Tomahawk (1951) User Reviews

Jim Bridger-The Sioux call him Tomahawk.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 27 April 2011]

Battle of Powder River (AKA: Tomahawk) is directed by George Sherman and adapted for the screen by Sylvia Richards & Maurice Geraghty from a story by Daniel Jarrett. It stars Van Heflin, Yvonne de Carlo, Alex Nicol, Preston Foster, Jack Oakie, Tom Tully, John War Eagle and Susan Cabot. It's a Technicolor production filmed on location in the Black Hills of Dakota, with music by Hans J. Salter and photography by Charles P. Boyle.

"This is the Laramie Conference. A powder keg that may explode at any moment. It would take little to light the fuse. There are important and powerful men here. On one side the leaders of the Sioux nation-on the other representatives of the United States. But on this day it will take a great man to see both sides-Jim Bridger: pioneer, trapper and scout, is such a man."

Coming a year after Delmer Daves' excellent and similarly themed Broken Arrow, Battle of Powder River appears to have been lost in the mix of Westerns sympathetic to the Indians. Much like Broken Arrow, and for that matter Devil's Doorway (1950) as well, this is propelled by a magnetic and strong central lead performance. Van Heflin as Jim Bridger gives the film a believability factor, important for a film that's based around historical events in Montana Territory 1876/7. Thankfully the film built around Heflin isn't too bad either. The plot essentially involves Bridger, a man who married a Cheyenne woman, caught in the middle of an impending war between the Indians and the American military. The army are ordered to build a road and fort on land previously ceded to the Sioux by a previous treaty. This they want to do because of gold having been discovered in the Dakota's. Bridger sets about trying to keep peace but is undermined by personal conflicts and violent bigots like Lieut. Rob Dancy (and effective rascal turn by Alex Nicol).

Naturally for a film of this type, budget, era and running time, it's not an actual history lesson, so folk should not expect as such. But the makers are thoughtful as regards the events of the time and neatly tell their story via the fluctuating perspectives of the characters standing either side of the brewing conflict. It's also nicely shot by Sherman (The Battle at Apache Pass/Comanche) and Boyle (Horizon's West/Gunsmoke), the location work integral to the plot so as to understand what these people were ultimately fighting for. While Salter scores it in standard Cavalry Vs Indians style. The minor problems come with de Carlo's character and the shortness of the action. The former, admittedly lovely in Technicolor, serves only as romantic surplus who does a real dumb thing, and the latter is annoying since Sherman was more than capable of crafting exciting action (for example see the finale of The Battle at Apache Pass). Here the final battle of the title is swift and basically a compilation of charge and be felled sequences, while a buffalo scene is all too brief and only hints at what excitement could have been garnered from that passage of play. Annoyances for sure, but not enough to drag the piece down to B movie fodder territory.

Although it's trumped by two, thematically similar and better movies the previous year, the story, Heflin and the scenery make this a must see for the Western fan. 7.5/10

Enjoyable chronicle of a strong fight between the Sioux tribe led by Red Cloud and the US cavalry along with scout James Bridger

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 29 June 2017]

The flick gets noisy action , crossfire , spectacular raids , a love story , and intrigue is slowly but surely built up , being quite entertaining . This Cavalry vs. Indians Western , set in 1866 , deals with hostilities emerging when US government builds a road and a fort in territory ceded by previous treaty to the Sioux led by Red Cloud (John War Eagle) who refuses to surrender himself , as a spark to bring a violent war . It stars Jim Bridger (Van Heflin) serving as a guide and adviser , and whose Cheyenne killed spouse led him to watch the conflict from both sides . Bridger is sent by Col. Carrington (Preston Foster) to aid the army in bitter fighting the savage and hated Sioux and to end the uprisings in Indian territory . As Jim Bridger -though initially hostile due to wrenching personal issues and old sinister conflicts- , along with his colleague Sol Beckworth (Jackie Oakie) another mountain man, fur trapper, army scout and explorer , both of whom join army , fighting side-by-side for the glory of the West . Nevertheless , nasty bigot lieutenant Dancy (Alex Nicol) is reluctant to this unusual alliance and distrusts having the famous scout as ally . Then , Dancy leads his regiment on a wild chase across the plains and hills in this saga of the old west . Dancy and his US cavalry squares off rampaging Sioux . Dancy participated at the massacre at Sand Creek in 1864 , -killing a lot of Indians , majority of whom were women and children- along with John Chivington who led a bloody militia in Colorado Territory with his heinous Volunteers who were responsible for several deaths . Along the way Bridger tries to win the heart of a beautiful woman named Julie Madden (Yvonne De Carlo) .

