''Run, Simon, Run'' (also known as ''The Tradition of Simon Zuniga'') is a 1970 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...

from

Aaron Spelling Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the television series ''Family'' (1976–1980), ''Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977� ...

starring

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor most famous during the 1970s and 1980s. He became well known in television series such as ''Gunsmoke'' (1962–1965), '' Hawk'' (1966) and '' Dan Augus ...

. It featured the last performance of

Inger Stevens Inger Stevens (born Ingrid Stensland; October 18, 1934 – April 30, 1970) was a Swedish-born American film, stage, and Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe–winning television actress. Early life Inger Stevens was born in Stockholm, Swede ...

Plot

Simon Zuniga, a Papago man, is struck by Carroll Rennard's car while he is running down the road after being released from prison. She drives him to the reservation, where she also works. There as he sleeps on his brother's grave, he dreams about the night that his brother was shot by Henry Burroughs and how Henry framed him for the murder.
Simon is informed that he is to take over as head of the tribal council. When girls are brought out at a public event to perform a "Dance of the 20 Virgins", Simon leads a protest by standing and covering his eyes, causing the girls to leave in embarrassment.
Simon later overhears Santana mention Burroughs and learns that Henry is still alive. Now free and stronger than ever, Simon seeks revenge on Henry by breaking into his old home but only finds new renters. He is arrested and Carroll pays his bail. She drives him to

Tucson Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

and hires Cesar Rosetti, a private detective.
Simon and Carroll become romantically involved and she holds a party for him to meet her friends. They ask him to do a rain dance but he says that he doesn't need rain. Carroll confesses to a friend that she is pregnant with Simon's child.
Rosetti tells Simon that Burroughs moved around from

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

to Phoenix but is now living under the name Henry Bagley and is currently fishing nearby. Simon finds the house then waits until dark and sneaks inside. He ties up Henry and carries him outside then waits for sunrise. He cuts Henry loose and says that he will kill Henry with the dagger he places in the ground. Henry grabs the knife first and after a battle Simon gets the knife and stabs Henry in the stomach but is then shot by the other men from the house. Carroll makes her way to a road and convinces a bus reserved for the tribe to take her back to the reservation with them.

Cast

as Simon Zuniga *

as Carroll Rennard *

Royal Dano Royal Edward Dano Sr. (November 16, 1922 – May 15, 1994) was an American actor. In a career spanning 46 years, he was perhaps best known for playing cowboys, villains, and Abraham Lincoln. Dano also provided the voice of the Audio-Animatronic ...

as Sheriff Tacksberry *

James Best Jewel Franklin Guy (July 26, 1926 – April 6, 2015), known professionally as James Best, was an American television, film, stage, and voice actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician. Duri ...

as Henry Burroughs *

Rodolfo Acosta Rodolfo Pérez Acosta (July 29, 1920 – November 7, 1974) was a Mexican-American character actor who became known for his roles as Mexican outlaws or American Indians in Hollywood western films. He was sometimes credited as Rudolph Acosta ...

as Manuel *

Don Dubbins Donald Gene Dubbins (June 28, 1928 – August 17, 1991) was an American film, stage and television actor. Life and career Dubbins was born in Brooklyn, New York. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Dubbins began his career in ...

as Freddie Tomb * Joyce Jameson as Esther *

Barney Phillips Bernard Philip Ofner (October 20, 1913 – August 17, 1982), better known by his stage name Barney Phillips, was an American film, television, and radio actor. His roles include that of Sgt. Ed Jacobs on the 1950s '' Dragnet'' television ser ...

as Cesar Rosetti * Herman Rudin as Asa * Eddie Little Sky as Santana *

Ken Lynch Kenneth E. Lynch (July 15, 1910 – February 13, 1990) was an American radio, film, and television actor with more than 180 credits to his name. He was generally known for portraying law enforcement officers and detectives. He may have been bes ...

as Warden Lomis * Rosemary Eliot as Marilyn * Marsha Moode as Helen Polino * Martin G. Soto as Ignacio

Production

Reynolds starring role in ''Run, Simon, Run'' followed another TV movie, '' Hunters Are for Killing'' (1970). It was shot in Tucson in February and March 1970.

Reception

It was the fifth highest-rated program of the week.

References

External links

*
''Run, Simon Run''
at BFI {{George McCowan 1970 television films 1970 films 1970 thriller films ABC Movie of the Week Films about Native Americans Films directed by George McCowan Films produced by Aaron Spelling Films set in Arizona Films shot in Tucson, Arizona American thriller television films 1970s American films