Hollywood twists history a bit here, but what else is new?
With Geronimo ("Chief Thundercloud," born Victor Daniels) swearing revenge on the white man for killing his family years earlier, it falls to General Steel (Ralph Morgan), on orders from President Ulysses S. Grant (Joseph Crehan), to broker a peace deal with the rogue Apache. Preston Foster stars as a battle tested veteran of the Indian wars, Captain Bill Starrett, whose new roommate is General Steel's son John (William Henry), fresh out of West Point and at odds with his stern father. Ellen Drew plays the eye candy Alice Hamilton, who is torn between loving Starrett and loving John Steel. Andy Devine is pretty good as the chief scout, Sneezer, and Gene Lockhart is suitably slimy as a gunrunner selling to the Indians. Also featuring Monte Blue, Iron Eyes Cody (uncredited), Richard Denning 9uncredited), Francis Ford (uncredited), Olympian Jim Thorpe (uncredited), and Charlie Stevens (uncredited), who was reportedly a blood relative of Geronimo. Not featured in the film was Henry Brandon (The Big Fisherman, Auntie Mame, The Ten Commandments), whose scenes were deleted.
Written and directed by Paul Sloane, the film had originally been intended to be another version of Cecil B. DeMille's The Plainsman until Paramount switched gears and decided to make an "epic" film. Instead they got this piece of fluff. Granted, it is a mildly entertaining piece of fluff, but epic it isn't. As for historic accuracy, the president at the time the film was supposed to take place was Grover Cleveland, not Ulysses S. Grant. In fact, Cleveland was four presidents after Grant (it ran; Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, then Cleveland). After that, all pretense of historical accuracy was thrown out the window.
Enjoy this western, but, please do not watch it prior to taking a history exam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k74yMghcS_0&list=PL8Nn95jd6kYU-00UwiFwDlmhByKobrJ5g
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