This moving movie is an epic portrait of the historic story about the celebrated Indian Sioux battles against the USA cavalry , being inaccurate historically , though at the final re-enacts the 'Fetterman Massacre' , an actual event that took place in 1866 . The picture gets Western action , shootouts , romance , breathtaking raids on wagons as well as fort , colorful outdoors with big skies wonderfully photographed by Charles Boyle and turns out to be fun . It's a medium budget film with good actors , technicians, production values and pleasing results . At the ending , when takes place the Indian assault , possesses all the sweep , grandeur and noisy action of the greatest Westerns of an age long past . Nice acting from a great cast . As Van Heflin is good as the known scout who attempts to keep the peace between US cavalry and Indians . Heflin gives stature to the role , providing sincerity and bravura . And two beautiful starlets : Yvonne De Carlo as gorgeous and pleasant woman , and other wonderful girl , Susan Cabot as Indian Monahseetah . Support cast is frankly excellent , such as : Alex Nicol , Preston Foster , Jack Oakie , John War Eagle , Ann Doran , Stuart Randall , brief appearance by Rock Hudson and special mention for the veteran Tom Tully .

The film is freely based on James Felix Bridger's (March 17, 1804 – July 17, 1881) life who was among the foremost mountain men, trappers, scouts and guides who explored and trapped the Western United States during the decades of 1820–1850, as well as mediating between native tribes and encroaching whites . He was of English ancestry , and his family had been in North America since the early colonial period . He would come to know many of the major European American explorers of the early west, including Kit Carson, George Armstrong Custer, Hugh Glass, John Frémont, Joseph Meek, and John Sutter. Bridger was part of the second generation of mountain men and pathfinders who explored the American West that followed the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804. In fact , while exploring in order to find an alternative overland route to the South Pass, Bridger found what would eventually be known as Bridger's Pass , it would later be the chosen route for both the Union Pacific Railroad and later Interstate 80.

The motion picture was professionally directed by George Sherman in B-style , though has some flaws . Sherman made reliable low-budget fare for Columbia between 1945-48, then moved on to do the same at Universal for another eight years , where he directed this ¨Tomahawk¨ . Sherman specialized almost exclusively in "B" westerns there , including the "Three Musketeers" series, which featured a young John Wayne. George directed lots of Westerns as ¨The Last of the Fast Guns¨ , ¨The Lone Hand¨, ¨Santa Fe stampede¨ , ¨Red skin¨ , ¨Chief Crazy Horse¨ ¨Calamity Jane¨, ¨Relentless¨ , ¨Comanche Territory¨ , ¨Dawn at Socorro¨, ¨Border River¨ , ¨war arrow¨, and many others . He also made occasional forays into action and horror themes, often achieving a sense of style over substance . The only "A"-grade films to his credit were two westerns starring John Wayne: ¨Comancheros¨ (1961) (as producer) and ¨The big Jack¨ (1971) . His last films were realized in Spain as "Find That Girl" , ¨The new Cinderella¨ and ¨Joaquin Murrieta¨. ¨Tomahawk¨ Rating : 6.5/10 . Well worth watching

Passable Technicolor western from Universal

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 1 June 2020]

It's 1866 in the Wyoming territory, and the US government is trying to forge a treaty with the Sioux for access through the region to gold-rich Montana. The natives reluctantly agree thanks to the intervention of white friend-to-the-Indian Jim Bridger (Van Heflin). The army sets up a new fort to protect the trail, and Bridger agrees to work as a scout for them, but he has a secret ulterior motive. Things at the fort get more complicated when traveling entertainer Julie Madden (Yvonne De Carlo) is forced to take shelter there.

This was a rare sympathetic portrayal of Native Americans for the time, depicted as a noble people continuously mistreated by the US government yet hopelessly outmatched and with nothing but the end to look forward to. There's also a compelling plot involving revenge for a long-ago injustice. Unfortunately, not a lot really happens in the movie, and what does happen is very predictable. De Carlo, once again looking ravishing, has little to do, and only serves a single purpose in the plot. Jack Oakie is also wasted as a fur-trapper companion to Heflin

Scenic and Gutsy

[dougdoepke · 10 July 2012]

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.

