Geronimo (1962)

Chuck Connors plays the famed Apache warrior, who agrees to try reservation life. But it’s a short-lived peace.

Geronimo is immediately concerned because the Indian agent orders his men’s horses seized and given back to the “rightful owners.”

The whites seem to care little about whether he and other former Apache warriors are stripped of their self-respect. They just want them to behave.

The real trouble starts when crooked whites — cavalry and reservation agents, alike — conspire to sell the portion of the San Carlos reservation where the Apaches have been raising crops.

Geronimo organizes a breakout and decides to wage a tireless war. His hope: To convince Mr. Washington himself to visit the Apaches with a new treaty that shows respect for the their lifestyle.

Wanting a son, Geronimo also kidnaps Teela, a lovely reservation Indian. But she sees no hope in a war-like existence and fears her child will die of starvation.

Sure enough, food is soon in short supply. And Geronimo finds himself facing the entire might of the U.S. cavalry, with a small band of 20 warriors by his side.

Chuck Connors as Geronimo, standing in line for rations in Geronimo (1962)

Kamala Devi as Teela, the woman Geronimo wants to make his own in Geronimo (1962)

Review:

Geronimo gets the hero treatment in this so-so film. It certainly shows little regard for history. The last time Geronimo surrendered in real life, he was shipped off to a reservation in Florida and never allowed to return to his homeland.

Connors looks buff and warrior-like in the lead role, if you can get past his blue eyes. Kamala Devi, who plays the educated reservation girl he decides to haul off and impregnate, actually became Connors’ real-wife a year after this film was released.

And Adam West, with “Batman” fame still on the horizon, has a fairly large role as a cavalry officer sympathetic to the Indian’s plight.

As for the villains, we get Capt. Maynard as a cavalry officer who would prefer to see all the Apaches dead and John Anderson as the Bible-thumping Indian agent who doesn’t hesitate to sell land out from under them, if the price is right.

The film features some good action sequences, and some silliness. As for the latter, there’s a scene in which a ranch woman catches a group of Apache warriors stealing oats from her barn. She invites them to share the chicken she was fixing for dinner, but insists on saying grace before they chow down.

Pat Conway as Capt. Maynard, a cavalry commander with a harsh view of Indians in Geronimo (1962)

Adam West as Lt. Delahay, more sympathetic to the plight of the Apache than his colleagues in Geronimo (1962)

Directed by:
Arnold Laven

Cast:
Chuck Connors … Geronimo
Pat Conway … Capt. Maynard
Armando Silvestre … Natchez
Ross Martin … Mangus
Kamala Devi … Teela
Adam West … Lt. Delahay
John Anderson … Jeremiah Burns
Lawrence Dobkin … Gen. Crook
Enid Jaynes … Huera
Denver Pyle … Sen. Conrad
Nancy Rodman … Mrs. Marsh
Amanda Ames … Mrs. Burns
Eduardo Noreiga … Col. Morales
Joe Higgins … Kincaide
Mario Navarro … Giantah

Runtime: 101 min.

Armando Silvestre as Natchez, one of the Apache leaders under Geronimo n Geronimo (1962)

Ross Martin (right) as Mangus, with his wife (Enid Jaynes) and child, trying to adjust to the white man’s way of life in Geronimo (1962)

Memorable lines:

Mrs. Burns, as Geronimo arrives at San Carlos reservation: “Do you think they’ll be trouble?”
Jeremiah Burns: “Trouble? I don’t think so. It will take more than a child of the devil to beat the Lord.”

Mangus to Geronimo: “They don’t understand us. So we do the best we can. At least we are still alive.”

Teela, after Geronimo has pinned one of her school books to a tree by firing an arrow in her direction: “Would you please come and get your arrow out of my book?”
Geronimo: “You’re right. It’s a good arrow. It shouldn’t be wasted.”

Chuck Connors as Geronimo, about to lead his followers to surrender in Geronimo (1962)

John Anderson as Indian agent Jeremiah Burns with his wife (Amanda Ames) in Geronimo (1962)

Edcuardo Noriega as Col. Morales and Lawrence Dobkin as Gen. Crook, planning their next move against the Apache in Geronimo (1962)

Joe Higgins as Kincaide, the land speculator with his eye on part of the Apache reservation, thanks to Capt. Maynard (Pat Conway) in Geronimo (1962)

Denver Pyle as Senator Conrad, the politician looking for answers about the Apache problem in Geronimo (1962)

Nancy Rodman as Mrs. Marsh, alone with a group of Apache warriors in Geronimo (1962)

Kamala Devi as Teela, with an arrow in her school book, courtesy of Geronimo in Geronimo (1962)

Chuck Connors as Geronimo with John Anderson as Jeremiah Burns, the Indian agent trying to cheat the Apache in Geronimo (1962)

Pat Conway as Capt. Maynard and Adam West as Lt. Delahay, disagreeing on the cavalry’s approach to the Apache in Geronimo (1962)

Kamala Devi as Teela, pleading with Geronimo (Chuck Connors) to surrender in Geronimo (1962)