I think I've said it before, and if so, I'm sorry, but if not, I grew up thinking the cowboys were the good guys and the Indians were the bad guys. That is what I thought was the message coming from all the western series of the 50's and early 60's. Now, however, as an adult, I realize, as a kid, I just watched for the fights, and the fancy horseback riding and ignored most of the dialog. That dialog was usually a scout explaining why the Indians were attacking the wagon trains, and forts. I hear them speaking now, and understand they were usually on the Indians side!!! That has been a shock to me in both the movies and the TV shows. Now, along comes:
Smith, 1969:
Smith is an easy going rancher who tries his best to help the Indians as best he can by giving the tribe a steer for food, grain to feed their cattle, and any other problems he can try to correct. Glenn Ford is Smith, and Nancy Olson is his nagging, harridan of a wife. There weren't many, but this movie has just about every true blood Indian who was in the movies at the time, including Jay Silverheels, and Chief Dan George. It also sports Warren Oates who scares the dickens out of me. This guy never plays anything but a whack-o, and makes me wonder
about him. It ends up with a courtroom battle, which I love, and is a pure propaganda message for the American Indian. It's a very simple little movie, kind of silly in some parts, funny in others, and tender in others. I'm not sure what channel I saw it on, although I'm pretty sure it was one of the HBO ones. It makes for a pleasant hour and a half though.
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