we become more aware of the real costs involved in Winning the West. But notice, those good intentions don't extend to all the Sioux. Hollywood reverts to form by dressing up a comely white girl (Cabot) as the Indian maiden, instead of using a real Indian girl. At the same time, Monahseetah has few lines so a professional actress wasn't really needed. So draw your own conclusions.
The action is pretty much standard, except for the massed attack on the equipment wagons. There, the script makes clear that it's the white man's technology that triumphs and not his superior fighting skills. However, I wondered why the Sioux didn't attack in steady waves instead of in intervals that give the soldiers time to re-load. And catch that final scene in the fort. That's certainly no cliché.
I don't know how much of the story is based on fact, but however much, it at least makes you think. Anyway, this is a grandly scenic, gutsy Western, definitely underrated, and deserving of more than just a few scattered showings.
Wow!—this may be the biggest big sky movie of all time. Those blue and white expanses almost swallow up the viewer in their awesome majesty. This is a really underrated Western that I expect got lost in Universal's crowd of Technicolor oaters of the time. But it's got a superior script that dares to put Indian rights on the same level as the settlers', plus outstanding photography and first-rate performances from Heflin and Foster. Then too, DeCarlo really looks good in Technicolor. Also, I detected only one exterior set—the Heflin- DeCarlo conflab in the forest. Pretty good for lower-budget Universal.
I'm especially glad they used real Indians in close-ups instead of the usual Hollywood types made-up to look evil. That way, the 'original Americans' are humanized, and we become more aware of the real costs involved in Winning the West. But notice, those good intentions don't extend to all the Sioux. Hollywood reverts to form by dressing up a comely white girl (Cabot) as the Indian maiden, instead of using a real Indian girl. At the same time, Monahseetah has few lines so a professional actress wasn't really needed. So draw your own conclusions.
The action is pretty much standard, except for the massed attack on the equipment wagons. There, the script makes clear that it's the white man's technology that triumphs and not his superior fighting skills. However, I wondered why the Sioux didn't attack in steady waves instead of in intervals that give the soldiers time to re-load. And catch that final scene in the fort. That's certainly no cliché.
I don't know how much of the story is based on fact, but however much, it at least makes you think. Anyway, this is a grandly scenic, gutsy Western, definitely underrated, and deserving of more than just a few scattered showings.
helpful•92
- dougdoepke
- Jul 10, 2012
- How long is Tomahawk?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Tomahawk - Aufstand der Sioux
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $750,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 22 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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