La flèche brisée

As a teen, I watched the series regularly and was definitely glad to see an Indian portrayed as an honorable human being for once. I, too, wish the series were available on DVD. I think the casting of Michael Ansara as Cochise was brilliant. He epitomizes the Cochise portrayed in the original historical novel on which both the film and the series were loosely based, Blood Brother by Elliott Arnold. I just checked and the book is still in print in a rather expensive paperback version. There are many inexpensive used copies available on any number of used book sites. If you enjoyed the series and/or the film, I highly recommend reading the book. The author really did his homework in regard to research and it gives you the broad perspective on the whole relationship between Jeffords and Cochise that could not be as effectively portrayed in a film or half hour episodes in the series.

I well remember his series with great fondness. My Mother watched primarily to drool over Michael Ansara and I because of the fine flavour of Native American culture. Let us remember the time: in Westerns all Indians were "bad guys" save for Tonto, and the Apaches were the worst of the worst. Yet in "Broken Arrow", as in the motion picture upon which it was based, the Apaches were human and Cochise an heroic figure up to whom any little boy could look. John Lupton suffered from the ""Sugaroot" Will Hutchin's "aw shucks" young Jimmy Stewart lightweight syndrome" but somehow overcame it by dint of good acting and a underlying tragic flavour shared with Ansara and with the whole series. The tension in the series was cultural; the friendship of Cochise nd Tom always balanced against this cultural gulf. Not a typical Western at all but an exploration of multiculturalism in its best sense, "Broken Arrow" was unique in its day.

"Broken Arrow" was 20th Century Fox' entry into the race for western TV supremacy in 1956. It did'nt happen here. Unlike Warner Bros., TFC didn't apply the movie like production values to its TV arm and it shows. But does it really matter with westerns? Not as much. Syrian born actor Michael Ansara was well cast as the brooding Cochise. One wonders how much he must have cringed as Tom Jeffords (bloodbrother to Cochise and Army officer) played to the hilt by actor John Lupton, had a tendency to sometimes over-dramatize his parts. Lupton (as did Ansara) went on to play charactor parts in a host of movies and other TV shows. (Ansara as you probably know was married for a time to actress Barbara Eden).The show was nontheless entertaining and was blessed with a bevy of first class directors and guest actors.Broken Arrow was somewhat unusual for its time as unlike other shows and movies of its time it showed that Indians can be reasonable and humane!Nostalgia buffs would love to see cleaned up studio versions of this instead of the grainy 16mm versions available today! Where are they?

I just answered my own question. Montalban played Cochise in The 20th Century Hour TV series (a series of single one-hour TV made versions of 20th Century Fox movies). This still starred John Lupton as Tom Jeffords. They apparently made the series after this, except with Michael Ansara. I found this by checking the last TV entry on IMDB for Ricardo Montalban under TV episodes. I personally never remember seeing The 20th Century Hour.

I just saw what appears to be the first TV episode of Broken Arrow with Lupton as Tom Jeffords and Ricardo Montalban as Cochise. This is the episode where Jeffords' wife dies, like in the movie with Jimmy Stewart. I only remember Michael Ansara as Cochise, but not so. I don't know when he changed parts. (Maybe the original was a single episode on Zane Grey Theater, which like The Rifleman, became a series?)