Historically Factual in Many Ways: Names, Battles, Events

[romanorum1 · 6/10 · 1 August 2012]

Many of the 1950s Westerns – the height of the genre – were filmed in spectacular Technicolor that brings out marvelous scenery. They are so beautiful, and Universal Studios really displayed superior photography with "Tomahawk." The movie's opening shows a peace conference between the US cavalry and the Sioux in 1866. The conference ends inconclusively as the US peace commission bargains in bad faith. The Indians want the Bozeman Trail (from Wyoming to Montana) and its trail fortresses closed; the army wants them to remain open. Jim Bridger says the alternate trail (Bridger Trail) to the Montana gold strike takes only two days longer, but to no avail. Thus we have the plot: another conflict between the red man and the white.

The movie can generally be highlighted by quick bullet points that are historically accurate.

• Laramie Peace Conference of 1866 • Sand Creek Massacre of Colonel Chivington (who disregarded Black Kettle's flying of the American flag, mentioned but not seen in the film, 1864) • Encroachment on Indian Territory, the Powder River country • The mechanical grass-cutting machine that held up Carrington (mentioned, but not seen in the movie) • Personal conflicts between Carrington and Fetterman. • The Fetterman Massacre (1866) – American Indian victory (over the Lodge Trail Ridge) • The Wagon Box Fight (1867) – US Cavalry victory (use of quick breech-loading rifles) • The abandonment of the trail forts in 1868.

It is pleasant to see a movie with historical events fairly accurately portrayed, even though some errors creep in. For instance, Bridger's time was past before 1866, and Fetterman was a colonel, not a captain. The most glaring error is the film's unfortunate overseas title, "The Battle of Powder River." The historian will note that the Powder River fight occurred against the Cheyenne in 1876. The film's beginning is 1866, and ten years certainly did not pass in the course of the movie. So the overseas title is a misnomer. Then again, the Indians are played by natives (except for the Cheyenne Monahseetah by Susan Cabot), and are portrayed sympathetically: as people who really want to live in peace but who are faced with an impossible situation. At the same time, the Indians were not flawless. But they were tough fighters who were brought down by greater numbers, superior technology, and the elimination of the buffalo. In this movie, though, they come out as winners. And it is an historical fact that the US did yield the Bozeman Trail and its forts in 1868.

The casting is well done: Van Heflin plays famous scout Jim Bridger who liked Indians, while Jack Oakie is his sidekick Sol Beckworth. Susan Cabot plays the Indian girl, Monahseetah, who witnessed the Sand Creel Massacre, and Yvonne De Carlo is Julie Madden, part of Dan Castello's Medicine Show (Castello is Tom Tully). John War Eagle plays the famous Indian chief, Red Cloud. Alex Nicol is Lt. Rob Dancy, an Indian-hater who accompanied Chivington on his massacre, and Preston Foster is a sensible US Cavalry colonel who built Ft. Phil Kearney. Arthur Space plays a hot-headed Fetterman who led his men to total disaster, and Rock Hudson, in an early supporting role, is Corporal Hanna.

A Pretty Solid Western

[Uriah43 · 7/10 · 7 January 2013]

A famous trapper by the name of "Jim Bridger" (Van Heflin) signs on as scout under the command of "Colonel Carrington" (Preston Foster) to assist him at a small fort in Sioux Country. While he has every intention of assisting the colonel, he also has an ulterior motive and that is establish if the killer of his Cheyenne wife and son is a cavalry officer named "Lt. Rob Dancey" (Alex Nicol) stationed at the fort. At any rate, rather than give away the entire story I will just say that this film turns out to be a pretty solid western, all things considered. While the acting isn't great and some of the battle tactics seem rather strange, the scenery was nice and the open terrain was definitely used to great advantage in the action scenes. Good performances were turned in by the aforementioned Van Heflin along with Susan Cabot as the pretty Cheyenne maiden named "Monahseetah". Likewise, Yvonne De Carlo did well as "Julie Madden" who happens to arrive at the fort en route to Virginia City. But in my opinion the best performance was by Alex Nicol who seemed perfectly cast for the part. In short, those who enjoy a good western probably won't be disappointed with this movie.

A Storyline Which Attempts to Avoid Many Typical Western Cliches.

[spookyrat1 · 6/10 · 19 August 2018]

Interesting western in that for a 1951 film, the white men for the major part are cast as the villains of the piece, continually ignoring earlier treaties with the Sioux and initiating aggressions that we understand will cause the Sioux to react aggressively themselves. The script also introduces a number of historical figures and incidents into the storyline, though plenty of liberties are taken with this "timeline" to ensure a smooth and dramatic narrative. Van Heflin was a good choice to play mountain man Jim Bridger, a real life character (who pops up in The Revenant) although he is roughly 20 years younger in the film's set time period, than he actually would have been. Engaging too, to note his character doesn't wear a gun and I'm pretty sure doesn't fire a weapon throughout this film. I feel the movie had one or two sub-plots too many, though I would have appreciated seeing more made of the somewhat enigmatic Monahseetah character who accompanies Bridger in a supposedly platonic relationship. Pleasing to see a number of native Americans playing indians, (though not in Monahseetah's case). A final word is needed to reassure potential viewers that the film looks a treat in colour, even though apparently its budget wasn't large by any means.

