War Paint (1953 film)

Last updated

War Paint
War Paint (1953 film).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Lesley Selander
Written byC Fred Freiberger
William Tunberg
Aubrey Schenck (uncredited)
Produced by Howard W. Koch
Aubrey Schenck
Starring Robert Stack
Joan Taylor
Cinematography Gordon Avil
Edited byJohn F. Schreyer
Music by Arthur Lange
Emil Newman
Color process Pathécolor
Production
companies
Bel-Air Productions
K-B Productions
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • August 28, 1953 (1953-08-28)(United States)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

War Paint is a 1953 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and starring Robert Stack and Joan Taylor. A U.S. Cavalry lieutenant is assigned to deliver a peace treaty to a powerful Indian chief, but two Indians have vowed to kill the officer before he completes his mission.

Contents

The film was shot in Pathecolor and filmed on location in Death Valley National Park. [1]

Plot

The pre-credit sequence of the film starts out with Bureau of Indian Affairs Commissioner Kirby and the last survivor of his US Cavalry escort shot and scalped by Taslik (Keith Larsen) and his squaw Wanima (Joan Taylor).

The film proper begins with Lt. Billings (Robert Stack) leading his patrol, that has escorted Cpl Hamilton (Charles Nolte), a cartographer who has been making maps of the area. On the way back to the fort they are met by a messenger, who brings orders that they are to meet Commissioner Kirby (Richard H. Cutting) and his party at a trading post in order to deliver a recently signed Indian treaty from Washington to the chief of the local tribe. The messenger gives the treaty to the Lieutenant, who commandeers him to join his patrol. The patrol, who are unaware of the fate of Kirby and his party, have nine days to get the treaty to the chief, lest a new uprising start.

At the trading post is Taslik, who offers to lead the patrol to the chief. Taslik is wearing war paint that he explains is from his killing members of a rival tribe who have trespassed on his tribe's land.

Unknown to the patrol, Taslik and Wanima, who is shadowing the patrol, are strongly against the peace treaty. The two sabotage the patrol's supplies at every turn in various undetected ways. On their journey the patrol discovers the remains of Commissioner Kirby's escort.

The patrol finally get wise to Taslik when they discover that he has led them in a giant circle looking for water. With time rapidly vanishing, Lt. Billings collects all the remaining water of the rapidly diminishing patrol to fill one water bottle. This is given to one of the troopers, who is to make his way overland to the Indian village while the rest of the men conserve their strength by traveling only at night. Wanima ambushes the trooper and kills him but is wounded herself and becomes unconscious.

At night the patrol discovers what has happened, but Billings refuses to kill Wanima. This causes discontent among the patrol, who have lost other members through poisoned water and suicide. Wanima agrees to lead the patrol to water but leads them to an abandoned gold mine, creating further discontent. After a brief struggle between the troopers, Wanima, and Billings, Wanima resents leading them to water. With renewed strength and the knowledge of the gold, some remaining troopers plot to collect the gold and flee. When discovered a shootout occurs, ultimately only Billings and Wanima survive, finally arriving at the village to deliver the treaty.

Cast

As appearing in screen credits (main roles identified): [2]

Production

War Paint was the first film of Howard W. Koch and Aubrey Schenck's Bel-Air Productions, who were initially signed to do three films for United Artists. As Schenck was then under contract to RKO Pictures, he did not have his name on the screenplay credits, though he initially wrote the story. Schenck recalled that when it looked as though the film financing wouldn't come in on time, Robert Stack offered to provide the money himself. [3]

The initial draft of the screenplay featured a mercy killing that the Production Code of America objected to. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Rio Grande</i> (1950 film) 1950 film

Rio Grande is a 1950 American romantic Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. It is the third installment of Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy", following two RKO Pictures releases: Fort Apache (1948) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949). Wayne plays the lead in all three films, as Captain Kirby York in Fort Apache, then as Captain Nathan Brittles in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and finally as a promoted Lieutenant Colonel Kirby Yorke in Rio Grande. Rio Grande's supporting cast features Ben Johnson, Claude Jarman Jr., Harry Carey Jr., Chill Wills, J. Carrol Naish, Victor McLaglen, Grant Withers, the Western singing group the Sons of the Pioneers and Stan Jones.

Matȟó Wayúhi was a Brulé Lakota chief who signed the Fort Laramie Treaty (1851). He was killed in 1854 when troops from Fort Laramie entered his encampment to arrest a Sioux who had shot a calf belonging to a Mormon emigrant. All 30 troopers in the army detachment were annihilated, in what would be called the Grattan massacre or "the Mormon Cow War" according to Army Historian S.L.A. Marshall in his book Crimsoned Prairie. Little Thunder took over as chief after his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spotted Tail</span> Sichangu (“Brulé”) Sioux chief (1823–1881)

Spotted Tail ; born c. 1823 – died August 5, 1881) was a Sichangu Lakota tribal chief. Famed as a great warrior since his youth, warring on Ute, Pawnee and Absaroke (“Crow”), and having taken a leading part in the Grattan Massacre, he led his warriors in the Colorado and Platte River uprising after the massacre performed by John M. Chivington's Colorado Volunteers of the peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho camping on Sand Creek, but declined to participate in Red Cloud's War.

<i>Sergeants 3</i> 1962 film

Sergeants 3 is a 1962 American comedy/Western film directed by John Sturges and starring Rat Pack icons Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. It was the last film to feature all five members of the Rat Pack, as Sinatra would no longer speak to or work with Lawford following the abrupt cancellation in March 1962 of a visit by Lawford's brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, to Sinatra's Palm Springs house.

