War Arrow

An army sergeant comes across an arrow while on his way to a fort within Seminole territory. The sergeant is thrilled by the discovery, but is told by another member of the party that pretty soon, he'd be able to collect them from his back. That sets up the plot for this lighthearted and easy going western that top bills gorgeous redhead Maureen O'Hara over army officer Jeff Chandler, heading to the fort to make sure that the Seminoles and their rivals, the Kiowas, are kept in line. "Conquest in the face of the American army always seemed so civil", I once heard in an analysis of the American takeover of the west, and if the gentility of a birthday party filled with discussions of their determination to keep the natives down seems one sided and a re-write of the truth in history, then this movie gives its viewer to check out what facts exist for themselves. What is good here is the efforts it shows between the peaceful Seminoles and the brutal Kiowa's. The script makes it clear that they only laid down their weapons was because of a treaty and promise of protection, although it's obvious how they lost their land. Suzan Ball is unbelievable as a Seminole maiden who is treated with kindness by O'Hara and only looks on her with contempt. O'Hara proves once again her ability to take on any man, here more verbally than physically, and certainly able to survive in the wilderness with the soul of any man without even cringing over the presence of a rattler found in her living room. For the romantic story between Chandler and O'Hara, this is certainly worth watching, and for the beauty of the land, really stunning. It makes an effort, at least half heartedly, to treat the natives with compassion, but reminds me of the wicked past of a part of American history that doesn't put it in the shining light that the history books pretend to proclaim as necessary.

This B-Western follows US Cavalry officer Major Howell Brady who has been sent to Fort Clark in Texas to try a new method of fighting the local Kiowa tribe; he intends to recruit Seminole Indians who had been forcibly relocated to the area after their defeat in Florida. He has two immediate problems; the fort's CO, Col Meade, doesn't believe the Seminoles will be of any use and the Seminole chief, Maygro, has no desire to fight. His people are a little less reticent and when they see how good the latest army rifles are they decide that they will fight on condition that the non-fighting members of the tribe will be supplied with food while they are gone. Brady sets about training the men and soon they out performing the regular army. There is also a romantic subplot involving Brady and the widow of a captain apparently killed by the Kiowa and Maygro's daughter Avis; as the film continues we learn that the captain isn't as dead as was thought and is in fact helping to lead the Kiowa attacks... ultimately there will be a battle between the Army and Brady's Seminoles on one side and the Kiowa on the other which will determine who controls that corner of Texas. The main story was well handled and contained plenty of good action although like many films of its time it used made-up Europeans to play the Native Americans which made them somewhat less believable which was a pity. Jeff Chandler did a decent job as Major Brady however the lack of chemistry between him and leading lady Maureen O'Hara rendered the romantic subplot somewhat of a distraction from the main story. That said the twist of having her husband be a traitor was quite a good surprise that I hadn't seen coming. Some comic relief is provided by Brady's two sergeants and for a change the comic relief did raise a chuckle more than once. Over all this isn't a classic but is well worth watching on television if you are a fan of the genre.

I just happened to catch this rare gem on TV. I was very plesantly surprised. The action scenes are plentiful and brilliant including several ear blasting shootouts and an epic scale battle sequence which makes excellent use of sharps buffalo rifles, springfield rifles and cannons. The plot is nice and simple as it mainly involves a cavalry officer training a group of discraced semihole indians to fight against some other western indians. I really enjoyed this movie and it is one of the best B westerns out there. Its only available on region 1 but if its ever on TV again i highly recommend you watch it.

At one time the Seminoles were fierce fighters in their native habitat of Florida. However, after years of a notably successful war against the U.S. Army they finally agreed to peace and have been relocated from the swamps of Florida to the prairies out west. Without weapons they have been forced into a submissive posture against the warlike Kiowas. At the same time, the United States has a nearby fort which has also suffered harassment from the Kiowas as well. Determined to correct this situation, an Army major named "Howell Brady" (Jeff Chandler) is sent to the fort in an effort to rearm the Seminoles to augment the troops at the fort. When Major Brady arrives he meets an obviously frustrated Colonel Jackson Meade (John McIntre) who harbors resentment toward the major because of his own inadequate handling of the situation. Major Brady also meets an attractive widow named "Elaine Corwin" (Maureen O'Hara) who welcomes a new face in the middle of nowhere. At any rate, filmed in color this film was obviously geared for the drive-in movie crowd and probably filled that niche quite well. But it has nothing outstanding or noteworthy about it. The acting was adequate but nobody really stood out except maybe Maureen O'Hara. In short, this was an average Western. No more and no less.

