Cattle Queen of Montana
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Allan Dwan
Barbara Stanwyck
Ronald Reagan
Gene Evans
Lance Fuller
Anthony Caruso
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Texas cattle ranchers Pop Jones and his daughter, Sierra Nevada, arrive in Montana's Buffalo Valley to take ownership of land that once belonged to Pop's family. While bathing in a pond, Sierra is approached by Farrell, a United States Cavalry agent posing as a gunman looking for work at the nearby McCord ranch. After warning Sierra that the local Indians are partial to the scalps of white women, Farrell rides off to McCord's Bear Claw outfit. Later that night, Indians stampede the Joneses' cattle, and, in the process, kill Pop. They also injure cowhand Nat and knock Sierra unconscious. Tom McCord, who is in league with Natchakoa, the leader of the raiding Indians, takes the pre-emption papers needed by the Jones family to reclaim its property, which he has discovered on Pop's body. The next day, Sierra and Nat are found by a friendly, young Blackfoot Indian, Colorados, who is returning to his family's village after attending a "white man's school." Colorados takes them to his village, but while Sierra tends to Nat's wounds, Colorados' father, Chief Red Lance, upbraids his son for bringing whites into the camp. Red Lance eventually agrees to let his son prove his assertion that the whites and Indians can live together in peace, and permits the visitors to stay. Later, Natchakoa rejects McCord's orders to kill Sierra and Nat, insisting that to do so he would have to kill Colorados, their protector. McCord instead commissions Farrell to dispose of the two survivors, offering him $2,000 for the deed. When Sierra goes to the land office to claim her land, she is shocked to discover that McCord has already laid claim to it. Realizing that McCord is behind the rustling and the conspiracy to take her family's land, Sierra vows to find proof of this by getting her hands on cattle hide bearing the "new" Bear Claw brand. After finding Nat dead from an Indian arrow, Sierra tries to get at the hide by pretending to accept McCord's offer to buy her out. Sierra then is caught trying to steal the hide by one of McCord's henchmen, but she is saved by the arrival of Farrell. Sierra realizes that Farrell is a true friend when he tells her to take the evidence to Cavalry Colonel Carrington. En route to the Army camp, Sierra overhears Natchakoa and McCord discussing plans to kill Colorados on the following day. While Sierra goes to warn Colorados, Farrell visits Carrington with news that he has compiled nearly all the evidence needed to convict McCord. Following the death of Chief Red Lance, Natchakoa challenges Colorados to a knife fight for the right to lead the Blackfoots, but it ends inconclusively, and Colorados lets Natchakoa leave with men who are loyal to him. Farrell rejoins Sierra, and after telling her that he is working for the Army, takes her with him to go after McCord. Farrell and Sierra blow up McCord's wagon, which is filled with rifles for the Indians, and a gun battle ensues. Natchakoa and McCord are killed in the battle, leaving Sierra, McCord and Colorados free to begin a new life.
Director
Allan Dwan
Cast
Barbara Stanwyck
Ronald Reagan
Gene Evans
Lance Fuller
Anthony Caruso
Jack Elam
Yvette Dugay
Morris Ankrum
Chubby Johnson
Myron Healey
Rod Redwing
Byron Foulger
Harry Tyler
Paul Birch
Ralph Sanford
Betty Hanna
Riza Royce
Burt Mustin
Tom Steele
Dorothy Andre
Crew
John Alton
Nathan Barragar
Thomas Blackburn
Robert Blees
Benedict Bogeaus
Benedict Bogeaus
Howard Estabrook
Louis Forbes
James Leicester
Carlo Lodato
Lee Luthaker
Van Nest Polglase
Francis N. Sarver
John Sturtevant
Gwen Wakeling
May Williamson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to the Screen Achievements Bulletin, Thomas Blackburn's screen story was based on an idea by Ted Richmond; Richmond, however, is not credited onscreen or in reviews. Although some reviews and Hollywood Reporter production charts indicate that the film was shot in SuperScope, it has not been determined whether all release prints were projected using the process. Although the New York Times review lists Hugh Sanders in the role of "Colonel Carrington," that character was played by Paul Birch. Sanders is not listed in other reviews and his appearance in the film has not been confirmed. According to Hollywood Reporter, location shooting took place in Glacier National Park in Montana. Hollywood Reporter news items add Danny Fisher, Bob Burrows, Wayne Bursam, John Carson, Bob Woodward and Glenn Strange to the cast, but their appearance in the final film has not been confirmed. Modern sources add Roy Gordon to the cast.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States Fall November 1954
Released in United States Fall November 1954
