Chief Crazy Horse (film)
1955 film by George Sherman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 largely fictionalized biography of the Lakota Sioux Chief Crazy Horse. It was also known as Valley of Fury.
Gerald Drayson Adams
| 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
Some of the scenes in the film include a voiceover narrative told by a white trader who knew the Lakota Sioux Chief Crazy Horse.[3]
When 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
- 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
Jeff Chandler was originally announced to play the lead.[4] Instead the part was given to Victor Mature. Filming began in June 1954, on location in Montana and Wyoming.[5] This was the final film of Suzan Ball who died of cancer four months after the film was released.
Reception
Bosley 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]