<i>Flying Leathernecks</i> 1951 film by Nicholas Ray

Flying Leathernecks is a 1951 American Technicolor action war film directed by Nicholas Ray, produced by Edmund Grainger, and starring John Wayne and Robert Ryan. The movie details the exploits and personal battles of United States Marine Corps aviators during World War II. Marines have long had the nickname "leatherneck", hence the title.

<i>Highway Dragnet</i> 1954 film by Nathan H. Juran

Highway Dragnet is a 1954 American film noir B film crime film directed by Nathan Juran from a story by U.S. Andersen and Roger Corman. The film stars Richard Conte, Joan Bennett and Wanda Hendrix. It was Roger Corman's first feature film credit. Corman also worked as an associate producer.

<i>Ride Ranger Ride</i> 1936 film by Joseph Kane, Nat Levine

Ride Ranger Ride is a 1936 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Kay Hughes. Based on a story by Bernard McConville and Karen DeWolf, and a screenplay by Dorrell and Stuart E. McGowan, the film is about a Texas Ranger working undercover to protect an Army wagon train full of ammunition and supplies. The Army doesn't believe him at first, until the Comanche arrive.

<i>40 Guns to Apache Pass</i> 1967 film by William Witney

40 Guns to Apache Pass is a 1967 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring Audie Murphy.

<i>Suddenly, Its Spring</i> 1947 film by Mitchell Leisen

Suddenly, It's Spring is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Paulette Goddard, Fred MacMurray and Macdonald Carey. Some sources list the title without a comma. It was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

<i>Fort Yuma</i> (film) 1955 film

Fort Yuma is a 1955 Technicolor Western film directed by Lesley Selander starring Peter Graves, Joan Vohs, John Hudson and Joan Taylor.

<i>A Death in Canaan</i> American TV series or program

A Death in Canaan is a 1978 American made-for-television drama film directed by Tony Richardson and starring Stefanie Powers, Paul Clemens, and Brian Dennehy. Its plot concerns the true-life story of a teenager who is put on trial for the murder of his mother in a small Connecticut town. Nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, 1978. The film is based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Joan Barthel.

Screaming Eagles is a 1956 American war film directed by Charles F. Haasd starring Tom Tryon, Jan Merlin and, in her film debut, French Miss Universe 1954 runner-up Jacqueline Beer. It was released by Allied Artists.

<i>The Command</i> (1954 film) 1954 film by David Butler

The Command is a 1954 American CinemaScope Western film directed by David Butler. It stars Guy Madison and James Whitmore. It was based on the novel Rear Guard by James Warner Bellah and features a screenplay by Sam Fuller.

<i>New Mexico</i> (film) 1951 film

New Mexico is a 1951 American Western film directed by Irving Reis and starring Lew Ayres and Marilyn Maxwell.

<i>Column South</i> 1953 film by Frederick de Cordova

Column South is a 1953 American Western film directed by Frederick de Cordova and starring Audie Murphy and Joan Evans.

<i>Escort West</i> 1959 American film

Escort West is a 1959 American Western film directed by Francis D. Lyon, and starring Victor Mature, Faith Domergue, and Elaine Stewart. The movie is set after the U.S. Civil War, when a former Confederate officer, played by Victor Mature, and his daughter help some survivors of an Indian massacre. The film was released by United Artists on January 23, 1959.

<i>Revolt at Fort Laramie</i> 1957 film

Revolt at Fort Laramie is a 1957 American Color by Deluxe Western film directed by Lesley Selander and starring John Dehner, Gregg Palmer, Frances Helm and Don Gordon. The film was shot in Kanab, Utah with Harry Dean Stanton making his debut in the film.

<i>War Drums</i> 1957 film by Reginald Le Borg

War Drums is a 1957 American Western film directed by Reginald Le Borg, written by Gerald Drayson Adams, and starring Lex Barker, Joan Taylor, Ben Johnson, Larry Chance, Richard H. Cutting and John Pickard. The film was produced by Aubrey Schenck and Howard W. Koch for United Artists and it was released on March 21, 1957.

<i>Raw Edge</i> 1956 film by John Sherwood

Raw Edge is a 1956 American Technicolor western film directed by John Sherwood starring Rory Calhoun, Yvonne de Carlo and Mara Corday. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. It marked the movie debut of John Gavin under the name "John Gilmore".

<i>Hell in the Heavens</i> 1934 film by John G. Blystone

Hell in the Heavens is a 1934 American aviation drama film directed by John G. Blystone and written by Byron Morgan, Ted Parsons and Jack Yellen based on the stage play Der Flieger by Hermann Rossmann. The film stars Warner Baxter, Conchita Montenegro, Russell Hardie, Herbert Mundin, Andy Devine and William Stelling. The film was released on November 9, 1934, by Fox Film Corporation.

References

  1. ↑ "Movie Reviews". The New York Times . Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  2. ↑ "The Story on Page One". December 1, 1959. Retrieved June 28, 2016– via IMDb.
  3. ↑ p. 274 Weaver, Tom Aubrey Schenck Interview in It Came from Horrorwood: Interviews with Moviemakers in the SF and Horror Tradition McFarland, 30/10/2004
  4. ↑ "War Paint (1954) - Notes - TCM.com". tcm.com. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.