Originally saw this on base when I was in the service.
It's color was good with some great scenery. Everything else was low- budget: full of clichés and lousy acting. The "hero", Billy May, couldn't seem to do anything heroic. I'll explain.
Billy's dad is friends with the Sioux and living with them somewhat near Deadwood. Billy finds out his dad is alive (thought he died in the Civil War) and nearby, so he goes visiting. The joyous reunion between father and son is understated - EXTREMELY understated!
Naturally, the chief's daughter falls for Billy with just one glance. When Billy starts back to town, she follows him. Billy senses he's being followed, waits for her, then sends her back to the camp.
On the way, she waters her horse and is accosted by two baddies. They drag her into the brush. This is where a hero should come to save her honor... Nope! She gets raped!
He DOES manage to find her, bring her to town laying, unconscious, in the back of a buckboard (where'd that come from???) to be treated by the white man's doctor. Then he's mistaken for Billy the Kid, almost gets into a gunfight with Wild Bill Hickok, until Wild Bill finds out he's the son of his good friend, Boone May.
A young farm boy, wanting to make a reputation for himself and get away from the farm, attempts to take Billy. But the boy loses. The townsfolk, urged on by the saloon owner, take after Billy to lynch him. Billy, law- abiding as he is, can't just take the nearest saddled horse, he HAS to go to the livery stable (other side of town), get his horse and saddle it, all while holding off the blood-thirsty mob. Oh, and did I mention the twenty-something shots from his first pistol before having to throw it (to no effect) at the crowd? Then he started using his SECOND pistol, also loaded with twenty-something rounds!
(Memorably wooden delivery of a line here as he turns to his right to enter the stable and finds the twin barrels of a 12-gauge shotgun staring from the hands of the livery owner, "one - false - move - and - I'll - blow - your - head - off.")
The Indian princess, now fully recovered from her rape, learns of Billy's plight, takes the buckboard and rides, and rides, and rides, and...boy! Camp seemed a lot closer! She tells her dad and he takes Boone May and the pride of the Sioux Nation (all 15 of them) racing, racing, racing....PHEW! Need a breather... racing to save Billy.
Meanwhile the mob's taking Billy to the cottonwood on the edge of town to lynch him. Once there, the preacher steps forward and tells the crowd, "Over my dead body."
The rescuers come into the clearing and rein in. The camera pulls back slowly to reveal... the preacher laying in the dirt, unmoving. The camera continues to pull back until you see a pair of boots twisting slowly.
They bring up a Conestoga wagon that had accompanied them from the camp. They cut the rope, lay Billy's head in the princess' lap and I swear I thought she was going to kiss him, or one of her tears would fall on his face and he'd start coughing. But NO! That sucker was DEAD!
I thought this movie was utterly hilarious! Years later I tracked down a copy. It was very contrasty (copy of a copy of a ....) and the ending was cut to pieces. I was so disappointed.
It's color was good with some great scenery. Everything else was low- budget: full of clichés and lousy acting. The "hero", Billy May, couldn't seem to do anything heroic. I'll explain.
Billy's dad is friends with the Sioux and living with them somewhat near Deadwood. Billy finds out his dad is alive (thought he died in the Civil War) and nearby, so he goes visiting. The joyous reunion between father and son is understated - EXTREMELY understated!
Naturally, the chief's daughter falls for Billy with just one glance. When Billy starts back to town, she follows him. Billy senses he's being followed, waits for her, then sends her back to the camp.
On the way, she waters her horse and is accosted by two baddies. They drag her into the brush. This is where a hero should come to save her honor... Nope! She gets raped!
He DOES manage to find her, bring her to town laying, unconscious, in the back of a buckboard (where'd that come from???) to be treated by the white man's doctor. Then he's mistaken for Billy the Kid, almost gets into a gunfight with Wild Bill Hickok, until Wild Bill finds out he's the son of his good friend, Boone May.
A young farm boy, wanting to make a reputation for himself and get away from the farm, attempts to take Billy. But the boy loses. The townsfolk, urged on by the saloon owner, take after Billy to lynch him. Billy, law- abiding as he is, can't just take the nearest saddled horse, he HAS to go to the livery stable (other side of town), get his horse and saddle it, all while holding off the blood-thirsty mob. Oh, and did I mention the twenty-something shots from his first pistol before having to throw it (to no effect) at the crowd? Then he started using his SECOND pistol, also loaded with twenty-something rounds!
(Memorably wooden delivery of a line here as he turns to his right to enter the stable and finds the twin barrels of a 12-gauge shotgun staring from the hands of the livery owner, "one - false - move - and - I'll - blow - your - head - off.")
The Indian princess, now fully recovered from her rape, learns of Billy's plight, takes the buckboard and rides, and rides, and rides, and...boy! Camp seemed a lot closer! She tells her dad and he takes Boone May and the pride of the Sioux Nation (all 15 of them) racing, racing, racing....PHEW! Need a breather... racing to save Billy.
Meanwhile the mob's taking Billy to the cottonwood on the edge of town to lynch him. Once there, the preacher steps forward and tells the crowd, "Over my dead body."
The rescuers come into the clearing and rein in. The camera pulls back slowly to reveal... the preacher laying in the dirt, unmoving. The camera continues to pull back until you see a pair of boots twisting slowly.
They bring up a Conestoga wagon that had accompanied them from the camp. They cut the rope, lay Billy's head in the princess' lap and I swear I thought she was going to kiss him, or one of her tears would fall on his face and he'd start coughing. But NO! That sucker was DEAD!
I thought this movie was utterly hilarious! Years later I tracked down a copy. It was very contrasty (copy of a copy of a ....) and the ending was cut to pieces. I was so disappointed.