Walk the Proud Land

It's 1874. Indian agent John Philip Clum (Audie Murphy) arrives in Tucson. His mission is to care for the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation and convince the Apache to stay there. The military is dismissive. Clum frees Apache Chief Eskiminzin and his men from military detention. He forms a close relationship with Tianay (Anne Bancroft) and befriends chief's son Taglito (Tommy Rall). After getting discharged from the military, Tom Sweeny (Charles Drake) gets convinced by Clum to help form a local police force. Geronimo (Jay Silverheels) arrives to recruit the locals for his rebellion. This is based on a novel written by Clum's son. Certainly, there is a clear spin to the material and a healthy dose of white savior story. My bigger issue is Anne Bancroft. It's standard back in the day, but today, she sticks out like a sore thumb. I do question a few other things. The biggest written issue is Geronimo's surrender. My sense of history is that he was worn down by that point. That part of story feels rather manufactured. I can't expect complete accuracy from this movie and it could have been much more egregious. As it stands, it is far more progressive and true than most westerns.

There a few greatest star to have a enough charisma as much as Audie Murphy had, I did remember perfectly once around 1981 on TV "Audie Murphy's week" from monday to friday at 9.00 pm o'clock, l've been waiting for a long time a remastered official copy of this movie watched a couple times only, Murphy playing a legendary John Philip Clum a Indian agent with clear ideas handling with those natives, concerning their traditions and values, letting to them to decide for themselves, a real human treatment to those people who were the true and authentic owner of the those lands. They deserve more respect from us, this meaningful production gives back a slight concept how should be better spared them of such killing, treated by disproportionate forces, usually a cold blood, severely decimeted with no mercy, John Clum who shall be eternity remembered as "Indian's protector" few times we have this kind of approach on western movies, mostly of them show a opposite way, perhaps to confirm such saying " a thousand lies overcome a single true if said repeated" a defeated people have to stand such barbarism, this picture has my respect forever, still more with Audie Murphy!! Resume: First watch: 1989 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5.

This Universal picture made money at the box office, but not enough money to be profitable for the studio. It was an "A" budget production with an expensive star, Audie Murphy, who had proven himself in a slew of other westerns and action adventure yarns that appealed to conservative audiences. Why they decided to put him into a biographical role as an Indian agent who sympathized with the Apaches is somewhat baffling. Murphy's fans were accustomed to him playing white-centric roles, where he usually went up against the natives who were on the other side of civilization and the law. In these pictures, Murphy's characters were meant to uphold the ideologies of European Americans in the west, not to make concessions to Indians, least of all warring Apaches. WALK THE PROUD LAND is a story which seems the antithesis of all that. Adapting the real-life story of government agent John Clum, this is undoubtedly a more 'enlightened' look at the relationships between whites and native people during a contentious time in U. S. history. But Murphy doesn't fit the part, given the persona that was associated with him in his previous films, not to mention his status as a hero during World War II. Indeed, the role of a pacifist would have worked better with a liberal actor like Henry Fonda or Burt Lancaster. Perhaps Murphy was anxious to spread his wings and show people what he could do with a different sort of heroic character, but contemporary audiences did not buy it. Another problem is the casting of the two lead actresses. Piper Laurie was intended to play Murphy's wife on screen in this effort, but she decided to cancel her contract with Universal and study method acting in New York. That would turn out to be a good decision for her, as she would bounce back later in THE HUSTLER alongside Paul Newman. With Piper Laurie suddenly not available, the role of Murphy's wife was given to Patricia Crowley who was more identified with romantic comedies at her home studio Paramount. Unfortunately, Crowley doesn't register much in the story and she is not given anything significant to do in her limited scenes. The other main female presence is Anne Bancroft, miscast as a native girl who has designs on Murphy and wants to take the place of his wife. Interestingly, Miss Bancroft would also study method acting in the late 50s and refine her performance techniques like Miss Laurie did. I am not saying Bancroft is an amateur in WALK THE PROUD LAND; on the contrary, she provides a very engaging performance. But I still found her attempt to play an Indian problematic, and she is not portraying a sympathetic character, which seems at odds with the story's thesis, that we are supposed to give Apaches a chance. In the hands of other performers, the story might have come across better. Also, if it had been filmed as an independent production that was allowed to take a few substantial risks, they might have been able to overcome the studio formula and turn out an insightful motion picture. As it stands, the whole thing feels like experimental play-acting and experimental storytelling by a company that usually gave audiences conservative western fare...fare that didn't make too much of a difference or try to masquerade as a think-piece. Ultimately, this is hollow piece of entertainment which despite its good intentions, fails to connect with viewers on a meaningful level.

