"Grayeagle," released in 1977, is a Western centered on a settler—played by Ben Johnson—in Montana during 1848. His daughter, portrayed by Lana Wood, is taken captive by a Cheyenne warrior (Alex Cord), prompting him to join forces with his Native American partner (Iron Eyes Cody) and a friend (Jack Elam) in an attempt to retrieve her. Their journey involves confronting a Shoshone hunting group, including a volatile brave named Scar (Jacob Daniels). The storyline shares echoes of the 1956 film "The Searchers," but it distinguishes itself enough to avoid being considered a mere imitation. While lacking the substantial budget of films like “The Searchers,” I personally find “Grayeagle” more enjoyable. It managed to surprise me in several ways, primarily because it deviates from typical Western conventions; it functions as much as a Native American film as it does a traditional cowboy story, and the depiction of Native characters is surprisingly respectful for that era. A defining characteristic of the movie is its exaggerated style—evident in the acting, melodrama, and the music score. The soundtrack’s sound resembles the bombastic theme from the original "Star Trek" television series, but updated to reflect the mid-1970s and tailored for a Western setting; it's quite good at times, even stirring, although undeniably dated. The connection to “The Searchers” is made more interesting by the fact that Lana Wood’s sister, Natalie, played the captive girl in that earlier film. Speaking of Lana, she is strikingly beautiful—many will recall her role as Bond girl Plenty O'Toole in "Diamonds are Forever" from 1971. The irritating and somewhat unstable character Bugler was portrayed by director Charles B. Pierce, who also directed “Winterhawk” (1975). Iron Eyes Cody, also known as Standing Bear, is likely familiar to audiences for his appearance in the well-known "Keep America Beautiful" public service announcement from the early 70s, where he’s seen shedding a tear about litter. While Cody presented himself as having Native American heritage—claiming Cherokee and Cree ancestry—his background was complicated; conflicting information surfaced suggesting he was actually a second-generation Italian-American, based on interviews with his half-sister and baptismal records. He denied this claim, though it’s possible he had some Native ancestry. Filmed in the Helena National Forest northeast of Helena, Montana, the scenery is quite beautiful. “Grayeagle” possesses an abundance of energy and evokes a feeling similar to that of "The Mountain Men" (1980). It deserves recognition because the filmmakers clearly invested their all into entertaining audiences; I’ve even added it to my personal list of "Favorite Westerns," perhaps as something of a guilty pleasure, given how over-the-top it can be at times. Therefore, I understand why some viewers might not appreciate it. While consistently entertaining, the familiar adage holds true: liking a movie doesn't automatically make it good. The film has a running time of 104 minutes. GRADE: B/B- (6.5/10)

Source on TMDB