ONE LITTLE INDIAN

US, 1973, 90 minutes, Colour.
James Garner, Vera Miles, Pat Hingle.
Directed by Bernard Mc Eveety.

An unusual Disney western. James Garner and Vera Miles had worked together in the Hawaiian set western, The Castaway Cowboy. This film has quite a good cast to give an ordinary kind of story some strength. Features are the small boy Mark, with whom the younger audiences can identify, the use of camels in the American West instead of horses and an enjoyable amount of rough-house comedy as well as chases. The film is an entertaining example of the adaptation of the conventions of the western for the Disney audience.

1. Audience enjoyment of westerns? Disney adaptation - setting, characters, the fort, the military, widows and daughters in the desert?

2. The background of the western and the presentation of the fort life, the difficulties of the desert, the homestead? The special effects, especially with the cattle stampedes, the humour with the camels?

3. Mark as the focus - a boy for audiences to identify with? his place in the Indian roundup, his quick-witted attempts at escape, his barricading himself against the people in the fort, his baptism, his successful escape? His ability to move through the desert? the encounter with Clint and the shooting - leading to the washing and eating, the talk, friendship and dependence? The background of his being white and brought up by the Indians? The stampeding of the cattle? his love for the camels? The encounter with Doris and Martha - friendship, the need to change to more civilised ways, his willingness and unwillingness to learn? his being left by Clint? His running away, the return to the fort? His saving Clint from being with the cattle? The confrontation with the minister and his being given to Glint - for a happy future? A pleasant American boy of the west?

4. James Garner's humorous laconic style as Clint? the introduction to him with the soldiers? his escape, the camels, the wandering the desert to Mexico, the encounter with Mark? with Doris and Martha? His decision to leave? The encounter with the soldiers and his manoeuvres? His capture, his hanging and escape - and the commander not wanting to hang him twice? The death of the camel? The bond with Mark and the final reunion? The character sketch of Clint? especially in his encounter with Doris and explanation of himself to her?

5. Fort life: the rounding up of the Indians, the chaplain and the baptism of Mark, the commander and justice, the posse and their strategies, sense of vengeance? The decision not to hang Clint twice?

6. Doris and Martha and the pioneer homestead, the attraction to Clint and Mark, helping them, a possible future for them both?

7. Camels in the desert - humorous appearance, riding them, stampeding the cattle, fondness, the death?

8. Picture of dangers in the west - Indians, the forts, shooting, animals? The happier side of the American heritage of the west, Disney fashion?