_**A Lively Western from the Fifties Featuring Kirk Douglas Filmed in Oregon**_ The story follows a frontiersman—played by Kirk Douglas—who helps a wagon train navigate the Bozeman and Oregon Trails while attempting to maintain peace between Lakota Sioux people living nearby, as well as a military post situated close by. "The Indian Fighter," released in 1955, shares similarities with "The Last Frontier"—also known as "Savage Wilderness"—which was released earlier that same month of December. Both are Westerns centered around forts and interactions with Native Americans, set in the Northwest, and featuring Red Cloud and his warriors as adversaries. The attack on the fort depicted in the film recalls the actual siege of Fort Phil Kearney by Red Cloud near the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming Territory, where troops and settlers were targeted for two years, from 1866 to 1868. What stands out about this Western is the character of Johnny Hawks, portrayed by Kirk Douglas. He’s a strong-willed individual who rejects narrow-minded divisions during conflicts in the wilderness. He looks beyond surface differences and focuses on people's qualities and what benefits everyone, while also acting in his own self-interest—though not in a dishonorable manner. While he is courageous and assured, he isn't presented as an unquestioning hero or a brooding antihero seeking vengeance; instead, he’s a nonconformist loner full of vitality who doesn’t care if people dislike him (unfairly) and completely resists attempts at social maneuvering. The thrilling Oglala attack on the fort is one of the film's most memorable moments, demonstrating a practical approach to assaulting a wooden structure in a wilderness setting. It's unfortunate that the main Native American characters are played by Caucasian actors, but there weren’t many accomplished performers of Native American descent at that time. Fortunately, some of the background Native Americans appear to be genuinely Native people. You can simply imagine Red Cloud, Grey Wolf, and Onahti looking more Native than they actually do—and that solves the issue. This was Kirk Douglas's first produced film, and he gave his former wife, Diana Douglas, a role as the wagon train settler who clearly desires him as a husband—an obvious inside joke. This suggests that Kirk and Diana had a positive relationship despite their divorce in 1951. Meanwhile, Italian actress Elsa Martinelli plays Onahti, the Native American woman whom Johnny persistently pursues. It’s clear that Onahti was attracted to Johnny, and he recognized this; therefore, he goes after what he wants. The film has a running time of 1 hour and 28 minutes and was filmed in the Bend, Oregon area, including Smith Rock State Park and the Deschutes National Forest. GRADE: A-

Source on TMDB