Alex Nicol Sets 'Em On The Warpath

[boblipton · 6/10 · 4 July 2020]

It's a spiffy little Universal 'shaky A' western, starring Van Heflin as Jim Bridger, and Jack Oakie as his sidekick: scouts, traders, and bridges between the Amerindians of the Old Northwest and the Washington government. Here's it's the Black Hills of Dakota, shot on site with some dazzling skies, thanks to cinematographer Charles Boyle. Preston Foster, as the local colonel, wants his fort and roads in peace, John War Eagle wants peace, and only renegade lieutenant Alex Nicol wants to wipe 'em out, and creates incidents; it's the sort of role that Heflin would have taken ten years earlier. With Yvonne de Carlo, Rock Hudson, and Susan Cabot.

A Magnificent Western

[hpkenzo · 10/10 · 31 July 2006]

This great 1951 western just seems to get better with age. Having seen the film many times over the years but again today on TV, I really think this is one of the best westerns of the period and one that stands the test of time. Filmed in a documentary style ( Voice-over at beginning and end etc.)and influenced by the previous year's hit ' Broken Arrow', this film is actually an improvement as it does away with any romance that dominated the earlier film and concentrates on the story of Jim Bridger an Indian scout trying to keep peace between the army & the Sioux, who are trying to secure land rights. Based on the real life adventurer, the script while simplified remains intelligent with the accent on action but is unusually sympathetic to the Indians for 1951. Engrossing and beautifully photographed by Charles P Boyle (Old Yeller, Davy Crockett) in glorious Technicolor. Van Heflin gives a very convincing performance as Jim Bridger and it's good to see native actors playing native Indians & speaking in their native tongue! There are distinct parallels here with Costner's 'Dances with Wolves' ( actually filmed in the same area of Dakota)and interesting comparisons could be made with the award winning 1990 epic but whilst I admire the more recent film, 'Tomahawk' is the one I look forward to seeing again, all economically packaged in only 82 minutes!

Spacious Western

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 26 September 2012]

In "Tomahawk", the colors don't jump out from the screen like they do in many other Technicolor Westerns of its era; the film is more notable for its use of nature's wide open spaces, and for its unusually even-handed approach on the topic of "the red man vs. the white man" conflict. Van Heflin is solid as the man caught in the middle of the conflict, while Alex Nicol's character (almost disturbingly well played), with his psychopathic thirst for the slaughtering of Indians, draws parallels with the Nazis' "ethnic cleansing". Yvonne De Carlo has a rather insignificant part, but Susan Cabot is cute and expressive as a young Cheyenne "squaw". Not much action, but what there is is well done (if bloodless). **1/2 out of 4.

Out Of The Picture

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 20 April 2009]

Tomahawk is a good B western with some A list cast players in the credits. The lead character in it is famous mountain man Jim Bridger who in 1868 when this story is supposed to be taking place was 64 years old and according to Wikipedia was suffering from arthritis and rheumatism at that time and was retiring from army scouting, trapping, and all other frontier activities. But what we have is 40 year old Van Heflin in the part. Knowing what I know it does make the film just a trifle ludicrous.

But no more than a whole lot of other Hollywood product which had famous frontier characters in all kinds of situations and plots that were historically and physically impossible. In fact there is some truth in some of the story line in Tomahawk. Bridger in fact did find a scout an alternate trail to the Bozeman trail which did run through Sioux country and it was called the Bridger trail. Red Cloud did go on the war path at this time when an army fort was built on land ceded to him by treaty. It's just that Bridger was out of the picture in real life at the time of this story.

Heflin makes a stoic and impassive Bridger who is on army business and business of his own. He arrives at the fort commanded by Colonel Preston Foster with sidekick Jack Oakie and Susan Cabot, an Indian maiden. He's there to scout for the army though his sympathies are well known to be with the Sioux. But Heflin is also hunting an army man, known to have been involved in the infamous Sand Creek Massacre of 1864.

