Tomahawk

It's 1866 in the Wyoming territory, and the US government is trying to forge a treaty with the Sioux for access through the region to gold-rich Montana. The natives reluctantly agree thanks to the intervention of white friend-to-the-Indian Jim Bridger (Van Heflin). The army sets up a new fort to protect the trail, and Bridger agrees to work as a scout for them, but he has a secret ulterior motive. Things at the fort get more complicated when traveling entertainer Julie Madden (Yvonne De Carlo) is forced to take shelter there.

This was a rare sympathetic portrayal of Native Americans for the time, depicted as a noble people continuously mistreated by the US government yet hopelessly outmatched and with nothing but the end to look forward to. There's also a compelling plot involving revenge for a long-ago injustice. Unfortunately, not a lot really happens in the movie, and what does happen is very predictable. De Carlo, once again looking ravishing, has little to do, and only serves a single purpose in the plot. Jack Oakie is also wasted as a fur-trapper companion to Heflin

Interesting western in that for a 1951 film, the white men for the major part are cast as the villains of the piece, continually ignoring earlier treaties with the Sioux and initiating aggressions that we understand will cause the Sioux to react aggressively themselves. The script also introduces a number of historical figures and incidents into the storyline, though plenty of liberties are taken with this "timeline" to ensure a smooth and dramatic narrative. Van Heflin was a good choice to play mountain man Jim Bridger, a real life character (who pops up in The Revenant) although he is roughly 20 years younger in the film's set time period, than he actually would have been. Engaging too, to note his character doesn't wear a gun and I'm pretty sure doesn't fire a weapon throughout this film. I feel the movie had one or two sub-plots too many, though I would have appreciated seeing more made of the somewhat enigmatic Monahseetah character who accompanies Bridger in a supposedly platonic relationship. Pleasing to see a number of native Americans playing indians, (though not in Monahseetah's case). A final word is needed to reassure potential viewers that the film looks a treat in colour, even though apparently its budget wasn't large by any means.

George Sherman and Universal studios were used to this kind of western, colourful and action packed. Remember BATTLE AT APACHE PASS, WAR ARROW, COMANCHE TERRITORY. And here Van heflin and Yvonne De Carlo's presence help a lot in the powerful quality of this film where character depiction is also important. It is definitely a pro Indian film, in the line of BROKEN ARROW, and there will be many of those pro Indian westerns, shot in superb locations and settings. Alex Nicol is an exquisite rotten cavalry officer and Preston Foster is also excellent. I highly advise it to western buffs. Made in 1951.

Universal's western is an entertaining cavalry-Indian affair that details the frontier adventure from the point of view of famed scout Jim Bridger. The film recounts the usual treaty-breaking by whites that despoils the Indians' hunting grounds, the conflicts of which lead to war between the Sioux tribes and the troopers. Two major battles, the Fetterman engagement and the Wagon-Box Fight are touched on as well as tensions caused by an Indian-hating lieutenant. The lush, beautiful country and wild buffalo herds lend authenticity to the story and keep the film moving at a good clip. Van Heflin is sincere as the scout who knows Indians and understands their grievances. Yvonne De Carlo is striking as Bridger's love interest although an Indian girl complicates matters a bit. The cast is good, especially John War Eagle as Red Cloud. Hans Salter contributes a nice traditional western music score.

When the US breaks a treaty with the Sioux in order to access gold on Indian land, the specter of war looms.

Wow!—this may be the biggest big sky movie of all time. Those blue and white expanses almost swallow up the viewer in their awesome majesty. This is a really underrated Western that I expect got lost in Universal's crowd of Technicolor oaters of the time. But it's got a superior script that dares to put Indian rights on the same level as the settlers', plus outstanding photography and first-rate performances from Heflin and Foster. Then too, DeCarlo really looks good in Technicolor. Also, I detected only one exterior set—the Heflin- DeCarlo conflab in the forest. Pretty good for lower-budget Universal.

I'm especially glad they used real Indians in close-ups instead of the usual Hollywood types made-up to look evil. That way, the 'original Americans' are humanized, and we become more aware of the real costs involved in Winning the West. But notice, those good intentions don't extend to all the Sioux. Hollywood reverts to form by dressing up a comely white girl (Cabot) as the Indian maiden, instead of using a real Indian girl. At the same time, Monahseetah has few lines so a professional actress wasn't really needed. So draw your own conclusions.

The action is pretty much standard, except for the massed attack on the equipment wagons. There, the script makes clear that it's the white man's technology that triumphs and not his superior fighting skills. However, I wondered why the Sioux didn't attack in steady waves instead of in intervals that give the soldiers time to re-load. And catch that final scene in the fort. That's certainly no cliché.

I don't know how much of the story is based on fact, but however much, it at least makes you think. Anyway, this is a grandly scenic, gutsy Western, definitely underrated, and deserving of more than just a few scattered showings.