NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

FrogGlace In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

aimless-46 Rebecca: "This is so bad it's almost good". Enid: "This is so bad it's gone past good and back to bad again". You could make a pretty good case that this silly little 1954 movie represents the bottoming out of Hollywood. There had been and would be worse movies, super-cheap independent productions and exploitation films by second tier studios, but it is unlikely that a top studio like United Artists has ever been associated with something quite this God-awful. "Sitting Bull" was intended as a historical epic (or at least a modest budget example of one), another in a fast growing line of movies dealing with the Battle of Little Big Horn or Custer's Last Stand. What is amazing about Hollywood is their continued unwillingness to tell the straight story about the engagement, as the true events of this military action have generated a sustained interest for over 130 years. Like the James gang's raid on Northfield, Minnesota, the true story is far more interesting that any of the embellished movie versions. If Hollywood is going to distort the events then they should change the names and call it by its correct name, fiction. I've seen most of these Hollywood efforts and "Sitting Bull" is pretty much in a class by itself in the distortion department. Curiously, it appears that a fair amount of historical research went into the production as recognizable names are bandied about throughout the movie but rarely are they linked to the individual's real actions. A relatively obscure officer like Miles Keogh, who was killed with Custer, is a character in the film but his rank is incorrect and he not present at the climatic battle. Earlier comments point out the most absurd of the movie's inaccuracies and distortions. It is certainly sympathetic to the Indians as Hollywood was actually remarkably quick to adopt this attitude. But even here there are distortions as the film specifically shows the Chief ordering that brave dead troopers not be desecrated. In fact the Indians stripped the bodies and went into mutilation frenzy at the conclusion of the fighting. Dramatically the film is flat with Dale Robertson wooden as the lead actor (too bad they didn't use Cliff Robertson instead). Mary Murphy ("The Wild Ones") is his love interest and Douglas Kennedy is Custer. Indian sympathizer Major Bob Parrish (Robertson) sacrifices his Army career and his romance because of his Indian sympathies. He stands in the way of greedy prospectors who want the Indian Territory opened up so they can search for gold. This was actually to some degree Custer's position, but in the film Custer is portrayed as a rabid Indian hater. Custer was a rash glory-seeking cavalry officer, he attacked rather than wait for reinforcements because did not want to share the glory of a victory with Crook and Terry. While no friend of the plains Indian, he was at worst indifferent to them. His main fault lay in underestimating their will and ability to resist his relatively small command. Murphy's relationship with Robertson is unintentionally hilarious and devoid of basic logic. So if you are forced to watch this thing, you can at least look forward to their scenes for some much needed (if unintentional) comic relief. "Sitting Bull" doesn't limit its social conscience factor to the red man, Parrish finds time to free a runaway black slave Sam (Joel Fluellen) from prison. It turns out that Sam has lived with the Sioux and he takes Parrish to their camp for a peace conference. The mad dog Custer messes up his efforts by disobeying President Grant and attacking the Indians at Little Big Horn. Of course nothing like this actually happened. Nor did Custer find himself standing up in the middle of a flat piece of prairie as the Indians rode around and around his command like it was a wagon train in an early Hollywood western. How do you say pathetic in Sioux? Than again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

ingrasin I give them credit for trying to be politically correct. There intent was noble, portraying the Indian as a victim of the American Military and indeed American Policy. That being said, I must admit that the acting in general was terrible, the dialogue was stilted and the historical accuracy was missing. I often laughed at Hollowood's early attempts to portray Native Americans with actors who did not have an ounce of Indian blood in them. J. Carroll Nash, a truly fine actor was Irish and sounded like an Indian from Brooklyn. Mr. Cody, who claimed to be an Indian was only married to one. He was Italian.It was difficult to be sympathetic to the lead character, Major Parrish only because the actor who portrayed him, Dale Robertson, was so bad. A for intent, F for execution.

classicsoncall Right out of the gate, it probably would have been best if this film came with a warning to sit back and view it as the work of fiction that it is, rather than try to figure out which elements may or may not have been historically accurate. As it is, I'm ready to dismiss it entirely as a contrived piece of movie making that has little to recommend it.Of the figures presented, Chief Sitting Bull probably acquits himself most favorably, portrayed by veteran J. Carroll Naish. He's generally characterized as preferring peace, though from a pragmatic point of view, knowing that the next great war against the white man will probably wipe out his people, the seven great nations of the Sioux. His warrior chief Crazy Horse (Iron Eyes Cody) on the other hand, chomps at the bit to don the war paint and go on a tear. When a proposed meeting between Sitting Bull and President Grant (John Hamilton) fails to materialize, events converge to play out in a scenario that we now know as the Battle of Little Big Horn, but again, with great liberty taken with the known facts. Yes, Yellow Hair Custer (Douglas Kennedy) dies in battle, but this time around at least two men survive to report back to General Howell, along with the film's top billed Dale Robertson, as Captain Robert Parrish. Parrish escapes a firing squad for treason after leading the Sioux to safety after Little Big Horn (huh?), thanks to the intercession of Sitting Bull (double huh?).A lot of emphasis in the film is put on Sitting Bull's requirement that President Grant meet with him by the next full moon to consider a peace plan. As the time draws near, we see Sitting Bull on the final night looking skyward to the full moon with no word of the president. The very next moment he's walking in broad daylight to counsel with his war chiefs.I got a kick out of the opening credits, mentioning Iron Eyes Cody as "Technical Adviser and Indian Costumes"; in brackets he's called a "Famous T.V. Star". Speaking of costumes, both Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse are routinely shown in full regalia and war bonnet, though my limited knowledge of Indian custom tells me that full head dress was limited to rare occasions, so chalk up another one to poetic license.I guess it's fitting then that the movie humorously closes on what probably best describes it in a closing credit, though my copy may have been improperly cropped. There in big bold letters, it states "A Rank Product", distributed by United Artists - sadly, how true.

bsmith5552 "Sitting Bull" as one might expect, takes place at the time of the infamous and oft filmed "Custer's Last Stand".The story involves the efforts of the fictional Major Bob Parrish (Dale Robertson) and Sioux Chief Sitting Bull (J. Carroll Naish) to prevent a war between the Sioux nations and the U.S. Cavalry. On one side, Sitting Bull's chiefs led by Crazy Horse (Iron Eyes Cody) and Colonel Custer (Douglas Kennedy) on the other push their superiors into war.The requisite love triangle involves Parrish, the General's daughter Kathy (Mary Murphy) and newspaperman Wentworth (william Hopper). Kathy turns away from Parrish when he is charged with insubordination and reduced in rank to Captain. She then becomes engaged to Wentworth.Parrish meanwhile with the assistance of former black slave "Sam" (Joel Flueller)arranges a meeting between President U.S. Grant (John Hamilton) and Sitting Bull. However, before the meeting can take place several incidents occur and war breaks out culminating with Custer's last stand at the Little Big Horn.J. Carroll Naish lends dignity to his portrayal of Sitting Bull. We see him as an intelligent caring and cautious leader who will stoop to war only as a last resort. In a move unusual for its time black actor Joel Flueller was cast in one of the leading roles in the film.The battle scenes are spectacular and well staged by director Sidney Salkow. In spite of the contrived Hollywood ending, this western is a lot better than some would have you believe.