''White Feather'' is a 1955 American

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...

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

Robert D. Webb Robert D. Webb (January 8, 1903 – April 18, 1990) was an American film director. He directed 16 films between 1945 and 1968. He won the Academy Award for Best Assistant Director for ''In Old Chicago'', the last time that category was offer ...

and starring

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and ''Hart to Hart'' (1979– ...

. The movie was filmed in Durango, Mexico. The story is based on fact; however, the particulars of the plot and the characters of the story are fictional.

Plot synopsis

The story of the peace mission from the US cavalry to the

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...

Indians in Wyoming during the 1870s. The Cheyenne agree to leave their hunting grounds so that white settlers can move in to search for gold. Colonel Lindsay ( John Lund) and land surveyor Josh Tanner (

) are in charge of the resettlement, but the mission is threatened when Appearing Day (

Debra Paget Debra Paget (born Debralee Griffin; August 19, 1933) is an American actress and entertainer. She is perhaps best known for her performances in Cecil B. DeMille's epic '' The Ten Commandments'' (1956) and in Elvis Presley's film debut, '' Love ...

), the sister of Little Dog (

Jeffrey Hunter Jeffrey Hunter (born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr.; November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) was an American film and television actor and producer known for his roles in films such as '' The Searchers'' and ''King of Kings''. On television, Hunte ...

) and fiancée of Cheyenne tribesman American Horse (

Hugh O'Brian Hugh O'Brian (born Hugh Charles Krampe; April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in the ABC Western television series ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' (1955–1 ...

), falls for Tanner. When Appearing Day runs away to join Tanner at the fort, American Horse follows, seeking to kill him. He is captured, but later freed by Little Dog and the two ride off to the hills. Tanner, Col. Lindsay and a troop of soldiers go to the Cheyenne camp where Chief Broken Hand (

Eduard Franz Eduard Franz Schmidt (October 31, 1902 – February 10, 1983) was an American actor of theatre, film and television. Franz portrayed King Ahab in the 1953 biblical low-budget film '' Sins of Jezebel'', Jethro in Cecil B. DeMille's ''The Ten ...

) has agreed to sign a peace treaty. After the signing, a warrior rides up and throws down a knife with a white feather attached, a declaration of war by American Horse and Little Dog against all the soldiers. Tanner convinces the Chief to allow the matter to be resolved between themselves.

Cast

as Josh Tanner *

as Appearing Day * John Lund as Col. Lindsay *

as Little Dog *

as Chief Broken Hand *

Noah Beery Jr. Noah Lindsey Beery (August 10, 1913 – November 1, 1994) was an American actor often specializing in warm, friendly character roles similar to many portrayed by his Oscar-winning uncle, Wallace Beery. Unlike his more famous uncle, however, Be ...

as Lt. Ferguson *

Virginia Leith Virginia Leith (October 15, 1925 – November 4, 2019) was an American film and television actress. Career Leith starred in a few films, with her most productive period coming in the 1950s. Her debut was also the first film directed by St ...

as Ann Magruder *

Emile Meyer Emile Meyer (August 18, 1910 – March 19, 1987) was an American actor, usually known for tough, aggressive, authoritative characters in Hollywood films from the 1950s era, mostly in westerns or thrillers. Career Meyer had an uncredited s ...

as Magruder *

as American Horse *

Milburn Stone Hugh Milburn Stone (July 5, 1904 – June 12, 1980) was an American actor, best known for his role as "Doc" (Dr. Galen Adams) on the CBS Western series ''Gunsmoke''. Early life Stone was born in Burrton, Kansas, to Herbert Stone and the forme ...

as Commissioner Trenton *

Iron Eyes Cody Iron Eyes Cody (born Espera Oscar de Corti, April 3, 1904 – January 4, 1999) was an American actor of Italian descent who portrayed Native Americans in Hollywood films, famously as ''Chief Iron Eyes'' in Bob Hope's '' The Paleface'' (1948) ...

as Indian Chief

Production

The film was based on the magazine story ''My Great Aunt Appearing Day'' by John Prebble which concerns a Native American woman who marries a British major. Film rights were purchased by Panoramic Productions, a company under

Leonard Goldstein Leonard Goldstein (May 28, 1903 – July 23, 1954) was an American film producer who produced mainly low-budget films, making multiple films at a time.Vogel p.51 Biography He started as a theatre booking agent in Los Angeles and moved to New Yor ...

, who had a ten picture deal with

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

Delmer Daves Delmer Lawrence Daves (July 24, 1904 – August 17, 1977) was an American screenwriter, film director and film producer. He worked in many genres, including film noir and warfare, but he is best known for his Western movies, especially '' Broken ...

did the original script. It was the last of Panoramic's ten picture deal (replacing another intended project, ''Hawk of the Desert'') before they left to set up at

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studio ...

, and their first in CinemaScope. Robert Webb was assigned to direct and Robert Jacks (vice president at Panoramic) to produce. The lead cast originally announced in June 1954 were all Fox contractees – Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter, Terry Moore,

Dale Robertson Dayle Lymoine Robertson (July 14, 1923February 27, 2013) was an American actor best known for his starring roles on television. He played the roving investigator Jim Hardie in the television series ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' and railroad owner Ben ...

and

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...

. Moreno was replaced by

. Moore and Robertson would not appear in the final film. Filming began in July 1954 in

Durango Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...

, Mexico. It was the first Hollywood movie shot in Durango, which would become a regular location for Hollywood films, especially Westerns. Early into the shoot, Goldstein died unexpectedly.

Reception

The film was a moderate box-office success earning North American rentals of $1,650,000.

Footnotes

References

External links

* * * * {{Robert D. Webb 1955 films 20th Century Fox films 1955 Western (genre) films American Western (genre) films Films directed by Robert D. Webb Films scored by Hugo Friedhofer Films set in Wyoming Films set in the 1870s CinemaScope films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films