La vergine della valle

White Feather is a combination of the plots of both Broken Arrow and Cheyenne Autumn. It's the story of a romance between Robert Wagner and Indian princess Debra Paget set against the background of the surrender of the Cheyenne nation to the white man.

Wagner is part of delegation sent to the Cheyenne chief Eduard Franz to negotiate a treaty with the Cheyenne. Although Franz's son Jeffrey Hunter is for no surrender at any price, he and Wagner become friends. Wagner becomes more than friends with Hunter's sister Paget, something that arouses the old jealous green eye in Hugh O'Brian, an Cheyenne warrior who figures Paget's his.

Paget's not going to find it easy in the white world in any case. The post sutler Emile Meyer's not liking Indians in any case and even though his daughter Virginia Leith becomes friends with Paget, she's got a thing for Wagner herself.

White Feather is a sympathetic portrayal of the Cheyenne in the last days of a proud warrior nation. Best in the cast is Jeffrey Hunter, the man who won't give in and most of all won't surrender his pride.

John Lund as the post commander and Milburn Stone the civilian treaty negotiator are in the cast as well. White Feather is a fine western that does not get near enough acclaim.

Looked at this on TV as just another western but found myself admiring the camera-work, scenery and performances. Though the direction was at times unexciting, the story was well told and dignified by a good performance by Wagner, so very handsome that it is no wonder the young squaw wants her first kiss with him. Jeffery Hunter, so overlooked but always worth watching, looking incredibly fit (sad to think he died just 4 years later) gave a very strong performance as the head-strong son of the chief, (reminds me of Sal Mineo in Cheyenne Autumn (same story?)) who rides around with Hugh O Brian (Wyatt Earp as an native American!). at the end the scenes between Wagner and Hunter are poignant and stay with you. The sad face of the chief says it all. The film was just a bit overlong and drags in parts which meant I missed bits that I should not have done, but there are some magnificent scenery and cavalry and Indian charges.

White Feather is out of Panoramic Productions, it's directed by Robert D. Webb and stars Robert Wagner, Debra Paget, John Lund, Eduard Franz & Jeffrey Hunter. It's adapted from a John Prebble story by Delmer Daves & Leo Townsend. It was filmed in Durango, Mexico, with Lucien Ballard on cinematography duties (CinemaScope/Technicolor) and Hugo Friedhofer provides the score. Plot centres around the peace mission from the US cavalry to the Cheyenne Indians in Wyoming during the 1870s, but problems arose because a few of the Cheyenne refused to leave their hunting grounds.

One of the few 1950s Westerns to show sympathy towards the Indian plight, White Feather is a well intentioned and well executed movie. It suffers a little from familiarity with Broken Arrow (1950), where Delmer Daves had directed James Stewart and Debra Paget thru a similar script to the one that's now in front of Wagner and Paget; and lets face it-Wagner is no Jimmy Stewart- and Robert Webb is no Delmer Daves-but there's more than enough good here to lift it above many other liberal Westerns.

Away from the endearing and emotive story (and it is as the Cheyenne are forced out of Wyoming by the Federals), the film also boasts high points for the Western fan to gorge upon. It's gorgeously shot in CinemaScope by Ballard, a first class lens-man in the genre, and Friedhofer's score is pulsating, evocative and in tune with the tone of the tale. Also of note is that these Native Americans aren't caricatures or pantomime Indians. They may be being played by white actors (Hunter & Franz do especially good work), but they feel real and come out as the human beings they were. In fact the whole movie looks convincing.

There's some missteps along the way; such as Wagner over acting and having a voice that's sounds out of place in the Wild West, while the romantic angle (Paget is so beautiful here who could not fall in love with her?) does at times threaten to clog up the narrative. But these things don't hurt the film. On the flip side there's the smooth pacing of the piece, it's only when the tense and exciting climax has arrived that you realise how well the slow burn first half was handled. And Webb may well be a second unit director in all but name here, but his construction of the scenes with hundreds of extras is top notch work.

A fine and under seen Western that is based on actual events and doesn't over egg its pudding. 7/10

Robert Wagner( Josh Tanner) was climbing up the ladder of success in this movie and gave an excellent performance along with Debra Paget(Appearing Day) and even Noah Berry, Jr.(Lt. Ferguson)(son of the famous Wallace Berry of the 1930's and 40's) The photography was fantastic and the plot was not just one of those typical Western films. In many ways, this picture made you feel very sorry for the Native Americas of this country who lost their wonderful land and Buffalo and had to locate South in very barren lands. Try to catch this movie on TV and you will definitely enjoy the youthful face of Robert Wagner along with great actors and a wonderfully made film of 1955!

The film is a respectful telling of the 1877 campaign in Wyoming to contain the Indians by persuading them to leave the plains, sign the treaty of peace, and move to a new land in the south…

Wagner who affirms to colonel John Lund in charge of Fort Laramie that he has no feeling about Indians, makes Indians friends, particularly with two young warriors Little Dog and American Horse...

Complications arise when Chief Broken Hand's daughter Appearing Day (Debra Paget) engaged to American Horse falls in love with Tanner (Wagner) and he with her… Tanner's friendship with Little Dog grows slowly but surely… It is one of the most enduring traits of the film, having just the right amount of momentum, frustration and humor...

Jeffrey Hunter steals the show with a great performance of the proud warrior Little Dog whose pen does not fit Cheyenne warriors' hand as well as the arrow… Little Dog's blood ran hot at the council, gets angry and chooses—with his pal American Horse— to meet the troops in battle…

Eduard Franz is superb as the venerable Indian chief, Broken Hand, who called the council to tell them that on this day, they have agreed to take the offer of the white man and leave this country… Hugh O'Brian is well chosen as Hunter's best friend, American Horse… Noah Beery does one of his better work as the obedient cavalry lieutenant…

Debra Paget reprises her role as the radiant Indian girl Appearing Day who would be happy in a white man's world… We all remember her role as the delicate Indian healer girl Sonseeahray in Delmer Daves' memorable Western "Broken Arrow."

Robert D. Webb captures splendid panoramic shots that site expansive stretches of green fields and blue skies… Webb does provide a handful of transcendent moments, the most spellbinding of which is Tanner's participation in honoring his brave friend