''Comanche'' is a 1956 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

George Sherman George Sherman (July 14, 1908 – March 15, 1991) was an American film director and Film producer, producer of low-budget Western (genre), Western films. One obituary said his "credits rival in number those of anyone in the entertainment indus ...

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

and starring

Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir and later in Western films. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigio ...

. The film has a theme song "A Man Is As Good As His Word" sung by

The Lancers ''The Lancers'' is a musical in three acts. The musical's book by Rida Johnson Young and J. Hartley Manners was adapted from Augustin Daly's 1881 play ''The Passing Regiment''. Daly's play itself was based on Gustav von Moser and Franz von Sc ...

Plot

In 1875, near

Durango Durango, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Durango, is one of the 31 states which make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in the northwest portion of the country. With a population of 1,832,650 ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, a group of renegade

Comanche The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...

attack a peaceful village and kidnap the daughter of a Spanish aristocrat. They escape the Mexican Army by crossing into US territory. Jim Read (

), a frontier scout, is sent to investigate and ease tensions between the Mexicans and the Comanche. But long standing hatred and the profitable business of scalp-hunting does not help in resolving the conflict. Read is sent to negotiate with the Comanche chief, Quanah (

Kent Smith Frank Kent SmithGordon, Dr. Roger L. (2018). Supporting Actors in Motion Pictures: Volume II'. Pittsburgh, PA: Dorrance Publishing. pp. 130, 131. . "Kent Smith: Frank Kent Smith was born on March 19, 1907, in New York City. ..He was marrie ...

). Whilst searching for Quanah, Read sees Art Downey (

Stacy Harris Stacy Harris (July 26, 1918 – March 13, 1973) was an American actor with hundreds of film and television appearances. His name is sometimes found misspelled Stacey Harris. Early years Harris was born on July 26, 1922, in Big Timber, Q ...

), a local scalp-hunter, shoot and wound a Comanche. Read rescues him and takes him to Quanah. Read however is himself accused of the shooting by Black Cloud ( Henry Brandon), the renegade leader, until the wounded brave recovers enough to clear his name. Read reveals to Quanah that they are cousins and that his mother was the sister of Quanah's mother. Quanah swears loyalty to his white friend. Read leaves to fetch government officials to a peace council, but discovers a cavalry detachment that has been massacred by Black Cloud and his renegades. The Government official, Commissioner Ward (Lowell Gilmore), has ordered the cavalry to subdue the Indians, by force if necessary. Black Cloud attacks a column of cavalry troopers and captures Ward. Quanah and a large force of loyal Comanche intervene and threaten to attack Black Cloud. Vengeful Black Cloud kills Ward. In the ensuing battle, Read kills Downey and Black Cloud and peace is restored.

Cast

as Jim Read *

as Quanah Parker *

Nestor Paiva Nestor Caetano Paiva (June 30, 1905 – September 9, 1966) was an American stage, radio, film and television actor of Portuguese descent. He performed in over 400 motion pictures either as an extra, a bit player, or as a significant supporting ...

as Puffer * Henry Brandon as Black Cloud *

as Downey *

John Litel John Beach Litel (December 30, 1892 – February 3, 1972) was an American film and television actor. Early life Litel was born in Albany, Wisconsin. During World War I, he enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery. B ...

as Gen.

Nelson A. Miles Nelson Appleton Miles (August 8, 1839 – May 15, 1925) was a United States Army officer who served in the American Civil War (1861–1865), the later American Indian Wars (1840–1890), and the Spanish–American War, (1898). From 1895 to 1903 ...

Lowell Gilmore Lowell Gilmore (December 20, 1906 – January 31, 1960) was an American stage, film, and television actor. Life and career Lowell Gilmore first worked as a stage manager on the 1929 Broadway play ''The First Mrs. Fraser'', but got his chance ...

as Commissioner Ward *

Mike Mazurki Mike Mazurki (December 25, 1907 – December 9, 1990, born Markiian Yulianovych Mazurkevych) was a Ukrainian-American actor and professional wrestler who appeared in more than 142 films. Although educated as an attorney, his hulking 6 ft 5 ...

as Flat Mouth * Tony Carbajal as Little Snake *

Linda Cristal Marta Victoria Moya Peggo Burges (24 February 1931 – 27 June 2020), known professionally as Linda Cristal (), was an Argentine–American actress. She appeared in a number of Western films during the 1950s, before winning a Golden Globe Awar ...

as Margarita * Reed Sherman as Lt. French *

Iron Eyes Cody Iron Eyes Cody (born Espera Oscar de Corti, April 3, 1904 – January 4, 1999) was an American actor of Italian descent who portrayed Native Americans in Hollywood films, including the role of Chief Iron Eyes in Bob Hope's '' The Paleface'' ...

as Medicine Arrow, the medicine man

Production

Writer-producer Carl Krueger spent five to six years researching the story. He says he was offered up to $30,000 for the script but held out to make it independently as he wanted the film shot in Mexico.

Reception

The film received some good reviews with the location work in

, Mexico much praised. ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...

'' and the ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...

'' both rated it two out of four stars, each citing it as interesting mostly for introducing Cristal to North American audiences.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Comanche (1956 Film) 1956 films 1956 Western (genre) films American Western (genre) films Western (genre) cavalry films American Indian Wars films Comanche in popular culture CinemaScope films 1950s English-language films Films directed by George Sherman Films scored by Herschel Burke Gilbert Films set in 1875 Films set in Mexico Films about Native Americans Films set in the United States Films shot in Mexico United Artists films 1950s American films English-language Western (genre) films