Someone is smuggling guns to Geronimo, who’s managed to evade the 5,000 cavalrymen searching for him, leaving the war department in Washington besieged with demands for help.
Gen. Ives’ response: He sends one man West — Capt. Jeff Packard (James Ellison) under the assumed name of Jeff Smith. Packard’s parents were massacred by Geronimo’s men. His orders are to infiltrate the gang of gunrunners and bring those responsible to justice.
With the help of Waco Kid’s guns and a sharp-shooting display, Packard has no trouble convincing crooked businessman Walt Anderson that he’d be a handy man to have around.
But Packard has much more trouble hiding his true identity. And keeping his friends alive, though he tries his best to make sure pretty Julie Scott (Virginia Herrick) stays safe.
As for Geronimo, he eventually agrees to peace talks at Fort Broken Bow. But with three wagon loads of promised new rifles hidden somewhere and Anderson by his side, can the chief be trusted?
Review:
Lively and fast-paced, but entirely fictious little film about the demise of Geronimo. The film is set in 1882; he actually died in 1909 of pneumonia while a prisoner at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Ellison is suitably heroic in the lead role, rescuing and romancing Virginia Herrick as Julie Scott while showing an improbable ability to dodge death time and again.
Unfortunately, some of the supporting performances, including those of Luther Crockett as the major and Jean Andren as his wife, are as wooden as they come.
And it appears as though much of the climatic attack on the stagecoach carrying the women and our hero was lifted directly from John Ford’s “Stagecoach” (1939).
Directed by:
John Hoffman
Cast:
James Ellison … Capt. Jeff Packard / Jeff Smith
Virginia Herrick … Julie Scott
Chief Thundercloud … Geronimo
Smith Ballew … Lt. Furness
Luther Crockett … Maj. Clem French
Jean Andren … Mrs. French
Ted Adams .. Walt Anderson
Myron Healey … Frank Corcoran
Dennis Moore …. Luke
Wes Hudman … Red
Harte Wayne … Gen. Ives
Runtime: 62 min.
Memorable lines:
Julie Scott: “This is my home. I wouldn’t trade it for all the money you’re carrying in that box you’re up above, Mr. Paymaster. Mesa gets in your blood.”
Pay master: “If the Indian arrow don’t get into it first.”
Jeff Smith, aka Capt. Jeff Packard: “I told you, I like to talk straight.”
Luke, one of Anderson’s men: “Yeah, like a barrel of snakes.”
Indian scout to Walt Anderson: “Geronimo, him heap mad. You no bring guns.”
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