Massai was born to Little Sun and White Shadow at Mescal Mountain, Arizona, near Globe. He later met Geronimo, who was recruiting Apaches to fight American soldiers. He also knew the Apache Kid. The policy in Arizona at the time was to exterminate hostile Apaches. Many Apache warriors fought for their people and traditions, fleeing and waging effective guerrilla warfare against their enemies.
Massai escaped over the border to Mexico, eventually settling in the Sierra Madre mountains in Sonora Mexico with a camp of rebellious Chiricahuas who had refused to surrender with Geronimo. Nothing is known of his final days.
Massai escaped over the border to Mexico, eventually settling in the Sierra Madre mountains in Sonora Mexico with a camp of rebellious Chiricahuas who had refused to surrender with Geronimo. Nothing is known of his final days.
United Artists pressured director Robert Aldrich into shooting a more optimistic ending in the final days of filming. Aldrich reluctantly agreed and was dismayed when the film was released with this alternate ending. He later concluded that "if you shoot two endings, they will always use the other one, never yours".
There really was a renegade Apache warrior called Massai, who was a bloodthirsty killer renowned for stealing, raping and murdering. He did indeed escape from a prison train bound for Florida and made his way back to his homeland. It is, however, doubtful that he was six feet tall and had blue eyes like Burt Lancaster.
Shot in 30 days.
Bob Aldrich said that Jean Peters had a personal animosity towards Burt Lancaster.