Along the way Heflin does help rescue Yvonne DeCarlo and her partner Tom Tully who were traveling in a medicine show wagon when they were attacked. A bit of a romance does develop, though it is definitely in second place to the action, if not the accuracy.

Tomahawk though a B film is definitely in line with such post World War II westerns as Fort Apache, Broken Arrow, and Pony Soldier which had a sympathetic Indian point of view. It's got good production values and moves at a decent clip. But don't write any term papers based on it.

An entertaining western

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 17 March 2012]

Recently I've watched a few westerns that I'd not heard of until I saw them listed in the TV guide; most turned out to be enjoyable and this one turned out to be one of the best. Set in 1876 when the US Government wants to open a trail through Sioux territory; they are understandably wary as every previous treaty with the US Government has been broken. At the Treaty meeting a white man stands up for them; he is Jim Bridger a scout who is travelling with his friend Sol Beckworth and a Cheyenne woman called Monahseetah. No treaty is signed but Bridger tells the commanding officer that the Sioux will let them pass through there territory if none of them are harmed. Bridger has no intention of staying with the army but when Monahseetah sees one particular officer, Lt. Dancy, he takes the offer to act as a scout... clearly he has a score to settle with Dancy. Things turn bad pretty soon when Dancy murders an Indian boy he sees near their horses; he covers up his crime but another Indian who saw what happened escapes and it isn't long before they are attacked. Nobody is killed but one settler is wounded. Once in the fort Dancy claims the attack was unprovoked but Bridger just knows he is lying... it is only a matter of time before there is open warfare between the Cavalrymen in the fort and the Sioux.

I was surprised just how much I enjoyed this film; there was plenty of exciting action, some of it exciting, some of it tragic; some tense moments and with the exception of Dancy there were no genuinely bad characters. The Sioux had clearly been wronged and had every right to fight back but the vast majority of the cavalry just wanted to live in peace and help the settlers through the territory. Dancy however was a real villain we learnt early on that he had only reenlisted in the army because he enjoyed the prospect of killing Indians and we later learn that earlier on he had been part of a group who had massacred a Cheyenne village including a woman who was Bridger's wife and Monahseetah's sister. It was refreshing not to see the Indians portrayed as 'savages' preying on 'innocent' settlers; even though the story follows people within the camp it is clear that our sympathies are meant to lie with the Sioux. Van Heflin puts in a fine performance as protagonist Jim Bridger and Alex Nicol is suitably unpleasant as the villain Dancy. If you are a fan of the western genre I definitely recommend watching this one!

Handsome Studio B-Picture, Good Cast, Weak Story

[FightingWesterner · 6/10 · 25 May 2014]

Jim Bridger (Van Heflin) tries hard to hold together a fragile truce between the Sioux and a nearby Army fort, after a nasty, racist officer murders an Indian teenager, an officer whom Bridger suspects might be involved in a massacre some time before.

Heflin and the rest of the cast, including Yvonne DeCarlo, Jack Oakie, Preston Foster, and a young Rock Hudson are all good. However, the real star of the show is the excellent, bright Technicolor photography. It's so nice to look at, it almost makes up for the picture's more by-the-numbers aspects and weak action scenes.

Though nearly forgotten these days, the real-life Jim Bridger was a towering figure and very important to the history of the west. Even though this film isn't all that bad, he still deserves a better movie.

Average Cavalry Versus the Sioux Oater

[zardoz-13 · 5/10 · 27 April 2013]

Veteran western director George Sherman's "Tomahawk" qualifies as a predictable but entertaining, Blue coats versus the Redskins horse opera. Van Heflin toplines this Technicolor tale as a savvy cavalry scout, Jim Bridger, who aligns himself with the U.S. Calvary but argues on behalf of the Indians. Bridger has young Native American daughter, but his wife is dead. Universal Pictures forged his 1951 oater in the mold of Delmar Daves' landmark epic "Broken Arrow." The Native Americans aren't just bloodthirsty savages howling for scalps. The Sioux Indians have suffered bitterly at the hands of treacherous whites, and "Tomahawk" presents them from a sympathetic perspective. The Black Hills of South Dakota scenery is rugged but beautiful, and Sherman paces the action so it doesn't wear out its welcome. Despite its lofty sentiments toward the Indians, "Tomahawk" is still a conventional dust raiser. Yvonne De Carlo plays the love interest that hates the heroic scout initially and hangs around a despicable cavalry officer played with villainous verve by Alex Nicol. Look closely and you'll spot a young Rock Hudson as a cavalry corporeal. "Rancho Notorious" scenarist Silvia Richards and "Love Me Tender" scribe Maurice Geraghty incorporate the historically infamous Fetterman massacre where the cavalry are lured into an ambush. Aside from its pro-Indian stance, "Tomahawk" observes all the conventions of the genre, but its chief virtue is the offbeat casting of Heflin as the hero. Jack Okie is squandered in a supporting role as a cavalry scout who tags along with Jim Bridger. The love interest between Bridger and Yvonne De Carlo's character is never resolved. In a sense, the Indians win because a new treaty is negotiated and the cavalry are ordered to abandon their fort which the Sioux promptly burn. The characters are all one-dimensional. Although this western packs no surprises, Sherman has done an efficient job of making it.

