''A Daughter of the Sioux'' is a 1925 American silent

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by Ben Wilson. It stars Ben Wilson,

Neva Gerber Genevieve Dolores Gerber (April 3, 1894 – January 2, 1974) was an American silent film actress who appeared in more than 120 films between 1912 and 1930. Early life and career She was born in Argenta, Illinois, to S. Nelson Gerber (1870 ...

, and Robert Walker, and was released on December 28, 1925.

Plot summary

John Field (Ben Wilson) is a U.S. Government surveyor. Nanette (Neva Gerber) is the adopted daughter of Cavalry Major John Webb (Rhody Hathaway). Field suspects Nanette of giving information about Fort Frayne's defenses to the Sioux tribe. Eagle Wing (Robert Walker) convinces the Sioux to attack some isolated settlers. During the attack, Field witnesses Nanette talking with Eagle Wing (Robert Walker). Field fights with Eagle Wing and kills him. Field returns to the fort with Eagle Wing's body. A scout recognizes Nanette as a girl who had been kidnapped by the Sioux as an infant and raised by the tribe. Nanette admits this is true, and also that Eagle Wing is actually the long-lost son of Big Bill Hay (Willam A. Lowery). Field has fallen in love with Nanette and proposes marriage.

Cast list

* Ben Wilson as John Field *

as Nanette * Robert Walker as Eagle Wing * Fay Adams as Trooper Kennedy * William A. Lowery as Big Bill Hay * Rhody Hathaway as Major John Webb

Themes

While some films of the era fall into what is described as "helper films" which sought to portray Native Americans in a romanticized portrayal of "the noble red man", another common trope is the opposite of this theme, portraying Native Americans as blood-thirsty savages at war with white America. ''A Daughter of the Sioux'' is an example of the latter type, with the Sioux portrayed as untrustworthy enemies of the settlers.

Production

The film is an adaptation of Charles King's 1903 book ''A Daughter of the Sioux, a Tale of the Indian Frontier'', a book that inspired several Westerns of the silent film era. The book had previously been adapted into a film of the same name in 1909, and this 1925 film may have been a remake.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Daughter of the Sioux 1925 films 1925 Western (genre) films American black-and-white films Films based on American novels Films directed by Ben F. Wilson Silent American Western (genre) films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films