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Comanche
Comanche
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	George Sherman
Screenplay by	Carl Krueger
Produced by	Carl Kreuger
Starring	Dana Andrews; Kent Smith; Linda Cristal; Nestor Paiva; Henry Brandon;
Cinematography	Jorge Stahl Jr.
Edited by	Charles L. Kimball
Music by	Herschel Burke Gilbert
Color process	DeLuxe Color
Production; company	Carl Krueger Productions
Distributed by	United Artists
Release dates	December 15, 1955 (New York City Premiere); March 1956 (United States);
Running time	83 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$1.15 million dollars (US)

Comanche is a 1956 American Western film directed by George Sherman in CinemaScope and starring Dana Andrews. The film has a theme song "A Man Is As Good As His Word" sung by The Lancers.

Plot

In 1875, near Durango, Mexico, a group of renegade Comanche attack a peaceful village and kidnap the daughter of a Spanish aristocrat. They escape the Mexican Army by crossing into US territory. Jim Read (Dana Andrews), a frontier scout, is sent to investigate and ease tensions between the Mexicans and the Comanche. But long standing hatred and the profitable business of scalp-hunting does not help in resolving the conflict. Read is sent to negotiate with the Comanche chief, Quanah (Kent Smith). Whilst searching for Quanah, Read sees Art Downey (Stacy Harris), a local scalp-hunter, shoot and injure a Comanche. Read rescues him and takes him to Quanah. Read however is himself accused of the shooting by Black Cloud (Henry Brandon), the renegade leader, until the injured brave recovers enough to clear his name. Read reveals to Quanah that they are cousins and that his mother was the sister of Quanah's mother. Quanah swears loyalty to his white friend. Read leaves to fetch government officials to a peace council, but discovers a cavalry detachment that has been massacred by Black Cloud and his renegades. The Government official, Commissioner Ward (Lowell Gilmore), has ordered the cavalry to subdue the Indians, by force if necessary. Black Cloud attacks a column of cavalry troopers and captures Ward. Quanah and a large force of loyal Comanche intervene and threaten to attack Black Cloud. Vengeful Black Cloud kills Ward. In the ensuing battle, Read kills Downey and Black Cloud and peace is restored.

Cast

Dana Andrews as Jim Read
Kent Smith as Quanah Parker
Nestor Paiva as Puffer
Henry Brandon as Black Cloud
Stacy Harris as Downey
John Litel as Gen. Nelson A. Miles
Lowell Gilmore as Commissioner Ward
Mike Mazurki as Flat Mouth
Tony Carbajal as Little Snake
Linda Cristal as Margarita
Reed Sherman as Lt. French
Iron Eyes Cody as Medicine Arrow, the medicine man

Production

Writer-producer Carl Krueger spent five to six years researching the story. He says he was offered up to $30,000 for the script but held out to make it independently as he wanted the film shot in Mexico.^[2]

Reception

The film received some good reviews with the location work in Durango, Mexico much praised.^[3] TV Guide and the Radio Times both rated it two out of four stars, each citing it as interesting mostly for introducing Cristal to North American audiences.^[4]^[5]

References

^ 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1956', Variety Weekly, January 2, 1957
^ Schallert, Edwin (October 23, 1955). "War Whoops Again Fill Old Durango". Los Angeles Times. p. D1.
^ "Drama: Film Vividly Portrays Indians' Mexican Raid Schallert". Edwin. Los Angeles Times. March 30, 1956. p. 24.
^ "Comanche". TV Guide. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
^ Sloman, Tony. "Comanche". Radio Times. Retrieved February 28, 2023.