A good old fashioned 1950s Cavalry vs Indians

[padutchland-1 · 7 September 2006]

Just found a video of Tomahawk at a yard sale. The filming itself was beautiful in glorious Technicolor! If you are a Western fan you will like this one, so give it a watch if you have the opportunity. Van Heflin played Jim Bridger the famous mountain man and scout. Mr. Heflin was a wonderful actor, but I think I would have chosen someone else to play the legendary Bridger. He just didn't seem rough and tough enough for the part. Maybe he did such a good job in Shane that I type cast him myself. Still, he did a very good acting job in this one. Good old Jack Oakie was the side kick and added the light touch of humor. His acting experience was always welcome in any movie. Another great character actor, Tom Tully, ran a traveling medicine type wagon show with Yvonne De Carlo as his assistant. I don't remember seeing her lovelier. Preston Foster as the always reliable man in charge as the commander of the fort. Alex Nicol played his part well as the bad guy (who kills Indians from hate). An early bit part for Rock Hudson as Hanna. By the look on his sleeve he was a corporal. Watch fast or you will miss him. Ann Doran was Preston Foster's wife Mrs. Col. Carrington, always a reliable actress (remember her as James Dean's mother in Rebel Without A Cause?) The very lovely Susan Cabot played an Indian girl who travels with Jim Bridger since her family was killed by the Chivington gang (Susan was murdered in 1986 by her son who suffered from dwarfism). Red Cloud was played very ably by John War Eagle. He was a veteran of many movies and TV work, mostly westerns such as Winchester 73, Annie Get Your Gun with Betty Hutton, Sgt. Preston, Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill Jr, Roy Rogers show, etc. Capt. Fetterman was played by Arthur Space a long time character actor along with Russell Conway as Major Horton another great character actor. It is just a good old fashioned Western with plenty of action. Don't worry about historical facts or get caught up in the old treatment of Native Americans debate. We are all aware that the Indians got a raw deal in many a treaty and that white, black and red people were murdered without reason. The movie is meant to entertain. Let it do its job and just enjoy the movie for what it is. Well worth watching!

Enjoyable Film on the Western Plains !!

[cacorbett · 6/10 · 3 February 2015]

This is an enjoyable and engrossing color Western from 1951. Van Heflin is great as the famed Jim Bridger in this memorable tale of the sometimes bitter conflict between settlers , Calvary and Indians during the 19th Century. Yvonne De Carlo is lovely and entertaining as the female lead, struggling to understand Bridger's seemingly divided loyalties.

The photography and color in this movie is top notch, and the film is consistently entertaining and full of plot twists to keep the viewer engrossed. Screen legend Rock Hudson makes an impressive early appearance in this sad but enlightening tale of the struggle of cultures on the Western plains. De Carlos steals the film as the female lead !

SUPERFLUOUS BEAUTY

[giuliodamicone · 7/10 · 5 August 2023]

Some argue that women have little or nothing to do with western cinema. It's wrong: just think of some gorgeous female characters from Ford (My darling Clementine) or Hawks (Angie Dickinson in "Rio Bravo"). But if you only know this film, you'd have to agree with them. In fact, throughout the film one wonders what role the beautiful Yvonne De Carlo plays. The story is almost entirely set inside a fort, where her life must have been quite hard: however we always see her elegant (she changes clothes at each scene), made up, with earrings and even with lipstick! Her character - obviously created to involve the female audience - is so useless that in the end she disappears! For the rest, I think the film can be counted among the well-made westerns.

Cinematography Western with little inspiration

[drystyx · 7/10 · 3 March 2012]

This is an adventure Western that looked to be written by storyboard artists.

It has great visuals, and at times, even looks like a group of storyboard sketches pieced together. It makes me think I'm reading a comic book while I'm watching. An entertaining comic book, though.

