The Indian Fighter (1955)

If you never thought watching movies could be harmful, I have a couple of westerns that are so bad they may actually destroy brain cells.

Seriously, I've recently been exploring the back catalog on some major stars and have discovered a couple of real clinkers that I'm sure they'd rather not list on their resumes. Still, in the public interest, I think you should know, since I make it a point to watch the bad ones so you don't have to.

First, for your consideration I submit The Indian Fighter a revisionist western from independent filmmaker Kirk Douglas' Bryna Productions.

Kirk Douglas stars as a wagon train scout with the suitably masculine name of Johnny Hawks.

Traveling the Oregon Trail Kirk manages to find the time to intervene when whiskey-peddling renegade whites (Walter Matthau and Lon Chaney, Jr.) kill an Indian and head off a big Indian war, and dally with two ladies, one white, the other a beautiful Indian maiden played by Elsa Martinelli.

The Indian Fighter is certainly one of the earlier movies to explore overt interracial relationships, along with The Far Horizons. Despite the controversial subject matter, both films are far from good explorations of the topic and better left forgotten.

The original story, penned by Ben Kadish, was adapted for the screen by Frank Davis, but apparently the filmmakers realized early-on it was a thin story because they called in noted script doctor Ben Hecht. Apparently, even Hecht couldn't make it fly as the resulting hour-and-a-half doesn't measure up as even an average oater, according to my fairly relaxed standards.

Now, I have to admit the casting was creative, with early screen appearances by the hangdog-looking Walter Matthau and the beautiful foreign import Elsa Martinelli (va va voom!), improbably made up to look vaguely Indian-like; but the story is so weak, even the best efforts of the beauty and the beast (not necessarily in that order) do not make much difference. Even factoring in Kirk Douglas' energetic performance, as the brash Johnny Hawks - and I never remember seeing Kirk Douglas ever give less than 110% - the production just looks chintzy and you are soon looking at your watch hoping that it is over soon. This means the great character actors like Lon Chaney, Jr., Walter Abel, and Hank Worden, vainly sent in to add beef where the script was too watery, are utterly wasted.

The Indians are mostly Anglo actors made up to look Indian-like, which was the norm in those days, but the makeup, wigs, costumes, sets, and props look cheap and unconvincing. Andre De Toth directed, and based on his performance here, I made sure to add his name to my list of directors who make me think twice before I watch another of their movies.

The MGM DVD is presented in 2.35:1 theatrical format, in color, and the running time is 88 minutes.

This really hurts, because Kirk Douglas is such a powerful performer, yet even his acumen cannot bring this one up to make it a watchable film.

This one would be safer for you to skip, that is if you value your brain cells.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: None of the Above