Revolt at Fort Laramie

73 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

Revolt at Fort Laramie is a 1957 American Color by Deluxe Western film directed by Lesley Selander and starring John Dehner, Gregg Palmer, Frances Helm and Don Gordon. The film was shot in Kanab, Utah with Harry Dean Stanton making his debut in the film.

In 1861, the undermanned garrison of Fort Laramie, Wyoming Territory was attempting to keep the peace with the Sioux Nation led by Chief Red Cloud. As part the Treaty with the Indians, The United States Government pays Red Cloud in gold to keep the peace and support his people. However Red Cloud comes up with the idea of stealing the gold and use the non payment as an excuse to go to war.

Meanwhile, as the United States face events that lead to the American Civil War, the garrison of the fort is split in their sympathies, a third of the men led by Sgt Darrach support the Confederate States of America while the rest led by Sgt Serrell support the Federal Union. When the garrison hears about the Battle of Fort Sumter, the Confederate faction not only wants to leave the army, but capture the fort and take the gold shipment due to be paid to Chief Red Cloud to Texas.

One of the Southerners warns Capt. Tenslip and Lt. Waller on the Southerner's plan to mutiny, for which he is murdered for betraying the cause with his screams covered by the men singing Dixie. Tenslip is worried that his commander, Major Bradner, a Virginian, may side with the South. Bradner sends Tenslip to get the latest gold shipment with a mix of Southern and Northern troops, and Tenslip worries the Southern troops will try to steal it. They are attacked by Red Could but manage to get the gold back to the fort, where Bradner puts it into his safe.

The next day Bradner receives word that any soldier with Southern sympathies may leave the service with an honorable discharge and go home to fight for the Confederacy. Bradner resigns his commission and turns the fort over to Tenslip. Bradner and the other Southern soldiers leave, dressed in civilian clothes. Red Cloud attacks them and doesn't believe they are no longer soldiers. Red Cloud surrounds them and is on the brink of killing them all. Word of their situation gets back to the fort, and Tenslip and a group of volunteers go to help them. They succeed in driving Red Cloud away, but Bradner is killed in the final battle. The remaining Southern soldiers continue on their journey home while Tenslip leads his troops back to the fort.

• John Dehner as Maj. Seth Bradner
• Gregg Palmer as Capt. James 'Jamie' Tenslip
• Frances Helm as Melissa Bradner
• Don Gordon as Jean Salignac
• Kenne Duncan as Capt. Foley
• Robert Knapp as 1st. Lt. Chick Waller
• Robert Keys as Sgt. Darrach
• Bill Barker as Cpl. Hendrey
• Clay Randolph as Cpl. Caswell
• William 'Bill' Phillips as Serrell (as Wm. "Bill' Phillips)
• Sterling Franck as Ezra (as Cain Mason)
• Fritz Ford as Frederick Ford
• Eddie Little Sky as Red Cloud (as Eddie Little)
• Harry Dean Stanton as Rinty (uncredited)

Parts of the film were shot at the Kanab movie fort and Kanab Creek in Utah.^[1]

"The bitterest choice of all; to break your oath or your heart"—Major Seth Bradner^[2]

Two well known and historical songs are included in the soundtrack of film:

• John Brown's Body

Lyrics: James E. Greenleaf, C. S. Hall, C. B. Marsh, and others, 1861
Music: American folk song, 1856

• Dixie

Lyrics and music: Daniel Decatur Emmett

• List of American films of 1957

• Revolt at Fort Laramie at IMDb
• Revolt at Fort Laramie at AllMovie
• Revolt at Fort Laramie at the TCM Movie Database