Recently, I saw an Off Broadway production of the 1969 Tony nominated play "Indians", an analogy of what was going on at the time in the Vietnam War and the white man's involvement in the displacement of natives and the unkept promises by the government in protecting them. It is ironic that a week later that I pulled out this film from a box set of public domain westerns and found a plot line similar, although this incident took place some 30 years ago. But the basic story is still the same, one culture's inhumanity towards another, and one decent white man's efforts to right the wrong perpetuated by his own people. While the natives are presented fairly for a change for the most part, there's still the nagging feeling that the writers had to include a few savage references simply for shock value, and some of those moments are cringe worthy.
This film starts off with President Abraham Lincoln creating a treaty with the Acoma tribe and the betrayal of that treaty after Lincoln's assassination. Chief Ted de Corsia vows vengeance, and Lew Ayres, an army officer who witnessed the treaty being agreed upon, decides to fight for the rights of the natives, even after de Corsia murders the colonel who stopped them from rightfully claiming what was theirs. But first, he must bring de Corsia and the others to justice, along with prejudiced judge Lloyd Corrigan. Walter Greaza and Raymond Burr represent the cruel white men whose ambition it seems was not only settling the land but destroying human beings they cruelly treated like savages. Certainly, the natives seek revenge, but it's not difficult to understand why they did what they felt they had to do. When they do, you can guarantee that those who feel their wrath won't get a painless death.
It's nice to see a western where more than just one side is presented, even if much of it seems fictional. Hans Conreid, of all people, is Abraham Lincoln here, and is completely unrecognizable, no traces of Dr. T or his vast array of oddball characters. There are moments that will make you cringe at the cruelties of the white men, particularly when one of Ayres' men takes it upon himself to kill a young native boy right in front of his brother. This leads the surviving son of chief de Corsia to discover early in life the meantime if true hatred, intending to venge his brother's death just like his father would There's little unnecessary comedy relief here (even with the presence of Andy Devine who has one rather offensive quip), and the presence of Marilyn Maxwell as a traveling actress seems superfluous, even if she is accompanied by the lovable character actress Verna Felton. This is a nice attempt to present natives beyond the usual stereotypes even though it's obvious that important facts have been altered or changed to make this cinematic.
This film starts off with President Abraham Lincoln creating a treaty with the Acoma tribe and the betrayal of that treaty after Lincoln's assassination. Chief Ted de Corsia vows vengeance, and Lew Ayres, an army officer who witnessed the treaty being agreed upon, decides to fight for the rights of the natives, even after de Corsia murders the colonel who stopped them from rightfully claiming what was theirs. But first, he must bring de Corsia and the others to justice, along with prejudiced judge Lloyd Corrigan. Walter Greaza and Raymond Burr represent the cruel white men whose ambition it seems was not only settling the land but destroying human beings they cruelly treated like savages. Certainly, the natives seek revenge, but it's not difficult to understand why they did what they felt they had to do. When they do, you can guarantee that those who feel their wrath won't get a painless death.
It's nice to see a western where more than just one side is presented, even if much of it seems fictional. Hans Conreid, of all people, is Abraham Lincoln here, and is completely unrecognizable, no traces of Dr. T or his vast array of oddball characters. There are moments that will make you cringe at the cruelties of the white men, particularly when one of Ayres' men takes it upon himself to kill a young native boy right in front of his brother. This leads the surviving son of chief de Corsia to discover early in life the meantime if true hatred, intending to venge his brother's death just like his father would There's little unnecessary comedy relief here (even with the presence of Andy Devine who has one rather offensive quip), and the presence of Marilyn Maxwell as a traveling actress seems superfluous, even if she is accompanied by the lovable character actress Verna Felton. This is a nice attempt to present natives beyond the usual stereotypes even though it's obvious that important facts have been altered or changed to make this cinematic.