The Indian Fighter

In 1870 Oregon, a wagon train bound for fertile plains must cross Sioux territory, where Chief Red Cloud has grown hostile as unscrupulous traders ply his people with cheap whiskey in exchange for gold. Johnny Hawks, a scout who fought in the Civil War and understands Indian ways, is asked to negotiate safe passage. He wins a temporary peace with the chief, but profiteers traveling with the settlers want the treaty broken so they can find the tribe's gold, and their scheming turns a mountain trail violent. Hawks also finds himself drawn to the chief's daughter, Onahti.

The film is a Western directed by André de Toth, arriving between House of Wax and Crime Wave in the 1950s and later followed by The Mongols. Ben Hecht and Frank Davis wrote the screenplay. Kirk Douglas stars as Johnny Hawks and produced through Bryna Productions, with Elsa Martinelli as Onahti, Walter Matthau as Wes Todd, Diana Douglas as Susan Rogers, Walter Abel as Captain Trask and Lon Chaney Jr. as Chivington.

Released in December 1955, the film runs 88 minutes. Its ratings sit at 6.3 out of 10 on IMDb from roughly 3,200 votes and 6.3 out of 10 on TMDB from a much smaller sample of 85 votes, indicating a modest but enduring reputation among viewers rather than a widely celebrated title. The production was a United Artists release.