Review of The Yellow Tomahawk (1954) by Kevin R — 07 Feb 2011

Next time we meet it will be to steal each other's lives.

An American general is stationed on Cheyenne Indians land and does not wish to move his troops. His camp includes the troop's families but the general is too arrogant to partake in the burden of moving. The Cheyenne warns the general to move his troops, which is more than the general gave a rival tribe before wiping them out. Will the general risk the lives of his troops and their family's over his arrogance?

"When massacre meets massacre, where's the end of it?".

Lesley Selander, director of Fort Utah, Arizona Bushwhackers, Convict Stage, War Party, Fort Yuma, Tomahawk Trail, Gunplay, and War Paint, delivers The Yellow Tomahawk. The storyline for this picture is interesting, unpredictable, and well delivered. The characters are solid and the script is well written and displays the stubbornness of the men who survived the west. The acting in this picture is outstanding and the cast includes Lee Van Cleef, Rory Calhoun, Rita Moreno, and Peter Graves.

"War, soon. You will tell it to the butcher.".

This movie initially grabbed my attention when I discovered Lee Van Cleef, one of my favorite western actors, starred as the Indian villain. Van Cleef is generally the villain and always marvelous in these movies and this was no different (despite it being weird seeing him playing an Indian). Overall, this is an interesting western that brilliantly depicts American arrogance and the decisions made during a time period where two cultures felt an ownership to the American west.

"I'll find you again even if I have to walk all the way back to Oregon.".

Grade: B.