Black Eagle of Sante Fe (1965)

Someone is stirring up the Comanche, and the U.S. Cavalry has hired Cliff McPherson (Brad Harris) to find out who.

He arrives at Fort Eagle Rock to find panic-striken settlers and a commander uncertain his men can withstand an all-out attack.

McPherson also finds a journalist named Blade Carpenter (Horst Frank) who’s willing to help in his search for the truth and a pretty blonde named Lana (Olga Schoberova) who’s among the settlers forced to flee in the face of the warring Indians.

McPherson discovers that a powerful land owner named Morton is having his men dress up like soldiers and commit atrocities designed to keep the Comanche on the warpath.

His goal: Keep things so stirred up the settlers won’t settle down, allowing him to gobble up more oil-rich land.

Review:

A rousing score and lots of action keep this German-made Western from being boring, even if the plot will have you shaking your head from time to time.

Pinkas Braun plays Checkleman, Morton’s right-hand man, who’s willing to commit atrocities at his boss’ bidding because he wants the hand of Morton’s lovely daughter Cora.

The German print and restored English versions of the film include a musical interlude at the midway point with a singer known as Ronny singing “Kenn ein Land.” In German of course.

The rest of the cast includes Edith Hancke as Alice and Joseph Egger as Buddy, partners in the post saloon who are reluctant to leave when the governor orders an evacuation.

Directed by:
Ernst Hofbauer

Cast:
Brad Harris … Cliff McPherson
Horst Frank … Blade Carpenter
Tony Kendall … Chief Black Eagle
Pinkas Braun … Checkleman
Joachim Hansen …Capt. Jackson
Werner Peters … Morton
Helga Sommerfeld … Cora Morton
Ennio Girolami … Slim James
Edith Hancke … Alice
Joseph Egger … Buddy
Serge Marquand … Blacky James
Olga Schoberova … Lana Miller
Jacques Bezard … Pasqual
Angel Ortiz … Sergeant

aka
Die Schwarzen Adler von Sante Fe
Gringos Do Not Forgive
Massacre Mountain
I gringos non perdonana

Score: Gert Wilden

Runtime: 87 min.

Memorable lines:

Cliff McPherson to his horse, tryng to quiet it with the Indians near: “Quiet, boy. You don’t want to get scalped, do you?”

One of the Howard brothers, about Morton’s request that they visit his ranch: “My old man used to say, ‘When things smell bad, leave.'”

Guard at Fort Eagle Rock as a rider approaches: “Who are you?”
Rider: “Big chief nothing in stomach.”

Blade Carpenter, when Cora Morton, rifle in hand, warns him about trespassing on her father’s land: “I see little future for America if our women run around with rifles wearing pants like men.”

Carpenter when McPherson winces as whiskey is poured on his wounded arm: “If it burns, it’s a sign the arm’s still there.”

McPherson to Black Eagle, displaying bullets to prove soldiers weren’t responsible for killing his braves. “They’re as alike as two drops of water.”

Trivia:

Brad Harris and Olga Schoberová have a blossoming romance in the film and did in real life as well. They were married from 1967-1969 and had one daughter together.

Schoberova would go on to land the lead role in 1968’s “The Vengeance of She.” She also became the first Czechoslovakian beauty to appear in Playboy.

One of the earliest Eurowesterns to receive widespread international distribution. But there’s no telling where the Sante Fe reference came from. The town attacked in the opening scene is Silver Hill and the cavalry post is Fort Eagle Rock.