Glenn Ford plays Smith, a father and husband trying to eek out a living as a rancher in the 20th Century West.
He’s also one of the few white men the Native Americans living in the area can turn to when they need help.
And they turn to him often, somewhat to the dismay of his wife Norah (Nancy Olson), who wishes her husband would put his fianancially struggling family first for a change.
Now Norah has spotted an armed Native American near an old shack on their property and suspects it might be Gabriel Jimmyboy, who’s wanted for murder.
She convinces Smith to investigate. Sure enough, he finds Jimmyboy, who’s been led there by Ol’ Antoine (Chief Dan George), an elderly Native American and good friend of the Smith family.
Jimmyboy insists he killed in self-defense. He also suspects he’ll wind up at the end of a rope if he turns himself in.
He eventually does, with the agreement that Ol’ Antoine use the $500 in reward money for Jimmyboy’s capture to hire him a good lawyer.
But as the trial approaches, nothing is going right. Ol’ Antoine is conned into spending the $500 on someone else, then winds up being tossed in jail in a case of mistaken identity.
Using every last cent from his wife’s disaster fund, Smith heads off to see if he can help, with young son Alphie in tow.
After all, Ol’ Antoine is supposed to be Jimmyboy’s primary defense witness. And he can’t do that from a jail cell.
Glenn Ford as Smith, trying to ease Gabriel Jimmyboy’s fears of hanging in Smith! (1969)
Chief Dan George as Old Antoine, testifying on Gabriel Jimmyboy’s behalf in Smith! (1969)
Review:
A more mature film than most Disney offerings, this benefits from excellent performances from Ford in the title role and Chief Dan George as the proud but oft confused aging Native American.
Keenan Wynn plays the deputy oh so eager to put another Indian behind bars. Dean Jagger plays an understanding judge. Warren Oates is badly miscast as a Native American interpretor.
The film’s climax comes in a courtroom scene, with Chief Dan George recounting his memories of Nez Perce Chief Joseph and his famous surrender speech.
It’s a moving account. It has nothing to do with the night the alleged crime occurred. Yet it has everything to do with the trial’s outcome.
Western fans wll also spot Jay Silverheels of Tonto fame. He plays another of Smith’s Native American friends, a man who helps cut his hay crop. Ford and Silverheels would team up again in the 1973 Western “Santee.”
Nancy Olson as Norah Smith, pleading with her husband to put his own family first in Smith! (1969)
Christopher Shea as Alphie, Smith’s son, trying to lure an untamed horse closer with an apple in Smith! (1969)
Directed by:
Michael O’Herlihy
Cast:
Glenn Ford … Smith
Nancy Olson … Norah Smith
Dean Jagger … Judge James C. Brown
Keenan Wynn … Vince Heber
Warren Oates …. Walter Charlie
Chief Dan George … Ol’ Antoine
Frank Ramirez … Gabriel Jimmyboy
John Randolph … Mr. Edwards
Christopher Shea … Alpie
Roger Ewing … Donald Maxwell
Jay Silverheels … McDonald Lasheway
James Westerfield … Sheriff
Runtime: 112 min.
Frank Ramirez as Gabriel Jimmyboy, hiding out in an old shack on Smith’s property in Smith! (1969)
Keenan Wynn as Vince Heber, a deputy determined to capture Gabriel JImmyboy in Smith! (1969)
Memorable lines:
Alphie, Smith’s son, talking about his mom Norah, who’s quite upset with her husband: “She’s been walking around the house with your shotgun like there’s going to be a massacre or something.”
Smith: “Well, sometimes your ma gets carried away by the pioneer spirit.”
Norah Smith, about the Native Americans who live nearby: “What about the rest of them? They sleep on our land. They eat our food. They get into trouble, and you bail them out of jail. And you give them our hay when we don’t even have enough for our own stock.”
Smith: “Norah, listen to me. Someone has to take care of them. Or they get pushed around.”
Norah: “But why does it have to be you? Why do they always come here when their sky falls down?”
Smith: “Where else would they go?”
Old Antoine: “You trust Indian Bureau.”
Smith: “Why sure.”
Old Antoine, sarcastically: “Sure. You’re not Indian.”
Old Antoine: “Smith is good friend of Indian people. All Indian people say, ‘Smith is like big tree out in the grass when sun is very hot.'”
Jay Silverheels as McDonald Lasheway, one of Smith’s Native American friends in Smith! (1969)
Warren Oates as Walter Charlie, a Native American court translator coming up against a diner who doesn’t care for Indians in Smith! (1969)
Dean Jagger as Judge James C. Brown, trying to sort out a way to get Old Antoine’s testimony in Smith! (1969)
Roger Ewing as Donald Maxwell, Gabriel Jimmyboy’s Indian Bureau defense attorney in Smith! (1969)
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