When the Redskins Rode

When Columbia released this Sam Katzman production Where The Redskins Rode in 1951 already folks were offended. By 1971 no one would have dared release a film with that title, let alone this day and age.

Wouldst the title be the only thing wrong with this film. This is a story of romance in the Delaware Indians between the chief's son Jon Hall and princess Sherry Moreland. It's a rough rocky romance because there's a sly Mata Hari in the mix, a mixed race woman played by Mary Castle who lives above a tavern where no decent woman would and she's also a spy for the French.

This little triangle is against the background of the Battle for Fort Necessity in which young Virginia planter named George Washington and his frontier guide Christopher Gist set and then lost to the French. This minor skirmish in America set off the global conflict known as the Seven Years War with battles between the British and French fought literally around the world. George Washington is played by James Seay and Gist by John Ridgely.

To keep your Indian tribes straight the Delawares, Jon Hall's good Indians dressed like plains Indians and the French supporting Indians supported Mohawk haircuts as was their fashion. Hall's Indians also rode horses in fact he leads a cavalry charge in the climax. As this was a Sam Katzman production nothing in the budget went into research.

When The Redskins Rode is offensive on so many levels, skip this one by folks.