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La hache sanglante

Original title: The Yellow Tomahawk
  • 1954
  • Approved
  • 1h 22m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
519
YOUR RATING
Rita Moreno, Rory Calhoun, and Peggie Castle in La hache sanglante (1954)
DramaWestern

When the army insists on building a fort on Indian land, in defiance of a treaty, the warnings of a scout go unheeded.When the army insists on building a fort on Indian land, in defiance of a treaty, the warnings of a scout go unheeded.When the army insists on building a fort on Indian land, in defiance of a treaty, the warnings of a scout go unheeded.

  • Director
    • Lesley Selander
  • Writers
    • Richard Alan Simmons
    • Harold Jack Bloom
  • Stars
    • Rory Calhoun
    • Peggie Castle
    • Noah Beery Jr.
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    519
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Lesley Selander
    • Writers
      • Richard Alan Simmons
      • Harold Jack Bloom
    • Stars
      • Rory Calhoun
      • Peggie Castle
      • Noah Beery Jr.
    • 21User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos17

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    Top cast14

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    Rory Calhoun
    Rory Calhoun
    • Adam Reed
    Peggie Castle
    Peggie Castle
    • Katherine Bohlen
    Noah Beery Jr.
    Noah Beery Jr.
    • Tonio Perez
    • (as Noah Beery)
    Warner Anderson
    Warner Anderson
    • Maj. Ives
    Peter Graves
    Peter Graves
    • Walt Sawyer
    Lee Van Cleef
    Lee Van Cleef
    • Fire Knife
    Rita Moreno
    Rita Moreno
    • Honey Bear
    Dan Riss
    Dan Riss
    • Sgt. Bandini
    Walter Reed
    Walter Reed
    • Keats
    Patrick Sexton
    • Lt. Bascomb
    • (as Patrick Joseph Sexton)
    Robert Bray
    Robert Bray
    • Lt. Banion
    Adam Williams
    Adam Williams
    • Cpl. Maddock
    James Best
    James Best
    • Pvt. Bliss
    Ned Glass
    Ned Glass
    • Willy
    • Director
      • Lesley Selander
    • Writers
      • Richard Alan Simmons
      • Harold Jack Bloom
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews21

    6.1519
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    Featured reviews

    7hitchcockthelegend

    Heed thy warning or face the consequence.

    The Yellow Tomahawk is directed by Lesley Selander and written by Harold Jack Bloom and Richard Alan Simmons. It stars Rory Calhoun, Peggie Castle, Noah Beery Jr., Warner Anderson, Peter Graves, Lee Van Cleef and Rita Moreno. Music is by Les Baxter and cinematography by Gordon Avil.

    Scout and tracker Adam Reed (Calhoun) is handed a yellow tomahawk by Cheyenne warrior Fire Knife (Cleef). It is to be given to Major Ives (Anderson) as a proclamation of war, a heed to get women and children out the way prior to attack. Ives stubbornly rejects the threat...

    Another splendid 1950s Oater begging to be sought out by fans of the genre, and another reason to laud Calhoun as underrated in his time. Story wise there are familiar tropes, but it's always nice to see a screenplay sympathetic to the Native Americans, where here led by *ahem* Van Cleef they are fed up of encroachment and seek to defend their tribal lands. There is honour in the actions, which in turn solidifies a believable friendship between Fire Knife and Reed.

    It's also in parts sexy, which gets its first marker during Reed and Katherine's (Castle) first meeting, god bless water! Ok! So the inevitable coupling is all a bit sudden and trite given an event previously, but the romance factor here does not hinder the depth of the screenplay. Also bonus is that Reed is not some unstoppable muscular hero, he is openly shown to be as fallible in a fight as all of us can be - twice! The makers are not here purely for comic book

    There's twists in store as well, one of which is a doozy, while the action as you would expect under Selander is very competent and exciting. You will not forget the massacre sequences, where the eye for an eye - violence begets violence theme is banging the drum, while the presence of Beery and Graves is most welcome. Filmed in Colour but released to TV in black and white, a Western fan can't help lament this fact. For you can see the wonderful Kanab locations begging to be colourized. Shame that.

