A respected black cavalry sergeant stands court-martial after being accused of raping and killing a white woman as well as murdering her father, his superior officer.A respected black cavalry sergeant stands court-martial after being accused of raping and killing a white woman as well as murdering her father, his superior officer.A respected black cavalry sergeant stands court-martial after being accused of raping and killing a white woman as well as murdering her father, his superior officer.
- Awards
- 2 nominations total
- Court Guard
- (uncredited)
- Mexican
- (uncredited)
- Courtroom Spectator
- (uncredited)
- Courtroom Spectator
- (uncredited)
- Courtroom Spectator
- (uncredited)
- Trooper
- (uncredited)
- Trooper
- (uncredited)
- Trooper
- (uncredited)
- Officer's Wife
- (uncredited)
- Courtroom Spectator
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaUnsatisfied with Woody Strode's rehearsal of bullet-wounded drowsiness, director John Ford took his own steps to make Strode appear authentically weary for Rutledge's gunshot early on in the film. The day before the scene was to be shot, Ford got Strode drunk early in the day and had an assistant follow him around for the rest of the day to make sure he stayed that way. When the time came for Strode to shoot the scene with Constance Towers, his hangover gave him the perfect (for Ford) appearance of a man who had been shot.
- GoofsCantrell explains that the "Buffalo Soldiers" were so named because when first seen by the Native Americans, the Natives mistook their woolly coats for those of a buffalo. In truth, it was the "nappy" hair of the Black soldiers that lead the Natives to dub the unit as "Buffalo Soldiers," but Cantrell could have been misinformed.
- Quotes
Capt. Shattuck: You are trying to trade your murderer's bravery for the mercy of the court! Isn't that it?
1st Sgt. Braxton Rutledge: No, sir, that is not it at all!
Capt. Shattuck: All right, Rutledge, if that isn't it, what was it?
1st Sgt. Braxton Rutledge: It was because the Ninth Cavalry was my home, my real freedom, and my self-respect, and the way I was desertin' it, I wasn't
[voice cracking]
1st Sgt. Braxton Rutledge: nuthin' worse than a swamp-runnin' nigger, and I ain't that! Do you hear me? I'm a man!
- ConnectionsEdited into John Ford: The Man Who Invented America (2019)
- SoundtracksCaptain Buffalo
Words and Music by Mack David and Jerry Livingston
The movie is fine enough despite two drawbacks: (1) It is too long and (2) the weak trial resolution. The confession by the real murderer is over-dramatic and contrived. It is doubtful that anyone in US court has made such a strange confession, especially when the evidence was hardly circumstantial ("I had to have her!"). Perhaps the real killer had a change of conscience. But, despite its drawbacks, the film was groundbreaking in its day and still is enjoyable today. On-location shooting in Monument Valley (and Mexican Hat: note the hat rock formation in the background shots) is always spectacular. A nice shot is that of the troopers standing firm in line of battle with the Indians. "Captain Buffalo" is a moving western song about the soldiers. Lt. Cantrell explains to Mary Beecher (Constance Towers) the origin of the name "Buffalo soldiers." To stay warm in winter the black troops wore coats and hats made of Buffalo hides. As they thus appeared like buffaloes the Indians dubbed them "Buffalo soldiers." There is another origin (not mentioned in the movie): The name relates to African hair that looked to the Indians like the shaggy buffalo coat in winter. In the feature, quite a few Buffalo soldiers have speaking parts, and future Olympic gold medal winner Rafer Johnson plays an army corporal. Sgt. Skidmore (Juano Hernandez) has a funny line, "Trouble come double, sir." Rutledge has the best line in the movie when he tells Mary Beecher: "Lady, you don't know how hard I'm trying to stay alive."
Billie Burke (Glenda the good witch, 1939) was at 76 years, as usual too old for her part as Cornelia, the wife of Col. Otis Wingate (53 year-old Willis Bouchey). Here she shows her real age as she is fluttered and genuinely shocked when a teen-aged girl rides her horse astride and not side-saddle (with legs close together), as some ladies did back in olden times. She is also none too pleased when white women speak to black men. She certainly played the giddy one.
Postscript: Obviously after the period of the movie 65 years had to pass before four major events of the civil rights movement occurred: (1) integration of interstate commerce in 1946, (2) desegregation of the armed forces by Pres. Truman, 1948, (3) Brown vs. Topeka Board of education in 1954, and (4) the Montgomery bus strike (1955).
- romanorum1
- Nov 25, 2013
- Permalink
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- El capitán búfalo
- Filming locations
- Mexican Hat, Utah, USA(along the San Juan River)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $3,047
- Runtime1 hour 51 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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