Clum is an Indian agent sent to the San Carlos Apache reservation in Arizona in 1874 to prevent further bloodshed and stop the renegade chief Geronimo (Jay Silverheels) from encouraging young Indian braves to take up their weapons and fight once more. Clum s struggle is made worse by the townsfolk and cavalry who believe that the only good Indian is a scalped one. But whilst Clum makes enemies of the governor, cavalry officers and the more headstrong Apache braves, he begins to win the trust of the elders by talking of the government s new peace plan for Indian autonomy rather than submission and prevent the reservation from siding with Geronimo... Based upon the true story of John Philip Clum (Audie Murphy), Walk the Proud Land is a Westerns that takes a sympathetic view of the Native American Indians fight with the white settlers. Audie Plays an Indian agent, John Clum,who led job is to bring peace between the whites and the Indians, and does a great job in a western that has more emphasis on character and story and less on action. The cast and supporting cast (Charles Drake, Kathleen Crowley, and Jay Silverheels aka Tonto of the Lone ranger) are also excellent. Despite some drama, there's some humorous and touching side, and though the romance can mar the intensity of the story a bit, it's quite entertaining. Filmed in Old Tucson studio, the setting and photography is impeccable.

There a few greatest star to have a enough charisma as much as Audie Murphy had, I did remember perfectly once around 1981 on TV "Audie Murphy's week" from monday to friday at 9.00 pm o'clock, l've been waiting for a long time a remastered official copy of this movie watched a couple times only, Murphy playing a legendary John Philip Clum a Indian agent with clear ideas handling with those natives, concerning their traditions and values, letting to them to decide for themselves, a real human treatment to those people who were the true and authentic owner of the those lands, they deserves more respect from us,this meaningful production gives back a slight concept how should be better spared them of such killing, treated by disproportionate forces, usually a cold blood, severely decimeted with no mercy, John Clum who shall be eternity remembered as "Indian's protector" few times we have this kind of approach on western movies, mostly of them show a opposite way, perhaps to confirm such saying " a thousand lies overcome a single true if said repeated" a defeated people have to stand such barbarism, this picture has my respect forever, still more with Audie Murphy!! Resume: First watch: 1985 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5

I was brought up to believe the "indian" was "the baddie"! At no point did anyone ever tell me that their land was being taken over by "white men" who were mainly full of lust for gold and other such things. The Indian was in the minority which is why today the land we know as the USA is run by "white men" This particular episode is about how 1 man managed to get the warmongering apaches to settle down in peace, although clearly there was very little in it for them! Historically, they like other Indian tribes have been badly treated and let down by "white mans law". Audie Murphy does well in his portrayal of a true story, ably supported by Anne Bancroft and other known faces. Those who invaded their land DO have much still to answer for!

I'm sure I've run across the name of John Clum before in any number of Western film and TV series treatments, but it never made an impression. Researching the real John Clum's life reveals a fascinating career; besides being an Indian Agent as portrayed in this story, he was also the founder of the Tombstone Epitaph and first mayor of Tombstone, Arizona under a new city charter in 1881. I love it when a movie compels me to learn something new, this one obviously did the trick. This isn't your typical shoot 'em up Western, in fact Clum (Audie Murphy) does as much as he can to banish the military from interfering in his ideas about Apache self governance. Winning over the respect and admiration of the San Carlos Reservation Apaches, he establishes a local police force and tribal court to deal directly with violations occurring within his jurisdiction. Even so, Clum seems to walk a tightrope between Indians and the white man, evidenced by the ubiquitous 'maybe' he contends with whenever dealing with situations that affect both sides. The incident with Geronimo rather surprised me, a clever maneuver that tricked the Apache warrior into submission without a shot being fired. I always enjoy seeing Jay Silverheels turn up in a Western; he also appeared as Geronimo in a couple other films - 1950's "Broken Arrow" and 1952's "The Battle at Apache Pass". I haven't seen the latter film, but he was exceptionally convincing in "Broken Arrow" defying Apache Chief Cochise while favoring renewed hostilities against the Army. Adding a personal dimension to the story here was the relationship Clum had with the Apache widow Tianay (Anne Bancroft) and his fiancé Mary Dennison (Pat Crowley). That dynamic held almost a certain prescription for disaster but the script handled it well, allowing for Clum's dedication and responsibility to the Apaches to win over his new wife's admiration. For Audie Murphy, I'd have to say this was one of his better performances, though I would have liked to see him put a little more emotion into it. As with most of his films, he seems to be holding back just enough that we don't get to see everything he's made of as an actor.