Jeff Chandler plays a major in the U.S. Calvary who wants to train the peaceful Seminoles to help the Army fight the savage, marauding Kiowas; Maureen O'Hara is a flirtatious widow whose captain-husband (found burned beyond recognition, yet still possessing his identification papers!) may be alive, having defected to fight alongside the Indians. Unconvincing Universal western with fine Technicolor photography but a flimsy, ridiculous script. No attempt is made to show why the Kiowas are so bloodthirsty; by the end, they are also portrayed as mercenary and stupid. Suzan Ball has the silliest role, that of a citified Seminole (and feminist!) whose education has apparently taught her the only way to get what she wants is by using her feminine wiles. There's the strong suggestion that Ball and Chandler have a one-night-stand, which is intriguing in and of itself, though screenwriter John Michael Hayes only utilizes the implication to drive cool-but-quickly-thawing O'Hara into Chandler's arms. A few interesting details, otherwise an assembly-line massacre for non-thinkers. *1/2 from ****

War Arrow is directed by George Sherman and written by John Michael Hayes. It stars Jeff Chandler, Maureen O'Hara, Suzan Ball, Noah Beery, Charles Drake, John McIntire and Henry Brandon. A Technicolor production with exterior location work at Agoura, California, it features cinematography by William Daniels and music by Joseph Gershenson. Story is based on real events and sees Chandler as Cavalry officer Major Howell Brady, who is dispatched by Washington to end the Kiowa Indian uprising in Texas. But his mission is made doubly difficult by the obstinate commander of the post Colonel Meade (McIntire), and his feelings towards Elaine Corwin (O'Hara), whose officer husband disappeared after a scouting mission. Brady's Bunch A pleasant surprise, although mired in the formula than ran through many a B Western that featured Cavalry and Indians, War Arrow packs an intelligent punch and features acting to match. The strength in the narrative comes from Brady's coercing of the peaceful Seminole Indians to fight alongside the white man against the rampaging Kiowa. Having had to flee their Florida homes, the Seminole are willing to be trained by Brady and his crew on the promise of land and supplies from the government. With Brady meeting resistance from stuffy Colonel Meade, these promises are on shaky ground, but the training sequences are most interesting for their tactical value and the Seminole are nicely drawn as a race of people. The latter of which, unsurprisingly, is not afforded the Kiowa who are rank and file blood thirsty marauders, but the balance is right, and with the Henry Repeating Rifle the weapon of choice, the action and stunt work, particularly for the siege on the fort finale, is high on excitement. They say that a wild plant doesn't live too long indoors Into the mix is a romantic triangle, which isn't overplayed and creates a number of jealousies from both male and female characters. Either side of Brady is Elaine and Avis (Ball), with curmudgeon Meade pacing the edges of the triangle. Also enjoyable is the light relief that comes from the Sergeants played by Beery (Red River/Decision at Sundown) and Drake (Winchester '73/No Name on the Bullet), who are both excellent. Chandler offers up a big presence, while turning in one of his more committed Western performances, and O'Hara brings the class while Ball brings the smoulder. McIntire is suitably mean yet still giving Meade an elegant officious quality, and Brandon turns in a good one too. In named back up support are Dennis Weaver and Jay Silverheels. Daniels' (The Far Country/Night Passage) Agoura exteriors are pleasing, though the print of the film isn't doing it justice, and the prolific Gershenson (the go-to guy for Cavalry Vs Indians flavouring) scores it in standard, but easy listening, thematic beats. With Sherman's (Chief Crazy Horse/Big Jake) direction unfussy, War Arrow, in spite of mixed reviews on the internet, is a B Western I personally recommend to like minded Western fans. 7.5/10