    The messages within my grate on some, but if shrugging that off there is a whole lot for Western supporters to savour here. 7/10
    8mvescovi

    Another western sleeper from the 1950s with good plot, acting, characters of some depth , and violent action

    Major Ives (Warner Anderson), one of the commanding officers of the infamous Sand Creek Massacre ( an actual event) is building a fort in Cheyenne territory. Fireknife(Lee Van Cleef) , tells his friend Adam Reed (Rory Calhoun) to warn the soldiers that they must go or be killed. This is a true act of decency as they know the butcher Ives is in command and they really want him: and revenge for the slaughter he caused. Reed and Fireknife may actually have been blood brothers as they refer to each other as brothers and Reed tells Catherine (Peggy Castle) "the Indians are as much my people as you are." The arrogant Ives won't listen, the Indians attack and the action is unusually violent for it's time. (When Catherine tries to find her former fiancé she says, with a look of horror " I can't tell if it's him") The survivors are forced to go through Cheyenne territory to another fort to reach safety, and this sets up a confrontation between friend Reed and Fireknife.

    This is another example of a modestly budgeted western with a superior script, very good acting and characters of some depth. Also, the Indians are not the "bad guys". Reed tells Catherine " It might surprise you but Indians love their children and are loyal to their friends." And Fireknife does save his life There is also a very interesting twist in the end which I do not believe has been done before or since. Definitely worth seeing.

    The film was originally shot in color but only black and white prints were every released on television. This film deserves to be restored.
    7henryforastero

    A solid western.

    The Yellow Tomahawk is a typical western from the 1950s. Perhaps it was forgotten because of the time it was released. It was 1954 and everyone was running after widescreen and colour films. This film, on the other hand, is in narrowscreen and was shot in black and white. But it has a solid cast. Rory Calhoun is the protagonist, a man who, like the western genre itself, went from film to television and always offered good portraits of those tough men who conquered the west. At his side, we have a treat for the male eye in the beautiful Peggy Castle, who loves to take baths in streams despite the threat of an imminent Indian attack. Joking aside, she is a pretty woman with a strong character who deserved better luck in her professional career. We also have Lee Van Cleef, a classic villain in both Hollywood and spaghetti westerns. Here, with a little makeup, he is the Indian who sends the soldiers the yellow tomahawk, as a warning that they are not welcome because he has to take revenge on the soldier who commands the camp, played perfectly by Warner Anderson, since he was the culprit of one of those indiscriminate massacres where the frenzy of the lowest human instincts does not respect women, children, or the elderly. Perhaps the best thing about this plot is the fatalism of the situation. There is no solution. The conflict cannot be avoided. The Indian only understands the Law of Talion, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. In a supporting role is Peter Graves. In his case he is dominated by gold fever and sells his soul for those nuggets of golden metal, therefore he is not the hero we so admire in Mission Impossible. Also, as an unlikely interracial couple, but one that is consolidated by actions rather than words, were Noah Beery, with a very long acting career in film and TV, and the young Rita Moreno, who years later would burn up the screen in The West Side Story (1962).

    In short, an entertaining western, with a tough conflict between soldiers and Indians and with very well-known figures that I like to see again.
    7romanorum1

    A Warning Message

    As rugged Indian scout Adam Reed (Rory Calhoun) rides in the open country of Utah towards a US Cavalry outpost, he is stopped by his close friend, Cheyenne warrior Fire Knife (Lee Van Cleef). Fire Knife gives Reed a yellow tomahawk to give to the outpost commandant, Major Ives whom he and Chief Red Cloud call a "butcher" and hold mainly responsible for the Massacre at Sand Creek. That site is a real historical event (1864) where the US Cavalry killed over 100 Indians, most of whom were women and children. The yellow tomahawk is a warning – more than the Cavalry gave earlier to the Indian – for the soldiers to clear out of the planned future fort or face the consequences. The soldiers will be allowed to depart peacefully.

