Chief Crazy Horse is a 1955 American CinemaScope Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Victor Mature, Suzan Ball and John Lund.[2] The film is a fictionalized biography of the Lakota Sioux Chief Crazy Horse. It was also known as Valley of Fury.
| Chief Crazy Horse | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | George Sherman |
| Screenplay by | Franklin Coen Gerald Drayson Adams |
| Story by | Gerald Drayson Adams |
| Produced by | William Alland |
| Starring | Victor Mature Suzan Ball John Lund |
| Cinematography | Harold Lipstein |
| Edited by | Al Clark |
| Music by | Frank Skinner |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | Universal International Pictures |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.75 million (US/Canada rentals)[1] |
Plot
editWhen young Crazy Horse (Victor Mature) wins his bride, rival Little Big Man (Ray Danton) goes to villainous traders with evidence of gold in the sacred Lakota burial ground. A new gold rush starts and old treaties are torn up. Crazy Horse becomes chief of his people, leading them to war at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Cast
edit- Victor Mature as Crazy Horse
- Suzan Ball as Black Shawl
- John Lund as Major Twist
- Ray Danton as Little Big Man
- Keith Larsen as Flying Hawk
- Paul Guilfoyle as Worm
- David Janssen as Lt. Colin Cartwright
- Robert Warwick as Spotted Tail
- James Millican as General Crook
- Morris Ankrum as Red Cloud
- Donald Randolph as Aaron Cartwright
- Robert F. Simon as Jeff Mantz
- James Westerfield as Caleb Mantz
- Stuart Randall as Old Man Afraid
- Pat Hogan as Dull Knife
- Dennis Weaver as Maj. Carlisle
- John Peters as Sgt. Guthrie
- Henry Wills as He Dog
Production
editJeff Chandler was originally announced to play the lead.[3] Instead the part was given to Victor Mature. Filming began in June 1954, on location in Montana and Wyoming.[4] This was the final film of Suzan Ball who died of cancer four months after the film was released.
Reception
editBosley Crowther wrote that the film was "just a series of hit-and-holler clashes between the Indians and the United States Cavalry" and "[s]o monotonous, indeed, are these forays that when they finally get around to the famous slaughter of Custer's troop at the Little Big Horn it is just another routine episode--even though it is later mentioned as the great victory that the old chief prophesied".[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "1955's Top Film Grossers". Variety. January 25, 1956. p. 1. Retrieved February 7, 2021 – via Archive.org.
- ^ a b Crowther, Bosley (April 28, 1955). "The Screen: Warpath; Chief Crazy Horse and Tribe Attack Cavalry". The New York Times.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (March 21, 1953). "'Chief Crazyhorse' Held Right for Jeff Chandler; Slate Signs Term Deal". Los Angeles Times. p. 11.
- ^ Pryor, Thomas M. (May 22, 1954). "Subsidies to Italy on Films Decried: Talks on New Agreement Are Seeking End to the Practice, Held 'Dangerous' Precedent". The New York Times. p. 8.
External links
edit- Chief Crazy Horse at IMDb
- Chief Crazy Horse at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Chief Crazy Horse at the TCM Movie Database
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