Van heflin is a great actor, but there isn't much here. The story tries so hard to be a visual, that the drama is missing. There is a story. The cavalry and the local natives try to get along, while one upstart, in this case Alex Nicol, tries to "not get along".

Nicol is a great villain, but the villain is hardly three dimensional, which should make the modern movie goers happy. He's very close to a personification of evil.

It'll keep you interested, especially the guys, since the film has women much more gorgeous than you even see in most films, and there is lots of action. This is a "guy movie", make no mistake.

Colorful western historical drama

[NewEnglandPat · 8/10 · 5 September 2003]

Universal's western is an entertaining cavalry-Indian affair that details the frontier adventure from the point of view of famed scout Jim Bridger. The film recounts the usual treaty-breaking by whites that despoils the Indians' hunting grounds, the conflicts of which lead to war between the Sioux tribes and the troopers. Two major battles, the Fetterman engagement and the Wagon-Box Fight are touched on as well as tensions caused by an Indian-hating lieutenant. The lush, beautiful country and wild buffalo herds lend authenticity to the story and keep the film moving at a good clip. Van Heflin is sincere as the scout who knows Indians and understands their grievances. Yvonne De Carlo is striking as Bridger's love interest although an Indian girl complicates matters a bit. The cast is good, especially John War Eagle as Red Cloud. Hans Salter contributes a nice traditional western music score.

The Conflict between whites and the Sioux in the 19th Century

[esteban1747 · 5/10 · 3 June 2002]

It is good to see the films when they are dealing with historical facts, but not forgetting that usually history is written by the winners and is not always true what they are writing. The historical accuracy of the film is doubtful, no one can believe that war is restarted due to the action of an irresponsible officer always looking for Indians' extermination. One person may influence but not decide. It is also naive to believe that the superior of this officer will commit something wrong, which costs lifes to many soldiers, only because he was encouraged to go fighting at the last moment. It is better to understand that both officers were racists, and encouragement was just an excuse. In the final battle the Sioux stopped after many of them being killed. Again there must be something non logic in this behavior. Difficult to see and assimilate the number of Indians killed in the last scenes of the film.

Epic treatment of the the Red Cloud Bozeman Trail War.

[weezeralfalfa · 9/10 · 5 July 2013]

Having seen and reviewed several films dealing with various aspects of the Powder River Bozeman Trail(Red Cloud)War of 1866-8, whether or not acknowledged as such, it was refreshing to find a Hollywood cavalry western that was much more of a documentary treatment than these later films. Directed by George Sherman, who specialized in short "B" westerns and other films for Universal, it was mostly shot in the Black Hills of SD, which rather resemble the neighboring Powder River region of WY. Later films that incorporated much more fiction and only dealt with parts of the story include: "The Last Frontier", "The Gun That Won the West" and "The Tall Men".

It's true that veteran trapper, explorer, trader and scout Jim Bridger's role in this affair is grossly magnified. The two featured women: Julie(Yvonne De Carlo) and Indian princess Monahseetah(Susan Cabot) are included to soften the otherwise war drama, which lacks any substantial humor or musical interludes. Even veteran comedic character actor Jack Oakie fails to provide much lightening of the drama. Monahseetah, although often in the background as Bridger's girlfriend, hardly says anything in the film. She seems to serve mainly as an impediment to Julie's gradual increasing romantic interest in Bridger. Since Bridger admits to Julie that he doesn't consider Monahseetah his wife, Julie maintains hope that she can nudge Monahseetah aside. But, eventually, it becomes clear that Bridger doesn't ever want a white woman, even with Julie's assets, as a wife. Thus, there is minimal romantic element in the film, with no parting kiss. The women vanish from the last part of the film. This mirrors the real Bridger, who had 3 successive squaws for wives, with no white women. The real Bridger was not a Heflin, in the prime of life, bur rather an old man who would soon retire to his Missouri farm. Unlike some of her films("Frontier Gal", "Buccaneer's Girl") where Yvonne plays a spitfire as well as singer/dancer, she's pretty tame in this flick, although gorgeous, in one of her few color films. Like Shirley Temple, in "Fort Apache", she gets into trouble taking a horse ride out from the fort, against advice.

