Chief Crazy Horse (film)

Chief Crazy Horse is a 1955 American CinemaScope Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Victor Mature, Suzan Ball and John Lund.^[2] The film is a fictionalized biography of the Lakota Sioux Chief Crazy Horse. It was also known as Valley of Fury.

Chief Crazy Horse
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	George Sherman
Screenplay by	Franklin Coen Gerald Drayson Adams
Story by	Gerald Drayson Adams
Produced by	William Alland
Starring	Victor Mature Suzan Ball John Lund
Cinematography	Harold Lipstein
Edited by	Al Clark
Music by	Frank Skinner
Color process	Technicolor
Production company	Universal International Pictures
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	April 1955 (1955-04)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$1.75 million (US/Canada rentals)[1]

Plot

Some of the scenes in the film include a voiceover narrative told by a white trader who knew the Lakota Sioux Chief Crazy Horse.^[3]

When young Crazy Horse (Victor Mature) wins his bride, rival Little Big Man (Ray Danton) goes to villainous traders with evidence of gold in the sacred Lakota burial ground. A new gold rush starts and old treaties are torn up. Crazy Horse becomes chief of his people, leading them to war at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Cast

• Victor Mature as Crazy Horse
• Suzan Ball as Black Shawl
• John Lund as Major Twist
• Ray Danton as Little Big Man
• Keith Larsen as Flying Hawk
• Paul Guilfoyle as Worm
• David Janssen as Lt. Colin Cartwright
• Robert Warwick as Spotted Tail
• James Millican as General Crook
• Morris Ankrum as Red Cloud
• Donald Randolph as Aaron Cartwright
• Robert F. Simon as Jeff Mantz
• James Westerfield as Caleb Mantz
• Stuart Randall as Old Man Afraid
• Pat Hogan as Dull Knife
• Dennis Weaver as Maj. Carlisle
• John Peters as Sgt. Guthrie
• Henry Wills as He Dog

Production

Jeff Chandler was originally announced to play the lead.^[4] Instead the part was given to Victor Mature. Filming began in June 1954, on location in Montana and Wyoming.^[5] This was the final film of Suzan Ball who died of cancer four months after the film was released.

Reception

Bosley Crowther wrote that the film was "just a series of hit-and-holler clashes between the Indians and the United States Cavalry" and "[s]o monotonous, indeed, are these forays that when they finally get around to the famous slaughter of Custer's troop at the Little Big Horn it is just another routine episode--even though it is later mentioned as the great victory that the old chief prophesied".^[2]

See also

• List of American films of 1955