Am Marterpfahl der Sioux

A vengeful former officer (Edmond O'Brien) joins the 7th Cavalry in order to track down those responsible for his wife's death years earlier with everything leading to a showdown with the Sioux and events surrounding the Little Bighorn debacle. Forrest Tucker plays his sergeant, Polly Bergen a romantic interest and Dean Jagger her shopkeeper father. James Millican convincingly plays General Custer.

The plot of "Warpath" (1951) was ripped-off by writer Frank Gruber from Ernest Haycox's novel "Bugles in the Afternoon," which was made into an inferior stage-bound Western the year after this one (with Tucker in the same role, interestingly enough).

O'Brien is certainly serviceable, but arguably miscast because he's a little too pudgy for the role that called for someone of Kirk Douglas' robust demeanor or John Wayne's formidableness. Another issue is the old-fashioned way the men typically deliver their obviously-scripted dialogue in an austere rat-a-tat-tat manner, which seems unnatural.

But, if you can acclimate, this is a great old Western that gets better as it proceeds and is superior to Ford's renowned cavalry Westerns released just prior to this one. The movie delivers superbly in both human interest and action. The title "Warpath" has a duel relevancy in that the protagonist is on the warpath as well as the Sioux, and both justifiably.

Speaking of the Sioux, producers used real American Indians (with the exception of the sub-chief, played by John Mansfield), as well as authentic locations from the same general area of the real-life events (listed below). On top of this Polly Bergen was sure a beauty in her prime.

I'm surprised "Warpath" is so obscure. It must be because of the issues noted above, but they're not significant enough to ruin what is a very compelling and worthwhile old Western that's so meaty it could've easily ran another half hour. This is going down on my list of favorite Westerns.

The film runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in the greater Billings area of southeast Montana, including Yellowstone County and the Crow Reservation.

GRADE: A-

Much of this film was shot here in my town(Billings,Montana).They converted the 4H display barns at our fairgrounds for the Calvary fort.Other footage was shot where Montana's State Championship motorcycle Hillclims takes place twice a year. The male actors when not on set like to hang out at a local night spot called "The Elmo Club". Edmond O'Brien like to drink and it sometimes got him in trouble when he tried to flirt with the local women of Billings.Their husbands didn't take kindly to his behavior even if he was a quote "Moviestar"

The film had it's premiere here in Billings in August 1951 at the FOX Theater(now the ALBERTA BAIR THEATER)..They built a stage in front of the theater and the Stars and many cast members were present for the premiere. My Mother told me that she had taken me to this premiere in 1951.I don't recall being there;maybe because I was only 2 yrs old then.

Although probably not the most noteworthy picture that was shot here in Billings or Montana,it was shot in 3 strip Technicolor and had beautiful background shots.Most of the main Actors aside from Polly Bergen are gone now.It is still shown occasionally on Turner Classic Movies(TCM)...S.M.

Paramount certainly didn't stint on the massed scenes. There are tons of extras for the battle at the river and for the many procession scenes. They're convincing as heck in their sheer numbers. Then too, the Montana locations are spectacular, even the flatlands. And for a touch of exotica, the many Indians really look like Indians, probably because they are. So given these ingredients, why is this epic-sized Western as obscure as it apparently is. In my view, the script is too cluttered—the two themes, revenge and Indian wars tend to crowd one another, and that's along with a number of subplots, like the needless romantic one. As a result, there's no suspenseful buildup to any kind of climax. Except for the river attack that should be the climax, the vignettes simply unfold. Then too, lead actor O'Brien can make you believe he's tough, but physically, he's miscast. Especially when he tangles with the towering Tucker. For sheer acting ability, he's a great one, but for star power or marquee appeal, the dynamo of DOA (1950) remains a lesser- known. Anyway, as others point out, the river battle is spectacularly staged, and that along with the vivid Technicolor photography compensate for a lot. I just wish they had sent the screenplay back for a slimming down and restructuring session.

Why would anyone watch an ordinary Western over and over? The story is hardly original. The tale of the Battle of the Little Big Horn has only been told a hundred times or more. As a matter of fact, the plot is very similar to "Bugles in the Afternoon", a better film about the same subject. The script ranges from average to dumb. The direction is uneven. However, the production has some fine moments.

The fight for their lives by star Edmund O'Brien's cavalry troop at an island in the river is outstanding. The entire scene carries an unusual degree of realism. The fighting is hand to hand as the Indians assault the troops on the island. Rifle shots and war whoops punctuate the frenetic action. You can almost smell the gunsmoke and see the sweat on the soldiers' brows. When O'Brien brings General Custer and the regiment to the rescue there is genuine celebration. In my opinion, this is one of the best action scenes in any Western. I am always sorry to see it end.

Unfortunately, the high standard set by the Battle of Nelson's Island (named after the bit character who dies early in the battle) is not maintained before or after. The movie gives us romance, fist fights, escape from Indians and two more battles, but it's all very familiar. Even the plot is transparent. John Vickers (played by O'Brien) is joins the cavalry to find his fiance's killers. It is obvious before the script mercifully reveals it that Sergeant O'Hara (played by Forrest Tucker) and Quade (played by Dean Jagger) are the culprits. Ultimately, both men redeem themselves, but their redemption is not credible. The romance between Vickers and Molly Quade (played by Polly Bergen) comes off better, but even that's predictable. A good cast is largely wasted.

Why do I like this movie? In addition to the spectacular action at the island, I enjoy Forrest Tucker. It is little wonder that we see him in similar roles in "Bugles in the Afternoon", "Sands of Iwo Jima" and "Flaming Feather". I even liked him in "F Troop". He wears that uniform well.>

The final reason I like this movie is Paul Sawtell's score. Paul Sawtell is hardly the most familiar composer in movie history, but he wrote some great tunes for Westerns. "Warpath" has one of the best cues from any Western musical score. It is used initially in the opening title and is repeated later in the wagon train sequence. When I watch this movie I use my Fast Forward button to get me to the good parts.

O'Brien plays a man whose fiancé was murdered by three bandits. After killing one, he finds that another one is in the cavalry, so joins the cavalry to find him. He doesn't know what the two men look like, but they soon realize he is onto them. Along the way, he proves his worth, and is made an officer. He falls in love with a woman whose father may be one of the men he is looking for. After some skirmishes he is captured, along the woman, her father (Dean Jagger), Forest Tucker, Paul Fix, and others, and they await their deaths at the hands of Native Americans. First class story of revenge, and an all star cast, including the afore mentioned.