The Cowboy and the Indians (Columbia Pictures) (1949)

'The Cowboy and the Indians’ Stars Gene Autry and Champ (Review) To the accompaniment of ringing war whoops and flaming war paths, Gene Autry rides with the Navajos of Arizona to protect their birthright in Columbia Pictures’ “The Cowboy and the Indians,’” modern outdoor drama with old-West thrills, which opened yesterday at the Theatre. In his latest vehicle, the World’s Greatest Cowboy embarks upon a fighting crusade to rally the nation to the defense of the first Americans against would-be looters of the Indian lands. Before he has achieved his objective, Autry has to tangle with pale-face raiders in the type of explosive action thas has made his name a byword among action devotees. His straight-shooting, head-long riding astride Champion, the World’s Wonder Horse, and strenuous fisticuffs are as much in evidence in “The Cowboy and the Indians” as in his other outdoor dramas. In addition, the novel story material of modern-day Indians lifts the movie several notches above the usual outdoor thriller. The script by Dwight Cummins and Dorothy Yost begins with Autry becoming disgruntled when Navajo sheep wander onto his ranch in order to graze. A brief visit to the Navajos changes his indignation to sympathy when he discovers the redmen’s plight. Besides suffering from malnutrition, the Navajos are preyed upon by Frank Richards, a shrewd trader who attempts to obtain precious Indian relics for a song. When an Indian chieftain is found beaten unconscious, and his valuable badge of office gone, a young brave who is slated to assume leadership, is blamed for the crime, But Autry, with the young Indian, traces the culprits to Richards and an aide. The cowboy and the Indian, cornered by the trader’s gang are the objects of a dangerous onslaught when the Navajos arrive at the critical juncture to rescue them. With this fight won, Gene arouses the nation to the plight of the Navajos and gifts start to pour in from all parts of the country. Autry gives another lusty performance, acting with his usual convincing naturalness. Famed as the singing cowboy, Gene also is heard in four melodies that further enhance his appeal in “The Cowboy and the Indians.” Sheila Ryan, the romantic feminine lead, plays a young woman who is halfIndian, half-white with conviction; Richards makes a crafty villain, and Hank Patterson is good as Autry’s ranch foreman. John English, veteran director of Autry’s films, again turns out an outstanding job for producer Armand Schaefer in this Gene Autry Production. «9 es ene. 0. 6 Cowboy and Indians Fly to Film Sites Gene Autry, the most airminded Hollywoodian, flew the entire company of “The Cowboy and the Indians,” now at the ....... Theatre, to their location site at Pioneertown, Calif., 125 miles east, in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. It was Autry’s seventh Columbia picture. Each of them was filmed at distant locations, and the companies were always flown there in chartered planes. Autry’s private plane, a twinengined, seven-place Beechcraft, was used for shuttling back and forth between the location sites and Hollywood, making two round-trips daily, carrying players, technicians and film. Page 2 CAST and CREDITS GenesAutiyeras. 5c Gene Autry Nan Palmer .................. Sheila Ryan "Smiley" Martin ...... Frank Richards Tom Garber ............ Hank Patterson akonnestcn eae Jay Silverheels Lucy Broken Arm ...... Claudia Drake Ronacen svete ee George Nokes Broken Arm ............ Charles Stevens Fred Bradley .................. Alex Frazer Blue Eagle ................ Frank Lackteen Chief Long Arrow Chief Yowlachie JOG Re eT ae Lee Roberts Sheriff Don Payne ........ Nolan Leary Miss Summers ........ Maudie Prickett Bob Collins ................ Harry Mackin Henderson ............ Charles Quigley and Champion Written by Dwight Cummins, Dorothy Yost; Directed by John English; Assistant Director, Jack Corrick; Director of Photography, William Bradford; Art Director, Harold MacArthur; Film Editor, Henry Batista; Set Decorator, Louis Diage; Musical Supervisor, Paul Mertz; Musical Director, Mischa Bakaleinikoff; Sound Engineer, Frank Goodwin; Produced by Armand Schaefer; A Gene Autry Production. A Columbia Picture. STORY (Not for Publication) Gene Autry (himself) runs into opposition from "Smiley" Martin (Frank Richards), trader, when he attempts to aid a Navajo woman suffering from malnutrition. Doctor Nan Palmer (Sheila Ryan), half navajo and _ half white, tells Gene that Martin has been cheating the Indians for years. Meanwhile Martin and Bradley (Alex Frazer), a curio dealer, scheme to get a priceless blanket owned by Lucy Broken Arm (Claudia Drake), but Gene arrives in time to slug it out with their agents. When, Chief Long Arrow (Chief Yowlachie) is found, beaten unconscious, with his priceless turquoise necklace, a symbol of his office, gone, Lakohna (Jay Silverheels), young Indian slated to be next chief of the tribe, is blamed. The attack is traced to Martin by Autry and Lakohna who are, however, trapped by their enemies in the hills. They are saved by Indians and a sheriff's posse. Autry secures help for the famine-stricken Navajos from the public and the Government. Lakohna becomes chief and, with Nan in his arms, watches Gene head back to his ranch. Autry Defends Indians In New Western Drama Hollywood has been eternally pre-occupied with Indians, and they have been incorporated as one of the staple ingredients in the Western thriller. In the beginning, Indians were the eternal enemy who jeopardized the security of the pioneer or settler as they pushed West. Mostly, they have been portrayed as cruel savages who interfered with the march of progress of the white men in America. World War II temporarily obscured the redman as a factor in outdoor thrillers because there were more potent enemies to be