WHITE FEATHER

US, 1955, 102 minutes, Colour.
Robert Wagner, John Lund, Debra Paget, Jeffrey Hunter, Eduard Franz, Hugh O'Brien.
Directed by Robert Webb.

White Feather is an enjoyable western, one of the earliest Cinemascope westerns released in 1954. It is in the tradition of Broken Arrow and reflects the new consciousness of the dignity of the Indians in the films of the 50s. The film is also a typically Robert Wagner adventure and was directed by Robert D. Webb who directed a number of the early Cinemascope adventures like Beneath The Twelve Mile Reef. Easy entertainment, a good introduction to western themes especially those concerning Indians.

1. The significance of the title and its use in the film? Themes of red versus white? The challenge of the feather?

2. Colour, locations, Cinemascope, the young stars of the 50s, their impact.

3. The trend of films about the Indians in the 50s? Sympathetic portrayal? The clash of the Indians and whites? White treatment of Indians? How interesting? How sympathetic? The impact then and now?

4. The portrayal of the Indian wars, the treaties? The reasons for the wars, the pressures? The waiting and tension for the signing of treaties? The dangers for breaking atmosphere?

5. The portrayal of white impatience, the arrogance for instance of the storekeeper, hostility and prejudice? Attitudes of fairness? Attitudes of friendship? Particular sequences which highlighted this theme?

6. The portrayal of the Indians: their humiliation, the treaties imposed on them, their patience? The playing of war games by the younger Indians? Their challenging of the treaties? Their pride, pride unto death? Questions of assimilation and migration? How was the atmosphere of the Indian humiliation communicated visually for instance in the long lines of migrating Indians?

7. Tanner as the hero for identification of white audiences? The technique of his narration, the opening and his courage, the Indian games and his shrewdness? The background of his life, family, work? His friendship? His love? His role in the negotiations? The emotional sides causing rifts? The death of American Horse? The death of Little Deer? The happy ending? The thematic happy ending with Tanner and his Indian wife?

8. The portrayal of Little Deer and American Horse? Their initial games, their life and style as braves, the exchange of gifts with Tanner and the bonds of friendship, the imprisonment and the escape? The significance of the 'white feather' challenge? The two, riding against the army to death? The reverence given in their deaths, by the Colonel and by Tanner?

9. The Indian girl and the white girl? Comparisons? Their backgrounds and families? Their reputation? Their relationships with Tanner? Their help of one another? The future of the Indian princess with Tanner in the west? How possible is assimilation?

1O. The sympathetic portrayal of the Colonel? The tensions and pressures in his work? His relationship with Tanner? His using him for negotiations? His strategy at the final confrontation?

11. The picture of the Indians moving in their migration, the pathos?

12. What western conventions were used for his message western? How well? How successfully was the human message communicated? How convincingly?