The Great Sioux Uprising ** (1953, Jeff Chandler, Faith Domergue, Lyle Bettger) – Classic Movie Review 13,125

Lloyd Bacon’s well-made but unremarkable 1953 Universal Pictures American Technicolor Western film The Great Sioux Uprising stars Jeff Chandler, Faith Domergue and Lyle Bettger.

Director Lloyd Bacon’s well-made but unremarkable 1953 Universal Pictures American Technicolor Western film The Great Sioux Uprising stars Jeff Chandler, Faith Domergue and Lyle Bettger.

The Great Sioux Uprising is a rather plodding, listless double feature Western (or maybe B-movie oater) about Indians understandably objecting to the robbery of a herd of Sioux horses by unscrupulous bad guy Stephen Cook (Lyle Bettger) and threatening a bloody battle.

Former soldier, ex-army doctor Captain Jonathan Westgate (Jeff Chandler), now a veterinarian, rides (unimpressively) to the rescue and to bring peace and justice. Oh, and there is romance, and more conflict. Joan Britton (Faith Domergue) is a horse dealer competing with Stephen Cook to supply the Union Army with horses. Westgate and Cook are of course rivals for Joan’s affections.

Veteran Lloyd Bacon’s direction is capable enough and Universal Pictures provide a decent production. Maury Gertsman’s Technicolor cinematography is a graceful asset. It is shot on location in Portland and Pendleton, Oregon.

Melvin Levy’s screenplay, based on a story by J Robert Bren and Gladys Atwater, is all very simple and straighforward. It is brisk and professional enough, but it doesn’t take too much thinking about.

Faith Marie Domergue (June 16, 1924– April 4, 1999).

The cast are Jeff Chandler as Captain Jonathan Westgate, Faith Domergue as Joan Britton, Lyle Bettger as Stephen Cook, Peter Whitney as Ahab Jones, Stacy Harris as Uriah, Walter Sande as Joe Baird, Stephen Chase as Major McKay, Glenn Strange as General Stan Watie, Ray Bennett as Sgt Manners, John War Eagle as Chief Red Cloud, Charles Arnt as Gist, Julia Montoya as Heyoka, Dewey Drapeau as Teo-Ka-Ha, Boyd ‘Red’ Morgan as Ray, Lane Bradford as Lee, Jack Ingram as Sam, Clem Fuller as Jake, and Virginia Mullen as Madge Baird.

The Great Sioux Uprising is directed by Lloyd Bacon, runs 80 minutes, is made and released by Universal Pictures, is written by Richard Breen and Gladys Atwater, is shot by Maury Gertsman, is produced by Albert J Cohen, and is scored by Joseph Gershenson.

It premiered in Chicago on June 23, 1953, and was released on July 17, 1953 (US).

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,125

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