This picture has the novel approach of the U.S. cavalry enlisting peaceful Seminoles to help them fight warring Kiowas on the southern plains. The Seminoles, now farmers instead of fierce warriors, are trained by Jeff Chandler's troopers in military tactics to stand up to the Kiowa raiders. Problems abound during the experiment, mainly distrust among the army brass who scoff at the fighting ability of the Seminoles and tensions at the outpost escalate to the point of mutiny. Chandler is solid throughout the picture and is well paired with Maureen O'Hara as he romances the pretty widow. The supporting cast is good, especially John McIntire and Hanry Brandon. Suzan Ball does well as an Indian maiden and seemed to do her best work in this type of role. The film takes its time with character development and is rather uneven, with the main action taking place near the end of the film.

This is the kind of western that was turned out often, to satisfy the many fans of outdoor films, back in the day, and is not to be confused with the big ones. It's just a regular, everyday western, but with good acting, Technicolor, the solid direction of George Sherman, and a fine screenplay by the effective John Michael Hayes (of Hitchcock fame), it delivers enjoyable entertainment for the length of its running time, and should keep you hooked until the action-packed ending. The premise is an interesting one, and the relationships of the characters - especially Chandler's with his commanding officer, John MacIntyre, and his sweetheart, Maureen O'Hara, are more interesting than in the usual standard western. Also interesting is the way Chandler, as an Army officer, tends not so much to defy authority as to ignore it, when it doesn't suit his (and what he perceives as the Government's) purpose. I thought Chandler and O'Hara were excellent leads, with good chemistry - with MacIntyre, Charles Drake, Noah Beery, Jr., and (cast as Indians) Suzan Ball, Henry Brandon, and Dennis Weaver extremely effective, as well. A drawback was that some of the dialogue was difficult to pick up (though that could have to do with the DVD transfer, not the film itself), and the denouement was kind of sudden and the ending rushed. And, as usual with some of these films, the whole thing seems a little bit modern, with well-lit (supposedly by candlelight and oil lamps), perfectly decorated rooms at the fort (plenty of fresh flowers everywhere) - and Miss Ball in a dress she supposedly constructed herself - her first try at dressmaking - which fits her as if it was executed by Universal's dressmakers (it was). But you have to figure they did their best on a typical budget and with the usual time constraints. Their best is pretty good. The action is good, the story is interesting, the relationships are well-developed, and the plot keeps you guessing. So I recommend this film, for western fans.

Watched this film on TV. Maureen O' Hara & Jeff Chandler are the stars here, in this otherwise average western. He's a cavalry major who over- rides the opposition of fort commander John McIntire and recruits friendly native American Seminoles to help defeat hostile Kiowas. O'Hara plays a fiery wife of a captain who's gone missing and she's a hot shot with a rifle and doesn't mind laying a charge of dynamite, if need be. She's radiant as ever but Chandler looks a bit wooden (generally for me as an actor). The end shoot out against the Indians is a spirited and action-packed one and nearly makes up for an otherwise rather disappointing, slightly boring film. The direction, by George Sherman, is adequate but little more and whilst it's in Technicolor, it doesn't look as glorious as it should. One for serious fans of westerns, otherwise, probably not.

Cavalry officer Jeff Chandler trains a peaceful tribe of displaced Seminoles to fight against a warring tribe of Kiowa, while at the same time butting heads with stubborn commanding officer John McIntire and romancing pretty "widow" Maureen O'Hara, who's husband may or may not still be alive as the leader of the renegades. This B-western has some okay, but short and clumsy action scenes. The plot is a bit far-fetched and the romance seems a little contrived, with O'Hara and Chandler having very little chemistry. Still, it's not boring. War Arrow is fast-paced enough, with a compact running time. As the Seminole chief's daughter, Suzan Ball is very beautiful (even more so than Maureen O'Hara!), even if her character is rather unlikable. On the other hand, Noah Beery Jr. is an always likable comic foil.