Copyright 1956 by Universal. New York opening at the Palace: 7 September 1956. U.S. release: 1 September 1956. U.K. release: 3 September 1956. Australian release: 1 November 1956. Sydney opening on a double bill at the Capitol (ran one week). 7,925 feet. 88 minutes. SYNOPSIS: John Philip Clum is appointed Indian Agent at the San Carlos Apache Reservation, where he finds the Army using violent means to suppress the Indians. Clum asserts his authority to help the Apaches, thus earning the displeasure of the people of Tucson. In gratitude, the Indians send Tianay to keep house for him. This arouses the jealousy of Clum's fiancée, Mary Dennison. COMMENT: In the present=day climate of racial tolerance, integration and understanding, it's a big surprise that this screen biography of a true-life Indian agent who blazed this particular trail, is not constantly revived. Admittedly, next to its patent earnestness, the picture's main virtue is its expansive CinemaScope location cinematography. However, regard for a movie's artistic scope has never stopped TV managers dead in their tracks before. So why now? Maybe the film lacks excitement. That it does, though those who decry Hollywood for distorting reality will certainly have cause to rejoice in this exception. No doubt the nagging wife is pretty close to the essence of what really happened too. It's a pity that the direction of this worthy script should be so flatly pedestrian. Less than talented directors like Jesse Hibbs (former football star) welcomed CinemaScope because it relieved them of the burden of having to think in terms of visual excitement. Now simply the scope itself is the thing. No dramatic compositions, no effective cutting, no pointed camera movement necessary. No need to draw fine performances either, because for most of the time the actors are lost in the landscape. When studio scenes take over, why that's a good time for patrons to duck out to the candy bar. Unless of course you're such a rabid fan of Audie Murphy, you don't care a fig what long speeches he gets off his chest, or how stiffly he stands, just so long as his magnified pudgy face is right up there in front of you!

it is its basic virtue. for theme and for its inspired manner to present as biopic. for acting and for the mixture of innocence, courage, force and beautiful images. for realism and for Audie Murphy performance. a film about the image and the essence of relationship and about a form of heroism who has not ordinaries rules. a classic western. and more because it is not an idyllic picture about Far West but body for a noble message who preserves the measure at high level. touching and convincing, it has a special note of melancholy and poetic message. a film. real good. a homage. like remember source about the respect for the other, out of ordinary tolerance.

I would say this is the best western/biopic starring Audie Murphy that I have seen. It's based on the story of John Clum, during his appointment as Indian Agent at Arizona's Apache San Carlos Reservation, some distance north of Tucson. We might think of Clum as a messiah of sorts, having a vision of a reservation in which the native inhabitants govern themselves, supplying their own police force, and electing their officials, instead of being governed by the US Army, and officials of the Department of Interior, who were often corrupt, stealing from the largess due the Indians. Of course, this was a revolutionary idea, especially when applied to the frequently belligerent Apache.......I can understand why some viewers don't like Murphy as a leading man. Especially when he is arguing a point, as he often does in this film, his facial expression often comes across as condescending.......Clum has to try to achieve a delicate balance between reservation Apache, renegade Apache, and Army personnel, along with other local whites. He also becomes involved in a very delicate love triangle involving a beautiful Apache widow( Anne Bancroft as Tianay) whom the chief has given to Clum as a present, and his fiancé from back east: Mary(Pat Crowley). Tianay tells Clum that she would be satisfied being a cowife, if that's what he wants. She points out that that would make the women's jobs easier. Besides, her small son, Tono, thinks of Clum as his father, to teach him the way of the Apache in the future. Of course, The beautiful and stylish Mary, when she arrives, is horrified at this prospect, and wants Tianay removed from the house at once, as she realizes that she is in love with Clum. Eventually, Mary comes to the realization that her husband, in part, belongs to the Apache, and they to him. Tianay likens the relationship as like that of a father to his children. Clum prefers to liken it to the relationship between a minister and his 'flock'. Thus, Mary finally accepts that she should be less possessive of Clum, and more considerate of his relations with the Apache.......Charles Drake plays Tom Sweeny: an ex-soldier and sometimes drunk. who is appointed the reservation blacksmith, and Clum also charges him with training the Apache police force of the future. He and Tianay become his closest allies in the reservation......Morris Ankrum plays General Wade: military leader of the reservation, who is often at odds with Clum over policy. Jay Silverheels plays Geronimo, who leads a renegade band, but finally is captured and taken to the reservation guard house. .....Dancer Tommy Rall plays the Apache Taglite, who is often Clum's ally in disputes among the Apache. He even kills his brother, who was about to kill Clum. If the above sounds interesting, you can see the film at YouTube