The friendship between a young Sioux brave (Sal Mineo) and a gorgeous wild stallion he captures is explored through this rather surprisingly sensitive, if all of a sudden, violent western made by Walt Disney. It starts off cliched and frequently eye rolling with silly dialog and a few cliched characterizations. But something happens to where you find yourself involved in the story, especially when Mineo has an encounter with a Calvary officer (Philip Carey) who somehow sees Mineo's young brave as a human being rather than a savage.
Playing the vain, flamboyant Custer, Britt Lomond delivers a truly wonderful performance, showing just how vile a human being Custer was. H.M. Wyant, playing Mineo's power mad older brother, is equally unforgettable. Young Rafael Campos is also good as Mineo's fellow brave, the only deficiency his thick Spanish accent a contrast to Mineo's New York sounds. The two young actors, giving powerful performances in their debuts in 1955 as rising young actors, apparently didn't get along due to clashing egos, but it doesn't show, and adds to the mystic of their relationship.
The title song is certainly a rip off of the Daniel Boone theme, and its initial impression is silly and out of place with some of the action that follows. But it is filmed in beautiful color and once you get past the trait of the script and obvious issues with the facts of history, you can find things to enjoy, and the more sensitive elements to the native Americans does make this more unique than other films on similar subjects.
Playing the vain, flamboyant Custer, Britt Lomond delivers a truly wonderful performance, showing just how vile a human being Custer was. H.M. Wyant, playing Mineo's power mad older brother, is equally unforgettable. Young Rafael Campos is also good as Mineo's fellow brave, the only deficiency his thick Spanish accent a contrast to Mineo's New York sounds. The two young actors, giving powerful performances in their debuts in 1955 as rising young actors, apparently didn't get along due to clashing egos, but it doesn't show, and adds to the mystic of their relationship.
The title song is certainly a rip off of the Daniel Boone theme, and its initial impression is silly and out of place with some of the action that follows. But it is filmed in beautiful color and once you get past the trait of the script and obvious issues with the facts of history, you can find things to enjoy, and the more sensitive elements to the native Americans does make this more unique than other films on similar subjects.