Vince Edwards plays the peace loving Hiawatha and Keith Larsen is war mongering Pau PukKeewis in this story about the fate of the Ojibway tribe.
Fearing his warriors have grown complacent and their enemies might be planning an attack, Ojibway Chief Megissogwon (Ian McDonald) sends out two scouting parties. Hiawatha is to scout the Dakota tribe to discover their intentions; PukKeewis is to do the same with the Illinois.
Attacked by a bear, Hiawatha is rescued by a Dakota arrow-maker named Lakku and nursed back to health by his lovely daugther Minnehaha, with whom he falls in love. He returns to his tribe counseling peace and announcing his plans to marry an “outsider.”
Meanwhile, PukKeewis and his companions have killed an Illinois hunting party, provoking an attack on the Ojibway village. The Ojibway prevail, but when food runs short the following winter, PukKeewis suggests a raid on the Dakota. Hiawatha, of course, opposes that course of action and suggests sending an emissary to ask for assistance instead.
But when the emissary, Chibiabos, turns up dead with an Dakota arrow in his body, it appears PukKeewis will get his way.
Review:
The film gives young hunks Vince Edwards and Keith Larsen a chance to march around shirtless for an entire film, but it’s a tired and painfully predictable affair.
Even the big reveal by Hiawatha’s grandmother near the end of the film is unlikely to be a big surprise to viewers. And the action scenes, few and far between, aren’t very well done, especially the inevitable final showdown between the young warriors.
Ian McDonald plays the Ojibway chief; Katherine Emery is Hiawatha’s grandmother, who, like most of the tribe, is very slow to accept his new wife because she’s from a rival tribe.
Edwards went on to star in the hit TV series “Ben Casey,” which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. Larsen, often cast in the role of an Indian warrior, also got his own TV series, the less successful “Brave Eagle,” which ran for one season (1955-56).
Directed by:
Kurt Neumann
Cast:
Vince Edwards … Hiawatha
Yvette Duguay … Minnehaha
Keith Larsen … Pau PukKeewis
Morris Ankrum … Iagoo
Eugene Iglesias … Chibiabos
Ian McDonald … Chief Megissogwon
Stuart Randall … Mudjekeewis
Katherine Emery … Nokomis
Stephen Chase … Lakku
Armando Cilvestre … Kwasind
Michael Tolan … Neyadji
Richard Bartlett … Chunug
Michael Granger … Ajawac
Robert Bice … Wabeek
Eugene Peterson … Hikon
Runtime: 80 min.
Memorable lines:
Minnehaha to her father, of Hiawatha: “He talks with a fast tongue. But then captive spies aways do.”
Lakku: “You, of course, have listened to a great many captive spies so you know what you’re talking about?”
Hiawatha, when Minnehaha discovers she’s washed a hole into a piece of clothing while he talks love to her: “It looks like this has been washed a little too long in one place. Let us hope it is not going to be a cold winter.”
Minnehaha: “It is your fault. You should be inside recovering from your wounds instead of annoying busy women.”
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