Broken Arrow (1950)

James Stewart plays Tom Jeffords, a sometimes cavalry scout who has been summoned to meet with an officer. On his way, he comes across a badly wounded young Indian boy and nurses him back to health. In return, an Apache war party spars Jeffords’ life, but tie him up so he’s forced to watch the massacre and torture of a small group of white prospectors.

Back at Tucson, Jeffords discovers that Col. Bernall has plans to annihilate the Apache. He refuses to scout for the colonel. In fact, he’s tired of the killing and hatred on both sides of the Apache war. He decides he’d like to try a different tactic. So he asks for coaching in speaking the language and learning the customs of the Apache, then heads off to meet Cochise (Jeff Chandler).

He convinces the chief to let the mail go through. Later, he helps negotiate a peace between the feared Apache warrior and Gen. Howard. And, in the meantime, he falls in love with and marries an Indian maiden named Sonseeahray (Debra Paget).

But this peace will be tested. Geronimo (Jay Silverheels) and a band of renegade warriors have broken with Cochise over his decision to try to co-exist with the whites. And a family named Slade is hellbent on evening the score with the Apache; Ben Slade’s home was burned and his wife killed by Indians.

Review:

This film and “Devil’s Doorway” from the same year are credited with sparking a string of movies that portrayed American Indians in a more sympathetic light. Some of the plot devices are far-fetched, but solid performances from Stewart, Chandler and Paget help turn this into an entertaining film.

Paget looks young and oh, so lovely. She was still a teenager when this film was made. In fact, it marked just her fifth film appearance. Stewart, her on-screen husband, was more than twice her age when this film was made. Nor was it her last turn as a pretty Indian maiden who turns the head of a white man. She’d play pretty much the same role in “White Feather” (1955) and “The Last Hunt” (1956).

Speaking of which, Jeff Chandler received an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Cochise and wound up playing the Apache chief in two other films.

This film also spawned a TV series by the same name. It ran for 72 episodes from 1956 to 1958 with John Lupton in the role of Tom Jeffords and Michael Ansara playing Cochise.

Directed by:
Delmar Daves

Cast:
James Stewart … Tom Jeffords
Jeff Chandler … Cochise
Debra Paget … Sonseeahray (Morning Star)
Basl Ruysdael … Gen. Oliver Howard
Will Geer … Ben Slade
Joyce Mackenzie … Terry
Arthur Hunnicutt … Milt Duffield
Jay Silverheels … Geronimo
John War Eagle … Nahilzay

Runtime: 93 min.

Memorable lines:

Milt Duffield, when he learns of Tom Jeffords’ plan to try to meet Cochise: “Don’t try it Tom. The ants will be feedin’ off your eyes.”
Jeffords: “Well, that could happen anytime.”

Jeffords: “I respect your people, Cochise.”
Cochise: “You know what I am thinking? Maybe someday you will kill me or I will kill you. But we will not spit on each other.”

Sonseeahray, watching Jeffords shave: “I am not afraid. I thought you were skinning yourself.”

Gen. Howard: “The Bible I read preaches brotherhood for all of God’s children.”
Jeffords: “Suppose their skin’s not white, are they still God’s children?”
Howard: “My Bible says nothing about the pigmentation of the skin.”

Gen. Howard: “If a white man kills an Indian on your territory, we will hang him.”
Cochise: “That will be something for Cochise to see.”

Gen. Howard, eating while the Apache engage in peace talks among themselves: “Why this is delicious. What is it?”
Jeffords: “Pony. In your honor, general.”
Gen. Howard: “Pony? What kind of meat’s that?”
Jeffords: “A pony is a small horse, general.”

Cochise: “To talk of peace is not hard. To live it is very hard.”

Debra Paget as Sonseeahray and James Stewart at Tom Jeffords meet for the first time in Broken Arrow (1950)

Debra Paget as Sonseeahray reacts to her first kiss from Tom Jeffords (James Stewart) in Broken Arrow (1950)

Debra Paget as Sonseeahray with James Stewart at Tom Jeffords in Broken Arrow (1950)

Debra Paget as Sonseeahray, the Apache girl who falls for Tom Jeffords in Broken Arrow (1950)