La Révolte des Séminoles

"Seminole Rising" was your standard B western movie typically shown prior to the A feature as was standard in theaters prior to the 1960s. These were low budget movies that allowed small name actors to gain experience and audience exposure. Therefore it is unfair to grade them by the scale one might grade an A movie like "The Cowboys", "Shane", or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance".

I found it to be a basic B movie, with little to brag on and little to complain about. While some seem bewildered by Seminoles residing in Texas it is lack of education that leads to this. With but a modicum of effort one learns that following the Second Seminole War (1835–1842) about 3,800 Seminoles were "given" lands "west of the Mississippi river". Seminoles in OK and TX? Yep!

Just an entertaining little movie that runs a perfect 74 minutes sans commercials. Not a movie to watch again and again, but it can be viewed several times in a lifetime if you leave 25 years in between.

Seminole Uprising is directed by Earl Bellamy and is adapted by Robert E. Kent from Curt Brandon's novel, Bugle's Wake. It stars George Montgomery, Karin Booth, William Fawcett, Steven Ritch, Ed Hinton and John Pickard.

The cavalry, led by Lieutenant Cam Elliott (Montgomery), are tasked with bringing in Seminole Indian chief Black Cat (Ritch), who is leading his tribe with ferocious force. But there are some family ties causing problems to the mission...

The problems with the pic are front and centre, the use of stock footage, dummies and cheap model work show it to be a low grade Western that needed a more astute production team at the control desks. However, narrative has some intelligence as per the half-breed issues, there's a simmering love rival shenanigan, while there's good "B" movie quality action sequences to hold the attention - the finale is particularly exciting with the rocks and fire tactics. It's no Western fan's idea of a must see movie, but the brisk pacing, some thought in the screenplay and a likable cast at least make it a decent enough "once only" time waster. 5/10

This western has a small budget look and the familiar plot of the U.S. cavalry rounding up Indians and returning them to their reservation. The movie is essentially that of the troopers skirmishing with the Indians and battling thirst before peace is restored. Another plot angle is a lieutenant's mixed heritage which causes romantic strife with his status-conscious fiancé. Most of the battle scenes are comprised of stock footage from other westerns which give this film a disjointed look. George Montgomery starred in many low-budget films of this type in the 1950s, and this movie doesn't offer anything new. Karin Booth plays Montgomery's romantic interest and Steven Ritch is the renegade chief whose Indians battle Montgomery's soldiers.

Yes, as already said, it's a low-budget film and certainly not the best western made, but I still found it entertaining. Like many westerns, there are a lot of inaccuracies and things that were inconsistent with historical facts. It did motivate me, as did some of the comments made by other reviewers to do a little research and I found that historically, there were Seminole Indians that were originally from Florida that went to Texas. They were originally led by the Seminole Chief "Wild Cat" (Coacoochee)- not "Black Cat". Just do a search on him to learn more about it. I believe the story and the acting are adequate enough to give this movie a watch.

Leave it to romance to further bring down a cowboy movie. I'm a sucker, though, for color western landscape cinematography, so, for me, THAT was a positive about this film. I also thought that the location might be in the southeastern US. But the Seminoles herein are conducting their raids in Texas, as a result of which, Lt. Elliot's force has been summoned by Col. Hannah to enhance his own Cpt. Dudley's men. Additionally complicating is the fact that Col. Hannah's daughter, Susan - once the apple of Lt. Elliot's eye - is now engaged to Cpt. Dudley, who is deeply in debt, which leads to two of his hostages being given to a creditor, who's wife and son died while captives of the Indians. That creditor then kills those hostages, who are the wife and son of the chief, which, in turn, causes Susan to get kidnapped, needing rescuing by the two officers. Oh yeah - other elements to the drama are that Lt. Elliot MAY be the brother of his foe; and, water will be scarce when the soldiers return from where Susan is. This profuse plot and mostly adequate acting notwithstanding, I, nevertheless, withheld a passing grade.