Run of the Arrow (1957)

Rod Steiger: O'Meara

Photos 

Quotes 

• Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : [Sick with fever, approaches the tribe]  I wish... I wish to speak to your chief Blue Buffalo...

  Blue Buffalo : [Rising from the ground where he was squatting]  I'm Blue Buffalo!

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : I've lived the Run of the Arrow!

  Blue Buffalo : [Blue buffalo has a warrior check O'Meara's feet and addresses Crazy Wolf]  Is this the man that out ran you?

  Crazy Wolf : Yes.

  Blue Buffalo : [Addressing O'Meara]  You are the first to outlive the Run. You will never die by the hand of a Sioux for this. Give him back his horse and everything else that belongs to him. I don't understand. you speak Sioux like Sioux not like a white man.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : My teacher was Walking Coyote.

  Blue Buffalo : That poor renegade.

  [as Blue Buffalo says this ,O'Meara collapses and faints] 

  Crazy Wolf : [Crazy Wolf checks on him]  He's sick with the fever!

  Blue Buffalo : [Addressing the village]  Our law prevents us from killing any man who lives the Run. But we have no law to help him live. The choice is yours. Who among you will help him thru the night?

  Yellow Moccasin : I will. I will help him thru the night.

• Walking Coyote : I coulda been a chief.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Wait a minute, you said a while back you could have been a Sioux chief.

  Walking Coyote : That's true.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Well why didn't you?

  Walking Coyote : Ah, I can't stomach politics.

• Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Ain't that 'Trebler'? I said ain't that Lee's horse?

  6th Virginia Surgeon : Yes.

  [as he attends to wounded Lt. Driscoll that O'Meara brought in] 

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : What's Lee doing here?

  6th Virginia Surgeon : He's surrendering to Grant.

  [he continues tending to Driscoll's wound] 

  6th Virginia Surgeon : Lead looks mighty close to the heart.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : That's the first Yankee I missed in four years. Bet you because the bullets warped.

  6th Virginia Surgeon : [Annoyed]  Well why didn't you cut it out and looked for yourself?

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Because I didn't want to dirty me hands , that's why!

  6th Virginia Surgeon : Then why you bring him in here? Why didn't you just leave 'em out there to bleed to death?

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : There's Gen. Lee! He still got's his sword!

  6th Virginia Surgeon : Grant must have let him keep it.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Maybe he didn't want to give it up!

  6th Virginia Surgeon : We lost the war soldier. Lee has struck his last tin.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : [Gen.Grant comes out to see Gen. Lee off]  So there he is, the great and glorious Gen. Grant.

  6th Virginia Surgeon : [as O'Meara raises his rifle to shoot Gen. Grant in the back]  If you're gonna shoot Grant, you better shoot Lee too. Else the shame will kill him.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : [the surgeon hands O'Meara the bullet he just took out of Driscoll]  It's just like I said. Like I said from the beginning, the bullets warped, warped.

  6th Virginia Surgeon : It's the last bullet shot in this war.

• Banjo Playing Singer : Well, he went and done it. Gen. Lee got right down on his hands and knees and begged President Johnson for pardon. If it's good enough for my brethren, then I reckon it's good enough for me.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : He never begged.

  Banjo Playing Singer : He never begged? I wish you was right.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : What makes you so sure.

  Banjo Playing Singer : Well, when I went back to town to get that bullet, I heard it official. That he swallowed his pride and begged.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : What bullet?

  Banjo Playing Singer : Why that bullet you had cut out of that Yankee Lieutenant you shot the last day of the war.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : How did you get it?

  Banjo Playing Singer : Your ma give it to us.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Why?

  Banjo Playing Singer : Well... Look at that.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : That ain't the bullet, that's a brand new one.

  Banjo Playing Singer : Ah but the head. It's been fix to shoot again. And there's writing on it.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Writing? What kind of writing?

  Banjo Playing Singer : Well, it says ah... Private O'Meara 6th Virginian Volunteer who shot this last bullet... in War... and missed! Ha-ha!

  [long laugh] 

  Banjo Playing Singer : It's a little token... a little token from us... to you.