The Fetterman Massacre, considered the greatest defeat suffered by the US army from an Indian encounter before Custer's Last Stand, is included. Lt. Dancy, who participated in this disaster, is cast as Bridger's chief adversary: all around badman, who relishes killing Indians, who tries to rape Julie, and who participated in the previous historical Sand Creek Massacre of a Cheyenne village, including Bridger's wife(not historically true). The screenplay continues with greater success against the Indians in the subsequent historical Hayfield and Wagon Box Canyon fights, after receipt of 1866 issue Springfield single shot breech-loading rifles to replace their obsolete Springfield muskets. These rifles were much quicker to load and more accurate than the muskets, thus negating the Indian's accustomed attack strategy with their mostly short range bows and arrows. This is historically true, and the main point of the subsequent Hollywood film "The Gun That won the West"

As Col. Carrington articulates, despite their increasing success against the Indians, the army brass back east decided to abandon the campaign, including the several forts so recently built. However, he doesn't tell the reason for this decision, which was to use the forces involved in this struggle to help protect the transcontinental railroad, recently built across southern Wyoming, from attacks.

With Bridger's dominating role in the screenplay and pro-Indian sympathies, It's not surprising that the Indians emerge the ultimate strategic, if not tactical, victors. As Heflin articulates, the Indians were being defeated near the end by the new, far better, army firearms, not by better war tactics. Unlike chiefs such as Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, Red Cloud eventually went on to lead the inevitable transformation of his people into reservation Indians, and lived into the 20th century, famous among both whites and his people for both his military skills and his leadership in this necessary transformation.

My limited experience with Heflin films suggest that he was, as in this one, often cast as a humorless determined loner, who goes against the grain of the groups he was associated with. Examples include:"Santa Fe Trail", and "Tennessee Johnson".

John War Eagle, who played Red Cloud, was a Lakota, and played an Indian, often a chief, in quite a few Hollywood and TV westerns.

Preston Foster made a believable Col. Carrington, commander of this military operation, although an engineer by background. Although never a big star, his film career stretched back to the dawn of talkies, and would continue.

Susan Cabot tried to forget her miserable childhood, spent being shuffled from one foster home to another, by an early marriage and budding careers in music, art and drama. Unfortunately, she disliked her Universal assignments, but eventually found a kindred director in Roger Corman, who provided her with some meaty roles. Unfortunately, she became mentally unstable later in life, and was murdered by her avenging son.

I give this film high marks for being a solidly-based western, though not the most entertaining one.

Tomahawk review

[JoeytheBrit · 5/10 · 14 May 2020]

A sympathetic examination of the poor treatment of the Sioux in the 1860s is more historically accurate than most Westerns from this era, but is fairly tepid when it comes to dramatic content. Van Heflin lacks presence, and shares an inconsequential romance with Yvonne De Carlo, who serves no purpose other than to look improbably glamorous. The ending is something of an anti-climax, but the film, shot in Technicolor, looks terrific

The cavalry wins in the end

[a-caplan · 10 June 2014]

The film is an entertainment not a history lesson but the broad picture of the advance into Indian territory from Wyoming into Montana along the Bozeman is not misleading - nor is Chivington's complicity in his incitement of the Cheyenne, Carrington's qualities as an officer, or Fetterman's fool-hardiness historically wrong or misplaced. Lastly, this was made in the cinema era of Indians as bloodthirsty savages - well before 'Cheyenne Autumn' and the sixties' discovery of revisionist Western history. Bridger's parting comment that it wasn't anything in the innate qualities of the American fighting man that won them the battle but the introduction of a superior arms technology is an astute assessment of the situation in 1868. For the rest, the opening commentary that the Americans would keep on coming regardless is the unavoidable truth of the matter.

A great frontier film

[dieseldemon85 · 8/10 · 3 July 2023]

Loved the name of this film and the story sounded good. Van Heflin plays Jim Bridger a scout who is able to mediate for the U. S and Sault Nation. It appears we have some genuine indigenous people in this film. Nicol is great as Dansy you really do dislike him. A one point Van Heflin is telling a story to the woman with the wagon and tells it with such intensity you really believe it could have happened. Great scenery dialogue and sets The ending is quite good as well with the final standoff between Redcloud and the U. S army. This was a decent watch and better than some A listing westerns. I give 4/5.

Excellent little pro Indian western

[searchanddestroy-1 · 10 May 2023]

George Sherman and Universal studios were used to this kind of western, colourful and action packed. Remember BATTLE AT APACHE PASS, WAR ARROW, COMANCHE TERRITORY. And here Van heflin and Yvonne De Carlo's presence help a lot in the powerful quality of this film where character depiction is also important. It is definitely a pro Indian film, in the line of BROKEN ARROW, and there will be many of those pro Indian westerns, shot in superb locations and settings. Alex Nicol is an exquisite rotten cavalry officer and Preston Foster is also excellent. I highly advise it to western buffs. Made in 1951.