portrayed on American screens. But then things returned to normal in the movie city, and the Indian was restored to his niche as a screen menace and participant in the big Western action epic. But in Columbia Pictures’ “The Cowboy and the Indians,” now holding forth at the ....... Theatre, the Indian is portrayed Mat 1-A; Prod. Still No. 34 THREATENING vengeance, Jay Silverheels urges Gene Autry to fight with the Navajos in Columbia’s “The Cowboy and the Indians”’ at the Theatre. in a refreshing light, just as another human being with unique problems of his own, and not as a menacing savage. Starring Gene autry, “The Cowboy and the Indians”’ portrays the cowboy star’s fight to defend today’s Indians against paleface raiders who would rob them of their birthright. The plight of the Navajos of Arizona is then brought to the nation and Congress by the cowboy star. There have been numerous other pictures which have utilized the figure of the Indian. “Canyon Passage”’ also reflected the modern approach to the American Indian as not the dyed-in-the-wool savage so frequently portrayed in pictures as only good wnen dead. This big outdoor drama carefully documented one of the Indian rampages as stemming from the murder of an Indian girl by a white man and not flowing from the wanton Indian mind. Other pictures in recent years in which the Indian has loomed large in the story are ‘Red River,’ “Last of the Redmen,” “Drums Along the Mohawk,” “Fort Apache,” “The Unconquered,” “‘Pursued” and even in the Bob Hope comedy, “The PaleFace.” In addition to the World’s Greatest Cowboy, and Champion, the World’s Wonder Horse, “‘The Cowboy and the Indians” contains featured players Sheila Ryan, Frank Richards and Hank Patterson. John English directed for producer Armand Schaefer. Old West Thriils “The Cowboy and the Indians,” starring Gene Autry and Champion, will start an engagement at the Theatre Their latest Columbia outdoor thriller is a modern story with old-West thrills laid in the Navajo country. Supporting players are topped by Sheila Ryan, Frank Richards and Hank Patterson. Dwight Cummins and Dorothy Yost collaborated on the script directed by John English for producer Armand Schaefer. The movie is a Gene Autry Production. eeeeee ee LIT AVILO «eevee ve se Cowboy and Indians Mat 2-A; Prod Still No. 28 PALEFACE TREACHERY threatens the American Indian in Colum bia’s ‘The Cowboy and the Indians” at the Theatre. In the scene above, star Gene Autry disposes of villainous Clayton Moore. Autry Is One-Man Army In Modern Indian War The fight of the Navajos to protect their birthright, aided by Gene Autry, provides the theme of Columbia Pictures’ latest outdoor drama with their popular star. Coming to the ....... Thealrer v.castes , the film is titled “The Cowboy and the Indians” and again has Champion, the World’s Wonder Horse, combining with the World’s Greatest Cowboy, to form the outstanding man-and-horse duo on the Western range. Autry is said to demonstrate that he’s a one-man army of fists and bullets blasting pale-face renegades, as the Navajos make their last stand in a modern Indian war. Advance reports indicate that “The Cowboy and the Indians” contains the usual reliable elements of the outdoor thriller that have made Autry’s pictures so popular. But, in addition, there’s said to be an extra premium in store for Autry fans. Autry has delved into novel story material, the modern Indian, for his new film. The story concerns rancher Autry’s efforts to aid the Navajos of southern Arizona, in their struggle to maintain their few treasures and land from greedy white men. When an Indian chieftain is beaten, and his priceless badge of office taken, a young Mat 1-B; Prod. Still No. 6 GUNS BARK as Gene Autry goes on the warpath fighting to protect Navaio Indians in Columbia’s “The Cowboy and the Indians” at the-.): . Theatre now. Indian leader slated to succeed him, is blamed. Gene, and the young Indian trace the real culprits to two white traders, but are cornered in the hills by the renegades’ henchmen. Saved by the timely arrival of the Indians and the sheriff’s posse, Gene then makes a dramatic appeal to the nation in erder to aid the faminestricken Navajos. In order to duplicate the rugged and beautiful terrain of southern Arizona, Gene used Pioneertown, Calif., only a half-hour’s flying time from Hoilywood, for location shooting. Pioneertown, a few miles from Palm Springs, is located 4,500 feet high in the San Bernardino Mountains, just below Big Bear Lake. Gene is still the singing cowboy as of yore in his current movie, giving out with four melodies including “One little Indian Boy,” “Silent Night,” “America” and “Here Comes Santa Claus.” Autry’s supporting players include Sheila Ryan, romantic lead, who portrays a woman doctor, part white, part Indian; Frank Richards, who plays the chief “heavy” and Hank Patterson. The script of “The Cowboy and the Indians” was written by Dwight Cummins and Dorothy Yost. John English directed this Gene Autry Production for producer Armand Schaefer. ‘Cowboy and Indians’ Set to Open Soon Columbia Pictures’ “The Cowboy and the Indians,” latest Gene Autry outdoor thriller, is due to arrive at the Theatre, Champion, Gene’s favorite mount, is also present again, while principal support for the cowboy star is furnished by Sheila Ryan, Frank Richards and Hank Patterson. Gene, as an Arizona rancher, is angry with the Navajos when their sheep overrun his grazing land, but discovering their sad state of affairs, allies himself with them in order to protect their birthright from greedy white men. After beating off the pale-face raiders, Autry rallies the country and Congress to the first Americans’ defense. Screen play of “The Cowboy and the Indians” was written by Dwight Cummins and Dorothy Yost. John English directed for producer Armand Schaefer, The movie is a Gene Autry Production.