  [Hands the bullet to O'Meara] 

• Banjo Playing Singer : But the best news... the best news was when your ma said that you come home... in one piece.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : The best news I got was when Lincoln was dead. What's the matter mama?

  Mrs. O'Meara : A man shows respect even if it's for a dead damn Yankee president!

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Have you lost your reason? That baboon was shot too late.

  Mrs. O'Meara : The bullet which killed him converted Trust into the north.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : You talk like you sick in the head.

  Mrs. O'Meara : well he said he was going to take us back in the Union didn't he?

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Who cares about the Union?

  Mrs. O'Meara : Lots of us do son. I know it seems a darn right shame we have to take a oath of alligence to the United states to become Americans again.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Lee is begging in the mud now that is fine fitting way to take us back in the union, ain't it?

  Mrs. O'Meara : Well, no man is feeding without some hatred.

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : And I hate mama... I hate... I don't understand ya ma. Pa was killed at Chicamorgan. Jeff had his head cut off at Fredricksburg. Eli... Elia laid with his belly in his hands bleeding to death in the wheat-fields of Gettysburg. mama I know, I'd seen them. I seen them skin and blood and I buried them. I buried them mama! You didn't! What am I suppose to say now to the Yankees?... Welcome home sir... I love you Yankees!... How did ya... how did you expect me to come home?

  Mrs. O'Meara : I expected you to come home a man with honor!

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : A man with honor? You expected me to come home with honor? What's the matter with you ma? What's the matter with all of ya?

  [starts yelling out loud] 

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : They came here and tore our land mama! The chased us when we had no legs! They stuffed their mouths with our food when we were starving to death! Where's your pride? what's happened to all of ya?

  [crying] 

  Mrs. O'Meara : The same what happened to some of us who had to take a licking and not cry over it! You don't have to fight for the cause no more!

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Mama, I don't have to do anything... I don't have to do anything. i am a rebel cause I want to be not cause I have to be!

  Mrs. O'Meara : Wherever you go... there's going to be Yankees and you got to learn to live with them!

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Well maybe but not the place I'll be.

  Mrs. O'Meara : What place?

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : The West! The far west!

  Mrs. O'Meara : You mean where the savages live?

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Savages or no at least they have more pride than us!

  Mrs. O'Meara : There's no hiding place for what ails you son. We are all under one flag now!

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : I wanna tell you something mother... I'll hang... I'll hang before I recognized that flag!

  Mrs. O'Meara : Maybe a broken neck is the best answer for what ails ya!

• Blue Buffalo : [addressing the village]  He wants to become a Sioux. To take Yellow Moccasin as his squaw and to adopt Silent Tongue as their son. But his skin is enemy!

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : I'm not an American.

  Blue Buffalo : But your skin is white!

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : But my heart is with the Sioux.

  Blue Buffalo : Why?

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Because I love your people. I've learn from Yellow Moccasin that a man cannot live alone. he must have allegiance to a people... to a nation. In my heart my nation is Sioux.

  Blue Buffalo : Would you kill the Americans in battle?

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : [pauses for a moment]  Yes.

  Blue Buffalo : Are there any objections?

  [waits for a reply, there is none] 

  Blue Buffalo : Mix the blood!

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : Before you mix the blood, I must speak of my faith.

  Blue Buffalo : Faith? What do you mean?

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : I'm a Christian. I will live as a Sioux... I will hunt as a Sioux... I will fight and I will even die as a Sioux. But my God is a Christian God. I can't serve your greater spirit.

  Blue Buffalo : We respect a man who respects his faith. This God of yours is He... the giver and creator of all life? Do you look to Him for the cure of disease and illness to make you strong and healthy?

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : I do. Yes.

  Blue Buffalo : How many Gods do you serve? Do you have more than One?

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : No, no. Just one.

  Blue Buffalo : Just one. Americans, are they all Christians?

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : No, some are and some are other denominations like your religions.

  Blue Buffalo : You are a Christian? Will you kill Christians in battle?

  Pvt. O'Meara, 6th Virginia Volunteers Sharpshooter : [pauses]  Well... my nation... fought... for liberty against the United States... And Christianity is always the brother of liberty in all wars.

  Blue Buffalo : We have the same God but a different name... Mix the blood!