Brave Warrior

The least visible war in US history is probably the war of 1812 with the British and other than The Buccaneer (filmed twice )I am unable to recall any movies made about it ,apart from this modest but reasonably effective action picture

Tension is building around the Northern border of the USA and the British are stirring up trouble by enlisting hostile Indians to their cause.Tecumseh (Jay Silverheels)is well disposed to the Americans but his more hot tempered brother ,known only as The Prophet(Michael Ansara)is openly at odds with him and challenges his authority over the tribe . The British incite The Prophet to raid settlements and they also have a nest of spies to keep them informed of goings on in the US settlements.Combating their nefarious schemes -well,nefarious if you are an American that is !-is the rugged American agent Steve (Jon Hall)who persuades Tecumseh to build "a model white town"at Tippecanoe and this immediately becomes a target for The prophet and his allies .Steve also finds time to romance the daughter of the local fur trader -who just happens to be a British spy and who Tecumseh is also in love with

The main virtues of the movie are its pace (brisk direction from Spencer Gordon Bennet)and some nice colour photography.Silverheels is fine as Tecumseh but the other performances are adequate ,no more than that .The ending seems rushed and has a curiously bitter sweet tang to it

This is a brisk B feature and will provide enjoyment if your expectations are modest and you enjoy lively period movies