Americas 250th Birthday Cinemathon #28: Broken Arrow (1950)

 

Broken Arrow tells of the real-life friendship between Apache chief Cochise and prospector Tom Jeffords. Famously the two were actually able to end, at least for a few years, much of the warring between Americans and Apaches. To understand the context of the Apache Wars in the 1860s and 1870s, we’d have to start in 1861. A group of Apache raiders kidnapped a 12-year old boy. Lieutenant George Bascom of the US Army invited Cochise to meet him, making the common mistake of assuming that all Indians of one people answered to one leader. Cochise had no part in the kidnapping and even offered to help get the kid back, but Bascom planned to imprison him. Cochise escaped and the Apache Wars returned with a fierce intensity.

The movie generally follows the events of history, but with quite a few changes and additions. One is the look of Tom Jeffords, who like many Americans of his time sported a good amount of facial hair, but here shows up played by a clean-shaven Jimmy Stewart. Older and having been affected by his service in World War II, Stewart could no longer play the folksy and often idealistic hero, and his career looked uncertain. He found new life, however, as a western actor (I highly recommend his Anthony Mann westerns where he’s a more cynical protagonist).

But enough about an actor’s history. Stewart’s Jeffords surprises the Apache by rescuing one of their wounded youths and being reasonable. As his relationship with Cochise starts to develop, he’s able to negotiate an end to Apache attacks on the overland mail. This is based on a claim that the real Jeffords made, but historians have disputed this. Jeffords definitely, however, helped bring Apaches and US officials together for peace talks. In 1872 he accompanied one-armed General Oliver O. Howard to Cochise’s place. Howard was a firm Christian not given to lying or aggression, so Grant thought that, paired with Jeffords, he’s be a great for a peace-seeking mission. Basil Ruysdael plays Howard in this movie. He does a good job, but Howard is way too old here. The movie further leaves out the famous moment when the religious officer shouted his thanks to God and frightened the Apache (they thought he was summoning magic).

The portrayal of the Apaches themselves is generally good, though there is the matter of redface. It’s nowhere near as bad as Donna Reed’s Sacagawea, but it is noticeable when all of the extras are real Apaches. This was a compromise because the studio felt it needed recognized actors in the lead roles Jeff Chandler portrays Cochise as a proud warrior, but also an honorable man who will seriously seek peace. Considering he’s a white New Yorker, Chandler does a good job. It helps that he was somewhat swarthy to begin with and, more importantly, did a lot of personal research to be as Apache as possible. He actually gets the cool hero moment at the climax when he uses his bow-and-arrow skills to defeat a band of trigger-happy whites. Sonseeahray (Debra Paget) is more likely to cause issues with viewers. She’s an invention for the movie, a fair Apache maiden for Jeffords to fall in love with (the age gap between the actors has also drawn some criticism). She’s got most of the weaker lovey-dovey lines, and unlike Chandler isn’t able to convince us that she’s an American Indian. Actually, looking at Paget’s filmography she seems to have made a career playing non-white characters, so I guess Broken Arrow was a good break for her. A third Apache character is Geronimo, played by actual American Indian Jay Silverheels. He opposes Cochise’s peace policy and starts his long career of fighting Americans and Mexicans.

Cochise (Jeff Chandler) symbolically breaks an arrow to
signify peace. Actually this was not an Apache custom

Despite the redface, American Indians, especially Apaches, loved Broken Arrow at the time of its release (views on it are more diverse these days). It had been decades since they had gotten to be portrayed in a strong, heroic light. The movie also acknowledges that American settlers were often as culpable as the Apaches for starting and continuing the violence. The incentives paid out to people for the scalps of dead Apaches were a real-life thing that drove up the violence and practically endorsed genocide. Broken Arrow was a huge step forward, ahead of its time in depicting American Indians as something other than another obstacle to white civilization. The Indians in the movie have legitimate motivations for their violence, but can also be reasoned with. For Apaches in particular the movie was well-liked because some of their own people served as consultants to improve accuracy.

Unfortunately there were few cool heads like Cochise, and it can be considered a mercy that the disintegration of his peace occurred after his death. The movie’s depiction of various white settlers getting angry at Jeffords and calling him “Indian-lover” are also based in history. Jeffords gained a Federal position managing Cochise’s reservation, but was ousted from his job on the reasoning that he was too sympathetic to the Apache.

Debra Paget's Sonseeahray has eyes for Jeffords.

Broken Arrow is only about 90 minutes long and was made in the 50s, so it’s a safe way to give your kids a positive portrayal of American Indians. Though I praise the movie, I do think the romance could have been better done, and the ending, though great thematically, does feel abrupt. Thus I don’t rate it as highly as I would have liked.

I couldn't find much isolated clips, so here's the trailer.

Rating: 7/10

Extra fact: The movie spawned an actual black-and-white TV show.