Walk the Proud Land
| Walk the Proud Land | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jesse Hibbs |
| Written by | Gil Doud Jack Sher |
| Produced by | Aaron Rosenberg |
| Starring | Audie Murphy Anne Bancroft Pat Crowley |
| Cinematography | Harold Lipstein |
| Edited by | Sherman Todd |
| Distributed by | Universal-International (UI) |
Release dates | September, 1956 |
Running time | 89 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.5 million (US)[1] |
Walk the Proud Land is a 1956 Western Technicolor CinemaScope film directed by Jesse Hibbs, starring Audie Murphy and future Academy Award winner Anne Bancroft. It was filmed at Old Tucson.[2]
Plot
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This is the true story of Indian agent John Clum (Audie Murphy) as told by Clum's son in the 1936 biography Apache Agent. The film begins in 1874, as Clum, an Eastern government representative, arrives in San Carlos, Arizona. He is sent to try a new approach to peace with Apaches based on respect for autonomy rather than submission to Army. He faces suspicions from the white settlers, the Army and the Indians, especially Geronimo.
An Indian widow, Tianay (Anne Bancroft) falls in love with Clum, despite the fact he is engaged to Mary Dennison (Pat Crowley). Clum is helped by his Irish American friend, Tom Sweeney (Charles Drake).
Cast
- Audie Murphy as John Philip Clum
- Anne Bancroft as Tianay
- Pat Crowley as Mary Dennison
- Charles Drake as Tom Sweeny
- Tommy Rall as Taglito
- Robert Warwick as Chief Eskiminzin
- Jay Silverheels as Geronimo
- Eugene Mazzola as Tono
- Anthony Caruso as Disalin
- Victor Millan as Santos
- Ainslie Pryor as Capt. Larsen
- Eugene Iglesias as Chato
- Morris Ankrum as Gen. Wade
- Addison Richards as Gov. Safford
- Maurice Jara as Alchise
Production
The role of Mary Dennison, Clum's fiancee, was originally offered to Piper Laurie but she turned it down so she could study at the Actors Studio in New York. Pat Crowley was cast instead.[3]
Reception
The film was not a success at the box office, something attributed to the fact that Murphy played a pacifist rather than an action hero. This ended Murphy's plans to make his dream project, a biopic of painter Charles Marion Russell.[3]
See also
References
- ^ 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1956', Variety Weekly, January 2, 1957
- ^ Walk the Proud Land at Audie Murphy Memorial Site
- ^ a b Richard Harland Smith, 'Walk the Proud Land', Turner Classic Movies accessed 15 June 2012