Indian Uprising (1952)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Strong and Moving!

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

If you've seen " Fort. Apache", this will seem like deja vu. Again, we have a foolish fort commander brought in, with no experience dealing with western Indians. He rejects the sound advice of the staff, sure that his unyielding policy is the correct one. He seems to regard Native Americans as so much fodder to advance his career. One significant difference from "Ft. Apache", is that this commander doesn't die on the battlefield, only wounded. Nonetheless, quite a few of his charges die in his ill-advised charge toward the Apache in their rocky country.....George Montgomery, a leading man in several types of films, plays the hero: Capt. McCloud, who tries to keep the peace between Apache and whites by shooing out miners who are working inside Apache territory, irritating the Apache, who seem not interested in the yellow metal. But some of the miners, such as Sagebrush(Eddie Waller) claim they filed a claim before this area was awarded to the Apache. McCloud disregards this argument. ....The local businessmen, who are largely financing the mining, lobby for a new fort commander, who will support their pro-mining agenda. He arrives in the form of Major Stark, who disbands the guards who keep whites out of Indian territory, inciting an uprising by the Apache, which only McCloud can quell to by promising the Apache that there will be no reprisals against them if they stop their raids on white settlers. ...... Audrey Long , the token woman, has a very peripheral role in the story, as the daughter of the local Indian agent, who is trying to establish a school for Apache children. Her very peripheral romance with McCloud heats up in the parting scene, when he proposes...... Hugh Sanders and Douglas Kennedy, along with Stark, play the chief opponents of McCloud's anti-mining policy. ....Miguel Inclan plays the Spanish-speaking Geronimo, who is said to be chief of the Apache(The historical Geronimo was merely a medicine man, and apparently didn't speak Spanish). Geronimo's son, Tubia, takes part in some of the interactions between the Apache and whites.

I had to keep telling myself this is a modestly budgeted 50s affair. It was not supposed to be a John Ford western. As such, I have to evaluate it according to what it has, instead of what it could have had. So let's see, what it does have are sincere performances from George Montgomery and a group of players whose names are not too recognizable now. It also has nice Technicolor and a quickly pasted together plot, using scenes that we've seen in countless other films about native uprisings. Even the title seems fairly bland and uninspiring. But at least you know what you are in for when you start watching a Columbia picture of this type. And as a piece of entertainment, it is at least able to hold our attention. This is a remarkable feat given the fact there are lengthy scenes of Apaches speaking Spanish (without subtitles) which we must endure right alongside George Montgomery. But he got paid to put up with this.

There is nothing even remotely original about Indian Uprising which regurgitates themes and character types from countless Westerns that went before it ,but it remains a watchable movie aided by its brief running time (75 minutes ) and brisk direction ,which ensures the picture never outstays its welcome George Montgomery plays UC Cavalry officer ,Captain McLoud who is trying to keep the peace between Geronimo's Apaches on the San Carlos Reservation and the white prospectors who are violating the peace treaty by searching for gold on the Reservation .His endeavours are so successful that he becomes a threat to the businessman backing the miners that they have him suspended and replaced by the inexperienced martinet Major Stark whose bungling ,bull headed leadership soon starts a fully fledged war between the Apaches and the whites especially when the Apaches are falsely accused of murdering a miner.Mcloud must try to rebuild the peace in the face of enemies both civilian and military all the time while he is wooing the daughter of the local Indian agent and mentoring a callow young officer Lieutenant Whitley (played respectively by Audrey Long and John Baer)The movie is derivative and John Ford's cavalry pictures are a direct inspiration .The troopers are "types" lifted straight from Ford and one scene in which the blundering Stark leads his men into an ambush is evocative of a similar scene in Ford's masterly Fort Apache but done with less style and a lower budget .The acting is proficient and the movie will entertain Western devotees well enough despite some muddy colour and an original ploy .Professional and solid but no more

Like it SHOULD be: One of those movies that makes you root for the Indians: Some white guys want to mine land which is part of a reservation, so they come up with an idea to result in the annihilation of the Apaches. The plan involves the caucasians killing a prospector but framing the tribe. The scheme also provides for the replacement of the Indian-friendly commander of the area's cavalry unit. How could the incoming major NOT think that he was dealing with unworthy savages? No glaring unreality here. Nice, color scenery. Professional in all other aspects, too. Pretty good, in my book.