    On his way to the military encampment, Reed spots blonde and nubile Kate Bolden (Peggy Castle) bathing and swimming in a pond. They briefly exchange words; Kate tells him that she's from Boston. At the post, arrogant commander Ives (Warner Anderson) is adamant: he has no intention of leaving, even though the encampment is in Cheyenne territory. No lover of the Indian, Ives believes that the red men are dangerous to civilization. Ives gives women (and children) a choice whether to leave for Ft. Ellis or remain. Orders are given for the men to fortify the position. When preparations are being made, Reed tells Master Sergeant Bandini (Dan Riss) that advance pickets should be placed on the hills, and that not all of the men should be placed behind the barricades. Bandini agrees but explains to Reed that he is resigned to taking orders, whether he agrees or not. The Indians soon attack, and Ives' faulty tactics manifest themselves. When the violence ends there are only nine survivors: the major, a corporal, a private, a Mexican Indian scout Tonio (Reed's friend, Noah Beery Jr.), Tonio's Indian girlfriend Honey Bear (a lovely Rita Moreno), an army engineer/surveyor, a slimy prospector (Peter Graves) who has murdered his two partners for gold, blonde Kate, and Reed.

    Now the survivors must make the dangerous trek to Ft. Ellis and safety. Reed wants to keep the major alive at all costs so that he can stand trial (court martial) for provoking an Indian war. Along the way, their numbers will shrink, as will those of the attacking Indians. When Reed and Fire Knife have a parlay, the latter says he will let the dwindling survivors leave peacefully, except for Ives. Reed cannot accept this condition. So the trek continues until the inevitable conclusion.

    Director Lesley Selander has directed a nice, very well-paced western. The actors are well-cast, and are given an above average script. Some sympathy is given to the Indians, who are defending their tribal lands from encroachment. There are two twists at the end that involve Major Ives; they will not be revealed here. The western was shot in Technicolor but released to television in black and white.
    8Flaming_star_69

    Typical 50's Western but good.

    An Indian scout warns the settlers around the army post they are in danger from Indians and he is proved right. Twenty-seven year old Castle fills out her tight-fitting shirt and jeans and makes her presence known as she breaks her engagement with an army officer and falls for Calhoun--who, as a scout, rescues her and the commander after the raid. But the rescue is only temporarily as, on their way to the nearest fort, they are attacked again by Indians led by Lee Van Cleef. He and his fellow Indians want the commander for what he did at Sand Creek. It was there, in history, that the Federal army slaughtered Indian women and children without giving them a chance to surrender. Calhoun wants to keep him alive and take him to the fort for court-martial so to help stop future slaughter of Indians.

    It's a typical 50's Western but one of the good ones--perhaps because of Rory Calhoun (who was always good) or Peggy Castle who made cowboys glad they were men. Or both!

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      The familiar "whistling" theme from Lassie (1954) can be heard throughout the film. It was composed by Les Baxter, who also composed the soundtrack for this film, where the theme was first heard, played by an orchestra. In 1958, the theme was first used as the whistling theme from Lassie, with Muzzy Marcellino performing the whistling.
    • Goofs
      When an officer fires a warning shot into the air to alarm the army camp that Cheyenne are attacking, the Cheyenne commence firing their own guns, which would alarm the camp, yet the officer continues to fire additional warning shots into the air, instead of firing at the attackers.
    • Connections
      Featured in Frances Farmer Presents: The Yellow Tomahawk (1958)

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    FAQ13

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • July 15, 1955 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El hacha sangrienta
    • Filming locations
      • Kanab Movie Fort, Kanab, Utah, USA
    • Production companies
      • Bel-Air Productions
      • K-B Productions (II)
      • Schenck-Koch Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      • 1h 22m(82 min)
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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