The Indian Fighter
A bad actor named Todd (Walter Matthau) and his partner Chivington (Lon Chaney) trade whiskey for gold with Red Cloud’s Sioux, when a wagon train rolls by a nearby fort and the scene is set for The Indian Fighter, Johnny Hawks (Kirk Douglas).
Not satisfied with trading, Todd and Chivington scheme to find the source of Sioux gold, though Red Cloud has sworn his people to secrecy under penalty of death. The gold seekers kill a tribal member who refuses reveal the source of the gold, provoking drums of war. When Todd is captured by the Sioux, Hawks intervenes, persuading Red Cloud to let him take him to the fort and white man’s law to avoid war. Red Cloud agrees and a peace treaty is signed.
Hawks leads the wagon train west taking Todd and Chivington with him by order of the fort commandant who wants rid of them before they cause more trouble. Hawks takes a side trip to see Red Cloud’s daughter Onahti (Elsa Martinelli) with whom he has fallen in love. Meanwhile Todd and Chivington resume trading enough whiskey to get a tribal member drunk to the point of revealing the source of the gold. Grey Wolf, another warrior comes on the scene and realizes what has happened. Todd kills him. With the treaty broken, the Sioux go to war.
Hawks and the wagon train make it back to the fort where they are besieged under a shower of flaming arrows. Hawks sneaks out of the fort to seek peace. He persuades Onahti to take him to the source of the gold. There Todd is captured and Chivington is killed trying to escape. Hawks takes Todd to Red Cloud. Todd is cut down with a fire arrow while running for his life. Hawks tells Red Cloud to give up the warpath as it will only lead to the death of his people. Red Cloud is not persuaded. Hawks asks, then which side will his grandson fight on? Onahti declares her love for Hawks. Red Cloud gives up the war.
Filmed in Bend Oregon, The Indian Fighter was published as a comic book in 1956 – just shy of an academy award.
Next Week: Callaway Went Thataway
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
Not satisfied with trading, Todd and Chivington scheme to find the source of Sioux gold, though Red Cloud has sworn his people to secrecy under penalty of death. The gold seekers kill a tribal member who refuses reveal the source of the gold, provoking drums of war. When Todd is captured by the Sioux, Hawks intervenes, persuading Red Cloud to let him take him to the fort and white man’s law to avoid war. Red Cloud agrees and a peace treaty is signed.
Hawks leads the wagon train west taking Todd and Chivington with him by order of the fort commandant who wants rid of them before they cause more trouble. Hawks takes a side trip to see Red Cloud’s daughter Onahti (Elsa Martinelli) with whom he has fallen in love. Meanwhile Todd and Chivington resume trading enough whiskey to get a tribal member drunk to the point of revealing the source of the gold. Grey Wolf, another warrior comes on the scene and realizes what has happened. Todd kills him. With the treaty broken, the Sioux go to war.
Hawks and the wagon train make it back to the fort where they are besieged under a shower of flaming arrows. Hawks sneaks out of the fort to seek peace. He persuades Onahti to take him to the source of the gold. There Todd is captured and Chivington is killed trying to escape. Hawks takes Todd to Red Cloud. Todd is cut down with a fire arrow while running for his life. Hawks tells Red Cloud to give up the warpath as it will only lead to the death of his people. Red Cloud is not persuaded. Hawks asks, then which side will his grandson fight on? Onahti declares her love for Hawks. Red Cloud gives up the war.
Filmed in Bend Oregon, The Indian Fighter was published as a comic book in 1956 – just shy of an academy award.
Next Week: Callaway Went Thataway
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
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