''Last of the Redskins'' (aka ''Last of the Redmen'') is a 1947 American
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
George Sherman
George Sherman (July 14, 1908 – March 15, 1991) was an American film director and producer of low-budget Western films. One obituary said his "credits rival in number those of anyone in the entertainment industry."
Biography
George Sherma ...
and starring
Joh Hall and
Michael O'Shea. The film was shot in Vitacolor but released in
Cinecolor
Cinecolor was an early subtractive color-model two-color motion picture process that was based upon the Prizma system of the 1910s and 1920s and the Multicolor system of the late 1920s and the 1930s. It was developed by William T. Crispinel and ...
.
Unlike other adaptations the film includes a boy brother of Cora and Alice Munro and does not feature
Chingachgook
Chingachgook is a fictional character in four of James Fenimore Cooper's five '' Leatherstocking Tales'', including his 1826 novel ''The Last of the Mohicans''. Chingachgook was a lone Mohican chief and companion of the series' hero, Natty Bumppo. ...
nor does it feature a romance between Uncas and Cora. The battle of
Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry was a British fort at the southern end of Lake George, in the province of New York. The fort's construction was ordered by Sir William Johnson in September 1755, during the French and Indian War, as a staging ground for ...
is not shown and most of the characters in the film ride horses rather than moving by foot.
Plot
During the
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
in 1757, the family of
Colonel Munro, daughters Alice and Cora and son Davy come from England to visit their father who is commanding
Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry was a British fort at the southern end of Lake George, in the province of New York. The fort's construction was ordered by Sir William Johnson in September 1755, during the French and Indian War, as a staging ground for ...
in the American colonies. The French are masters of the
military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...
situation as they have their loyal Indian allies masquerading as scouts for the English and are able to intercept and kill all
runners from the British outposts.
General Webb, the commander of Fort Edward where the Munros have arrived has fallen for French ruses by believing that
General Montcalm's French and Indian forces are advancing from the South. General Webb's Indian Scout Magua testifies to the truth of this information convincing General Webb to send his forces South and send the Munro family to the believed safety of their father General Munro to the north at Fort William Henry. The only person who does not believe Magua is the Colonial Scout
Hawkeye and his Indian companion Uncas. Hawkeye's rough ways, honesty, and vocal common sense has alienated him from the British military command.
In reality, Magua was once
flogged
Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, Birching, rods, Switch (rod), switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging ...
by General Munro for being drunk and sees the chance to torture and murder the Munro children as a pinnacle of revenge. Leading the Munros accompanied by Major Duncan Heyward and a small British military escort into an
Iroquois
The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
ambush, Magua is thwarted by the arrival of Hawkeye and
Uncas
Uncas () was a ''sachem'' of the Mohegans who made the Mohegans the leading regional Indian tribe in lower Connecticut, through his alliance with the New England colonists against other Indian tribes.
Early life and family
Uncas was born n ...
who rescue the Major and the Munros.
The Major wins Hawkeye over by declaring that he would be placing his pride over the lives of the party if he didn't give command of the evasion party to the experienced Hawkeye. The group manages to evade Magua's pursuing Indians for a brief period, but Hawkeye arranges for a better chance for escape by having Heyward and the Munros captured then rescued by Hawkeye and Uncas.
On their escape from the camp the party runs across the garrison of
Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry was a British fort at the southern end of Lake George, in the province of New York. The fort's construction was ordered by Sir William Johnson in September 1755, during the French and Indian War, as a staging ground for ...
who declare that they gave an honourable surrender of the fort to the French and were allowed to keep their arms but not their ammunition. Hawkeye suspects the Indians will massacre the party and organises a defence.
Cast
*
Jon Hall as Major Duncan Heyward
*
Michael O'Shea as Hawk Eye / Natty Bumpo
*
Evelyn Ankers
Evelyn Felisa Ankers (August 17, 1918 – August 29, 1985) was a British-American actress who often played variations on the role of the cultured young leading lady in many American horror films during the 1940s, most notably '' The Wolf Man'' (1 ...
as Alice Munro
*
Julie Bishop
Julie Isabel Bishop (born 17 July 1956) is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2018 and deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2018. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Curtin ...
as Cora Munro
*
Buster Crabbe
Clarence Linden Crabbe II (; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983), known professionally as Buster Crabbe, was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and film and television actor. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-meter freestyle swimmi ...
as Magua
*
Rick Vallin
Rick Vallin (born Eric Efron; September 24, 1919 – August 31, 1977) was an actor who appeared in more than 150 films between 1938 and 1966.
Early years
Born in Feodosia, in the Crimea, Russia, Vallin came to the United States at age there ...
as Uncas
* Buzz Henry as Davy Munro
*
Guy Hedlund
Guy Elmer Hedlund (August 21, 1884 – December 29, 1964) was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1906 and 1947.
Born in Portland, Connecticut, on August 21, 1884, worked with newspapers, on a c ...
as Gen. Alexander Munro (uncredited)
Production
The film was announced in June 1946. It marked producer Sam Katzman's first feature at Columbia, although he had been making serials for them. He borrowed Jon Hall from Sam Goldwyn.
Julie Bishop was signed in August 1946. That month George Sherman was attached to direct.
Reception
The ''New York Times'' said "go to it kids and squirm with excitement the way we once used to do on Saturday afternoon. And don't be too harsh on the actors - they are really nice people trying hard to make a living."
[' Last of the Redmen,' Remake of Tale by Cooper, Opens at Rialto -- French Film at Ambassador
T.M.P. New York Times 30 Aug 1947: 8.]
See also
*
List of American films of 1947
The following is a list of American films released in 1947.
''Gentleman's Agreement'' won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
A-B
C-D
E-F
G-H
I-J
K-L
M-N
O-Q
R-S
T-U
V-Z
Documentary
Serials
Shorts
See also
* 1947 i ...
References
External links
*
''Last of the Redman''at BFI
Review of filmat ''Variety''
{{Sam Katzman
1940s historical adventure films
1947 films
1947 Western (genre) films
American historical adventure films
Cinecolor films
Columbia Pictures films
Films based on The Last of the Mohicans
Films set in 1757
Films directed by George Sherman
Films about Native Americans
Films with screenplays by George H. Plympton
1940s American films
1940s English-language films