Seminole (film)

1953 film

Seminole

Poster

Directed by| Budd Boetticher
Screenplay by| Charles K. Peck Jr.
Story by| Charles K. Peck Jr.
Produced by| Howard Christie
Starring| Rock Hudson
Anthony Quinn
Barbara Hale
Richard Carlson
Cinematography| Russell Metty
Edited by| Virgil W. Vogel
Color process| Technicolor

Production
company

Universal International Pictures

Distributed by| Universal Pictures

Release date

* March 20, 1953 (1953-03-20) (Los Angeles)

Running time

| 87 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English
Box office| $1.4 million (US)[1]

Seminole is a 1953 American Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Rock Hudson, Barbara Hale, Anthony Quinn and Richard Carlson. Much of the film was shot in the Everglades National Park, Florida. The film depicts the Second Seminole War (1835-1842).[2]

## Plot

[edit]

At Fort King, Florida, in 1835, Lieutenant Lance Caldwell 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.

## Cast

[edit]

* Rock Hudson as Lance Caldwell
* Barbara Hale as Revere
* Anthony Quinn as Osceola
* Richard Carlson as Major Degan
* Hugh O'Brian as Kajeck
* Russell Johnson as Lt. Hamilton
* Lee Marvin as Sgt. Magruder
* Ralph Moody as Kulak
* Fay Roope as Zachary Taylor
* James Best as Corp. Gerard
* John Daheim as Scott (as John Day)

## Historical Accuracy

[edit]

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. The film 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.[3]

## See also

[edit]

* Florida Western

## References

[edit]

1. ^ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1953', Variety, January 13, 1954
2. ^ Budd Boetticher: The Last Interview Wheeler, Winston Dixon. Film Criticism; Meadville Vol. 26, Iss. 3, (Spring 2002): 52-0_3.
3. ^ The Florida Historical Quarterly, Volume 77, 1998 pg. 323

## External links

[edit]

* Seminole at IMDb
* Seminole at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
* Seminole at the TCM Movie Database

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Budd Boetticher

* One Mysterious Night (1944)
* The Missing Juror (1944)
* Youth on Trial (1945)
* A Guy, a Gal and a Pal (1945)
* Escape in the Fog (1945)
* Assigned to Danger (1948)
* Behind Locked Doors (1948)
* Black Midnight (1949)
* The Wolf Hunters (1949)
* Killer Shark (1950)
* Blades of the Musketeers (filmed 1950, 1953)
* Bullfighter and the Lady (1951)
* The Cimarron Kid (1952)
* Bronco Buster (1952)
* Red Ball Express (1952)
* Horizons West (1952)
* City Beneath the Sea (1953)
* Seminole (1953)
* The Man from the Alamo (1953)
* Wings of the Hawk (1953)
* East of Sumatra (1953)
* The Magnificent Matador (1955)
* The Killer Is Loose (1956)
* Seven Men from Now (1956)
* The Tall T (1957)
* Decision at Sundown (1957)
* Buchanan Rides Alone (1958)
* Westbound (1959)
* Ride Lonesome (1959)
* The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960)
* Comanche Station (1960)
* A Time for Dying (1969)
* Arruza (1972)
* My Kingdom For... (1985)

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template