The Munro sisters — Alice (Binnie Barnes) and Cora (Heather Angel) — are looking forward to a reunion with their father at Fort William Henry. So they head off, accompanied by Maj. Duncan Heywad, who’s in love with Alice, and a scout named Magua (Bruce Cabot).
Once a Huron, hated enemies of the British, Magua leads them into a trap and only the timely intervention of famed scout Hawkeye (Randolph Scott) and his Indian sidekicks Chingachgook (Robert Barrat) and Uncas (Philip Reed) saves the young women.
They eventually make it to the fort, only to find it undermanned and under siege by the French. When it’s clear reinforcements won’t arrives, Col. Munro is convinced to submit to an honorable surrender. But the Huron, feeling they’ve been cheated of English scalps, attack the fort anyway, leading to a massacre during which the colonel is killed and the two white women taken captive.
Magua wants Cora as his wife; the Huron want to burn Alice at the stake. Hawkeye, his two Indian friends and Heyward (Henry Wilcoxon) all set out on their trail, hoping to rescue the women before either can happen.
Review:
A lively early sound version of the oft-filmed James Fenimore Cooper story, with Randolph Scott turning in an excellent performance as a man not afraid to speak up for the interest of American settlers when they don’t coincide with British military needs. It might land him in trouble, but his parents were scalped by raiding Indians, and he doesn’t want to see that happen to more white settlers.
The big action scenes are also very well down, including the canoe chase after Hawkeye’s initial rescue of the girls, the Huron assault on the fort and a prolonged handfight between Maqua and Chingachgook, by then the last of the Mohicans.
Both of the lead actresses here — Binnie Barnes and Heather Angel — were British born. In fact, Angel was married to Henry Wilcoxon, who plays Maj. Heyward, at one point.
Several films have been based on the novel by the same name. The first feature length silent version came out in 1920; the highly celebrated 1992 version features Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe in the roles of Hawkeye and Alice.
Directed by:
George B. Seitz
Cast:
Randolph Scott … Hawkeye
Binnie Barnes … Alice Munro
Henry Wilcoxon … Maj. Duncan Heyward
Bruce Cabot … Magua
Heather Angel … Cora Munro
Philip Reed … Uncas
Robert Barrat … Chingachgook
Hugh Buckler … Col. Munro
William Robertson … Capt. Winthrop
William Stack … Gen. Montcalm
Lumsden Hare … Gen. Abercrombie
Frank McGlynn Sr. … Gamut
Will Stanton … Jenkins
William V. Strong … Sacham
Art Dupuis … De Levis
Runtime: 91 min.
Memorable lines:
King’s adviser: “Your majesty, Pitt is as mad as a hatter.”
King George: “Mad is he? I wish he’d bite some of my other ministers.”
Col. Heyward, about his affection for Alice: “You see, a British officer never gives in within a struggle.”
Alice: “Spoken like a true Britian, sir.”
Munro: “Then, Miss Munro, you may consider yourself under a permanent stage of siege.”
Alice: “I shall welcome it.”
Hawkeye to Maj. Heyward: “You can do what you want with your own scalps, major. But don’t start telling us what to do with ours.”
Col. Munro, when Alice suggests hanging Hawkeye for speaking up to Heyward: “Well, this is a country of forests. But I doubt there’d be enough trees to go around if we started hanging people for speaking their minds.”
Alice: “Seems you have a healthy contempt for everything British, haven’t you?”
Hawkeye: “I haven’t noticed the British busting into cheers when they see me.”
Hawkeye: “Major, I think some day, you and I are going to have a serious disagreement.”
Maj. Heyward: “Quite probably.”
Alice, upon learning Hawkeye might hang for treason: “Justice? If that’s your idea of justice, then the sooner French guns blow the English out of America the better it will be for the colonies.”
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