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?
James Ellison as Capt. Jeff Packard, a special agent sent West to stop gun running to the Apache tribe in I Killed Geronimo (1950)
Virginia Herrick as Julie Scott, helping defend the stage from an Apache attack in I Killed Geronimo (1950)
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).
Chief Thundercloud as Geronimo, desperate to get his hand on promised rifles in I Killed Geronimo (1950)
Ted Adams as Walt Anderson, the crooked businessman dealers guns to the Apache in I Killed Geronimo (1950)
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.
Luther Crockett as Maj. Clem French, ready to parlay with Geronimo in I Killed Geronimo (1950)
Joseph J. Greene as the U.S. Cavalry paymaster who winds up guarding firing pins too in I Killed Geronimo (1950)
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.”
Virginia Herrick as Julie Scott getting help from James Ellison as Capt. Jeff Packard when accosted by Luke (Dennis Moore) in I Killed Geronimo (1950)
Smith Ballew as Lt. Furness, expecting to be executed by Geronimo in I Killed Geronimo (1950)
Luther Crockett as Maj. Clem French with his wife (Jean Andren) and Julie Scott in I Killed Geronimo (1950)
Virginia Herrick as Julie Scott and James Ellison as Capt. Jeff Packard, meeting on the trip West in I Killed Geronimo (1950)
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