Silent Western

 

 (youtube)

THE INVADERS-1912-Ancient western about a broken treaty between ranchers and the Sioux. Sometimes considered the “first great western”, its typical cowboys vs. Indians plot was probably pretty new in 1912. Star Francis Ford (younger brother John) co-directed it with Thomas Ince. Ford directed many short silent films and also acted into the 1950's.

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TV Movie Gone Wrong

 

 (the moviedb.org)

THE LEGEND OF CUSTER-1968-This TV movie/pilot is based on the life of General George Custer, the arrogant, self-possessed Indian hater (Wayne Maunder) later known as the man who led his troop of solders to slaugh-ter at The Little Big Horn. Here he's only a Colonel because he's been suspended from being a General for one year due to insubordination. He's under the command of General Terry (Robert F. Simon) who wants Custer to clean up the 7^th Calvary. One of the fort's scout California Joe (Slim Pickens) is his old friend. A postal worker, Tymen (William Mims) is selling guns to the Indians who go on a rampage stealing gold and cash from white men to pay for the weapons. 

This is a real spin doctoring story (“suggested by” Larry Cohen) with the fool hardy disgraced General trying to save the west by provoking the vicious native Americans. He later somehow meets up with Crazy Horse (Michael Dante) to escape The Blackfoot tribe. They have a knife fight in a cave and eat raw worms. Custer preaches peace but Crazy only wants war. Norman Foster and Sam Wanamaker are the credited directors. Also with Mary Ann Mobley and Rodolfo Acosta.

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The 3 Mesquiteers

RIDERS OF WHISTLING SKULL-1937-In this strange western 3 cow pokes Stoney Brook (Robert Livingston), Tucson Smith (Ray “Crash” Corrigan) and Lullaby Joslin (Max Terhune) known collectively as "The Three Mesquiteers" help Betty Marsh (Mary Russell) locate her missing archaeologist father (John Van Pelt) who's disappeared while investigating a secret cave and a lost Indian tribe. After several battles with hostile Indians the group finds professor Marsh being held prisoner in the cave because he won't spill the beans about a hidden treasure to a half breed named Rutledge (Roger Williams). In the cave they seem to encounter a living mummy. Before Smith is "sacrificed" he's saved by his buddies who also cause an avalanche that destroys the bad guys. Lullaby also has dummy named Elmer. With all the talk about hieroglyphics, maps, lost tribes, it seems more like a forerunner of the much later Jungle Jim series than a western! 

This weird western was directed by Mack Wright who'd made THE SINGING COWBOY with Gene Autry and the bizarre serial ROBINSON CRUSOE OF CLIPPER ISLAND. He did more work as assistant or second unit director and was also an actor.

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Let Sitting Bull Lie

SITTING BULL-1954- In the Black Hills of Dakota “once again the white man comes”. The great Indian chief Sitting Bull (J. Carroll Nash) leads his Sioux Nation against the invading, gold seeking white men. His second in command is Crazy Horse (Iron Eyes Cody). They attack some grubby prospectors who'd been on their land. Major Parrish (Dale Robertson) is concerned about the Indians' fate but locks horns with General Custer (Douglas Kennedy) and gets transferred to an Indian agency and is dumped by his fiancee Kathy (Mary Howell from THW WILD ONES; she was in THE MAD MAGICIAN the same year as this) for a reporter Wentworth (William Hopper). The minute he gets to the new post he locks horns with Webster (Thomas B.Henry), the head agent who calls the captive Indians “renegade dogs”. After Parrish sticks Webster's head in a pot of gruel, the Indians revolt. Parrish lets them go but Webster kills Sitting Bull's son. President Grant (John Hamilton, acting very “Perry White-ish” in a highlight role) wants to meet with Sitting Bull so with the help of an ex-slave Parrish tries to set it up. To gain the chief's trust Parrish has to fight Crazy Horse in a knife fight. They have a pow-wow but it doesn't go as planned and Gen Custer leads his men to slaughter at The Little Big Horn (conviently Wentworth goes with them). Parrish is almost shot by a firing squad but Kathy brings Sitting Bull to Grant and convinces him to spare Parrish's life. It all ends happily but as we know in real life that was not to be. 

I guess this low budget technicolor western was trying to be sympathetic to the Native American tribes but the stiff acting and cliched script undermine the whole thing though I don't think it's as bad as I've been led to believe. Director Sidney Salkow was working on TV's LASSIE at the time he made this.

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