Seminola

Seminole is a tale of those Indian Wars the United States fought with the native tribe of Florida and of their charismatic chief and martyr Osceola. Although Rock Hudson and Barbara Hale starred, the real star of the film and one who would have made a great Osceola had the real story been told was Anthony Quinn.

One thing that is true was that Osceola was of mixed heritage. Hudson plays a newly minted US Army lieutenant who is from Florida and assigned back there to do scouting for Major Richard Carlson commander of Fort King. The Seminoles are hostile now as they've not been before, with good reason considering President Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy. They're not about to let happen to them what happened to the Choctaws, Cherokees, and Creeks to the north.

Quinn and Hudson knew each other as kids and both are rivals for Barbara Hale who serves as an intermediary. If a peaceful settlement of things were ever possible, it won't be because Richard Carlson, a spit and polish martinet is looking for military glory. Carlson really chews the scenery here, he should have dialed it down a bit.

In one respect the film is daring, showing an interacial romance between Hale and Quinn. Hudson is distinctly second fiddle to Quinn in his pursuit of Hale.

The story is told in flashback by Hudson at an army court martial presided over by Zachary Taylor played by Fay Roope. Although Osceola died in army custody, the facts here are totally wrong. He was tricked into captivity and was transported to Fort Moultrie in South Carolina where he died. I won't tell the story of the film, but do know that this ain't the way it happened. They've got the year wrong, Osceola died in 1838 and the film at the beginning identifies the time as 1835. Also the army is firing revolvers, not yet invented by Samuel Colt, though director Budd Boetticher spotted that one and he carefully edited the movie so as not to show anyone firing more than once. The cap and ball was still in use then.

Budd Boetticher took some time away from working with Randolph Scott and he would have been a good director to have told the real story of Osceola. He and Quinn would have made a great team.

Despite a far-fetched romantic triangle, "Seminole" is a solid early-19th-century historical drama that details the tensions between Florida's Seminole tribe and a U.S. military that is charged with dislodging them from their valuable land. Book-ended by the court martial of Lt. Lance Caldwell, the film relates in flashback the conflict between Caldwell, who has a knowledge and respect for the Seminole, and Major Harlan Degan, a martinet by-the-book officer who will stop at nothing to achieve his ends.

While Rock Hudson is acceptable in the undemanding role of Caldwell, Richard Carlson as Degan has the showier, more intense part, and he delivers a fine performance. The film's two Oscar-winning actors, Lee Marvin and especially Anthony Quinn as Osceola, the Seminole leader, are largely wasted in small, although critical parts. Lovely Barbara Hale as Revere has little to do but incongruously parade her finery and jewelry around a military fort; her romantic chemistry with both Hudson and Quinn fails to ignite. While Hale's splashy costumes, credited to Rosemary Odell, are eye-catching, the Seminoles have the more dazzling wardrobe; whether or not accurate, the actors playing Seminoles wear colorful, well designed outfits and headgear that at least suggest Native American attire. Cinematographer Russell Metty captures the vibrant hues of the costumes and the thick greenery of the Florida Everglades in glorious Technicolor.

Under the direction of Bud Boetticher, a veteran of several outstanding westerns, "Seminole" maintains interest, although action is secondary to dialog, and the climactic scene is borderline laughable for its timing. However, boasting a young Rock Hudson at his physical best, a script by Charles K. Peck Jr that throws some light on a forgotten historical episode, and a competent supporting cast led by Richard Carlson, the Technicolor film is a passable entertainment for most, but essential viewing for Rock Hudson fans.

"Seminole" is set at Fort King, in the Florida, territory of 1835, where West Pointer Lieutenant Hudson is charged with the murder of a sentry...

At the court-martial he recounts his story: the wary co-existence between the settlers and the Indians was threatened by the strict commander (Richard Carlson) of the Army fort... Hudson's childhood sweetheart, Barbara Hale, agreed to meet with Osceola (Anthony Quinn), a mutual friend from their youth who had given up his own Army career to become chief of the Seminole tribe...

Through her influence and Quinn's respect for Hudson, the redskin leader eventually comes to the stockade under a truce flag... But Indian-hating Carlson imprisons Quinn in a detention pit, the latter dies, and the situation deteriorates from bad to worse until the Indians rescue Hudson, who had been jailed by Carlson for killing a soldier while trying to restore peace...

All the cast of the film (photographed in Technicolor) gives energetic performances... Barbara Hale's major asset is her physical presence, providing a tone of sincerity... Anthony Quinn plays the noble 'savage' for the last time...

An extremely clean-cut Rock Hudson is a West Point graduate sent to help the Major at Fort King flush out some Seminole who live in the Floridian swamps. He has some history with the tribe, and it's leader - a rather unconvincing Anthony Quinn, so wants to try finding a peaceable solution to their relocation. Needless to say, they have no intention of being sent to a reservation and the battle lines are drawn. Add to the mix an intransigent by-the-book Major (Richard Carlson) whose only objective is to obey his orders - regardless of casualties; and Barbara Hale as the go-between for the parties and we get quite an enjoyable, if not particularly action-packed adventure story told by way of a retrospective at Hudson's court martial for murder and treason. The photography is lovely, and the script and direction are sufficient to pass the time.

I have been all over Florida, but have never seen anywhere so exotic looking as the swamp in the film where they paddled through. I have been throughout the Everglades and recognize similarities with much of the film's scenes. Though it is beautiful, I have never seen the unreal beauty shown in the film in the one scene where they are paddling. Where is it... exactly. Someone thought it may be someplace in Tarpon Springs. But, I have searched the internet for a place that might match it. Still nothing. There are plants in the scene that I don't even recognize. They look Floridian, but better than real. My suspicion is that it was what Florida looked like in a less touched era. It is so beautiful that I want to go there tomorrow. But where?