Seminole

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Audience Member At Fort King, Florida, in 1835, Lieutenant Lance Caldwell (Rock Hudson) is charged with the murder of a sentry. At his court martial, he recounts the story of the fragile peace between the settlers and the native Seminole and how that peace is threatened by the strict fort commander, Major Harlan Degan, who wants to wipe out the natives. Caldwell's childhood sweetheart, Revere Muldoon, meets Osceola, a Seminole chief and old friend of Lt. Caldwell's. Through respect for Caldwell, Osceola comes to the fort under a flag of truce, but is imprisoned by Maj. Degan. Osceola dies while in captivity and Caldwell is accused of his murder and jailed. Eventually, the truth comes out and the Seminole rescue Caldwell from his prison... This 1953 American Western depicts the Second Seminole War (1835-1842) and is considered exceptionally realistic in its portrayal of the flaws in U.S. strategy during the Second Seminole War, its portrayal of Jesup, U.S. military uniforms and weaponry of the time period, and American social norms pertaining to race and gender. The film was also considerably ahead of its time in its overwhelmingly sympathetic and realistic portrayal of the Seminole people. Rock Hudson as Lt. Lance Caldwell, Anthony Quinn as Osceola and Richard Carlson as Maj. Harlan Degan all shine. Lee Marvin as Sgt. Magruder has just a supportive part, but his presence is there. Nice action sequences for being made in 1953. Historical Accuracy: Osceola was arrested under the treacherous and unwholesome circumstances which the film portrays. The character of Major Harlan Degan is based on the real life General Thomas Jesup who eventually had to resign in disgrace over the incident. The name "Jesup" was abruptly changed to "Degan" at the last minute, only days before filming started, to prevent being sued by living descendants of Jesup. The ambush in which Jesup and his men attempt to kill an encampment of Seminole while they're sleeping, only to find they've bayoneted bales of straw wrapped in blankets and disguised as sleeping people, is based on a real incident; Jesup attempted to ambush a Seminole encampment in between what is today Umatilla, Florida and Lake Yale and the Seminole carried out a counter-ambush in which Jesup was wounded, most of his men were killed and he was carried to safety (after being shot with an arrow) by two of his own soldiers. (via Wikipedia) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member An excellent action packed story about the Seminole rebellion of the 1840's brightened in technicolor! Sure its a low budget movie and it shows throughout the fake Spanish moss and quicksand, but the color of the jungle setting along with the uniforms and warpaint is enhanced significantly! And what a cast! Rock Hudson, Anthony Quinn, and Barbara Hale are the lead stars, but an unknown (at the time) Lee Marvin also appears in this film. And to the Gilligan's Island fans, Russell Johnson (aka the professor) has a small role in the movie. This movie contains an unusually sympathetic tone towards the Seminole Indians; ultimately the capture of their land is presented as pointless and the commander in charge of the destruction of the Seminole is depicted as a mentally ill, racist, run-by-the-book major. The movie concludes with a hopeful attitude of peace between the army and the Seminole. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member a good Florida western filmed in the Everglades nice horses to more then Distant Drums. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Better than average drama with a decidedly pro Indian slant was one of the many films Rock cranked out on his way up. He gives a good performance, one of his better early ones, as the resolute soldier who is on trial for his life. The cast is full of familiar faces most of whom were also just starting out and would go on to great fame like Lee Marvin, in good guy mode here, and Russell Johnson. Richard Carlson is the sore spot in the picture, he starts out okay but ends up chewing the scenery in an over the top performance. Barbara Hale was never particularly well served by films having much more success on TV as Della Street on Perry Mason nor is she very well used here but she looks probably the best she ever did on screen beautifully shot in Technicolor and with one of the greatest character names ever, Revere Muldoon. Not really a western, not even set in the west but Florida this is an enjoyable picture especially for military history buffs. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Not great and marred by its obvious message. However, Boetticher's direction is very good and the film has some powerful sequences. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Decent Western with Rock Hudson arriving as a scout to a mad mans command, Unable to see eye to eye on Seminole Indian matters turmoil ensues as one man is driven by his own success , and the other is driven by a moral code. The ending was a little too easy for me, it should have ended with the path that the film seemed to be taken. But that would not be your typical Hollywood ending at that time. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Seminole

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