James Garner is Cpl. Clint Keyes, a man facing a death sentence for mutiny and on the run from the U.S. Cavalry on a camel named Rosebud.
Clay O’Brien is Mark, a young white boy captured and raised by the Cheyenne. He’s on the run too, because cavalry commander Capt. Stewart has found out he’s white and plans to separate him from Blue Feather, his adoptive mother.
Fleeing for Mexico, Keyes runs across Mark and takes the young boy under his wing and aboard his camel. Rosebud, aka “Rosie,” just happens to have an offspring named Thirsty trailing along.
On their trail is Sgt. Raines (Morgan Woodward) and two troopers. Raines has orders from Gen. Crook to catch and hang Keyes. It’s an order he’s hellbent to carry out.
That poses a dilemma for Keyes, who faces sure capture if he returns Mark to the Cheyenne reservation, can’t abandon him, but fears the young boy will be in danger if he continues along on the flight to Mexico.
He thinks he’s found a solution when he and Mark stumble upon a homestead where widow Doris McIver (Vera Miles) lives with her daughter Martha (Jodie Foster).
They’re leaving for Colorado and agree to take Mark along in hopes of finding him a good family home.
Mark has other ideas.
James Garner as Cpl. Clint Keyes, facing a death sentence after being charged with mutiny in One Little Indian (1973)
Clay O’Brien as Mark, the young white boy raised by Cheyenne in One Little Indian (1973)
Review:
An entertaining Disney film thanks to a solid performance from Garner and some comic relief provided by an ornery camel.
As for Jodie Foster, she made her film debut in “Menace on the Mountain,” another Disney Western, in 1970. She gets much more screen time here, at age 10. She even rides a camel!
Of course, she and Garner would reunite 21 years later in the 1994 Western, “Maverick,” which also starred Mel Gibson.
Lots of other familiar faces show up in this one, including Jay Silverheels as the Indian scout who helps track Garner’s character and John Doucette as a cavalry officer temporary assigned responsibility for Mark.
Vera Miles as Doris McIver, the widow who offers to try to find a new home for Mark in One Little Indian (1973)
Jodie Foster as Martha, developing a fondness for Mark and camels in One Little Indian (1973)
Directed by:
Bernard McEveety
Cast:
James Garner … Clint Keyes
Vera Miles … Doris McIver
Pat Hingle … Capt. Stewart
Morgan Woodward … Sgt. Raines
John Doucette … Sgt. Walker
Clay O’Brien … Mark
Robert Pine … Lt. Cummins
Bruce Glover … Schrader
Ken Swofford … Private Dixon
Jay Silverheels … Jimmy Wolf
Andrew Prine … Chaplain John
Jodie Foster … Martha
Walter Brooke … The docter
Rudy Diaz … The Apache
Lois Red Elk … Blue Feather
Jim Davis … Trail boss
Runtime: 89 min.
Morgan Woodward as Sgt. Raines, the man determined to capture Clint Keyes in One Little Indian (1973)
Jay SIlverheels as Jimmy Wolf, the scout helping Sgt. Raines track Clint Keyes in One Little Indian (1973)
Memorable lines:
Clint Keyes, when Rosebud the camel suddenly stops and takes a seat: “Now who told you to do that? One more time, and you’re going to be camel stew. You’re not loveable and you’re not rideable. Maybe your eatable.”
Mark, when he and Clint stumble upon a cattle herd and smell bacon from the cowboy’s camp fire.: “Clint, we got nothing to eat. I steal.”
Clint Keyes: “You’ve got to get over the idea that anytime you want anything, you can just go steal it. We’ll wait ’til they quiet down. Then I’ll steal the bacon.”
Mark to Clint Keyes, as he plucks cactus needles from Clint’s behind courtesy of Rosebud the camel: “She’s sorry, Clint.”
Clint: “Yeah, she’s sorry. I should have stayed in the guardhouse and let them hang me. Peaceful like.”
Pat Hingle as Capt. Stewart, questioning Sgt. Raines about his determination to hang Clint Keyes in One Little Indian (1973)
Andrew Prine as Chaplain John, trying to find a suitable guardian for Mark in One Little Indian (1973)
John Doucette as Sg. Walker, put in charge of Mark’s well being in One Little Indian (1973)
Robert Pine as Lt. Cummins, arriving at the fort with a group of needy Cheyenne woman and children in One Little Indian (1973)
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