Tonight's Movie: Broken Arrow (1950) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

The Western classic BROKEN ARROW (1950) has just been released in a sumptuous new Blu-ray edition by Kino Lorber.

James Stewart stars as Tom Jeffords, a former soldier who saves the life of a young Apache boy. In turn Jeffords' life is spared by the Apaches, and he begins to wonder if there is an opportunity for peace between settlers and Indians.

Jeffords learns the Apaches' language and customs, then travels to their stronghold to meet with Apache chief Cochise (Jeff Chandler). Jeffords negotiates safe passage for U.S. mail riders with Cochise, the start of a peace effort in which he's later joined by General Howard (Basil Ruysdael).

Jeffords also finds love with an Apache girl, Sonseeahray (Debra Paget), and is allowed to marry her thanks to the support of Cochise.

My records show that I last saw this film 40 years ago (!)...after seeing it as a kid I never wanted to return to it because I was so profoundly impacted by a sad aspect of the storyline, which I won't go into here. Suffice it to say, though, that I shouldn't have waited so long to see it again. This is a beautiful and important film with marvelous performances by Stewart, Chandler, Paget, and Ruysdael. I was transfixed for the movie's 93 minutes, which flew by.

Stewart was just beginning his career as a major Western star, with this and Anthony Mann's WINCHESTER '73 (1950) released in the same year.

Stewart had, of course, appeared in the semicomic DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939) many years previously, but in his '50s Westerns he developed a new, often intense, persona, the beginnings of which are seen in this film.

Jeff Chandler's career to this point had consisted of small supporting roles, including a good part as a D.A. in ABANDONED (1949) the previous year. Parts like a gangster in JOHNNY O'CLOCK (1947) or a cop in MR. BELVEDERE GOES TO COLLEGE (1949) don't seem as though they could have given a hint Chandler had this role in him; it's a towering performance, conveying courage, grace, and humor. Chandler was very deservingly nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor.

Chandler would return to the role of Cochise for two more films, THE BATTLE AT APACHE PASS (1952) and TAZA, SON OF COCHISE (1954). Those films were for Universal Studios, whereas BROKEN ARROW was a 20th Century-Fox release.

Paget is a longtime favorite actress who was just 16 when she filmed this; the movie was released the month she turned 17. It's hard to believe she was that young, nor was I aware while watching the film of the significant real-life age gap between Paget and Stewart. Thanks to the power of good acting and writing, it works.

The Oscar-nominated script was by Albert Maltz, though it was credited at the time to Michael Blankfort, who fronted for Maltz due to the blacklist. The film was significant not just for its dramatic power and visual beauty, but because of its strong sympathy for Indians, not at all common in films at the time it was made. (Anthony Mann's DEVIL'S DOORWAY, written by Guy Trosper, was released just weeks after BROKEN ARROW and also broke new ground in a positive depiction of Indians.)

BROKEN ARROW was directed by Delmer Daves. The film has much of the look of another Daves film about Indian-white relations, THE LAST WAGON (1956); the movies share some of the same Arizona locations.

While much of the movie was filmed in Arizona, the final shot of BROKEN ARROW, as Stewart rides away, was filmed in the Alabama Hills outside Lone Pine, California.

The movie was filmed by Oscar-nominated Ernest Palmer, and the Blu-ray does his work full justice. It's one of those movies where the viewer almost feels what it must have been like standing there in Arizona as the camera rolled. This is top-drawer movie-making, shown off at its best thanks to the Kino Lorber Blu-ray.

The Blu-ray includes a Fox Movietone newsreel and a trailer gallery.

BROKEN ARROW is highly recommended.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.