"Johnny Tiger" is a film you could never make today without major revisions to the script and the casting. While it was likely seen as a rather progressive film in its day, today it is a bit tough to watch.
Robert Taylor plays George Dean, a man who just got a job teaching children on the Seminole reservation in Southern Florida. The sort of person he is becomes obvious early in the film...he has come to 'civilize' all the 'savage children' and show them the value of education. In other words, he's trying to impose his values and education on these people...and the Seminole are naturally suspicous of the man.
Oddly, within seconds of meeting the perennially bare-chested Johnny Tiger, Dean is determined to get the young man educated and sent to college. He NEVER asks Johnny what he wants nor his values...he just KNOWS what's good for Johnny. To make things more difficult, Johnny and Dean's oldest daughter start to fall in love.
The notion of having all the major Seminole roles played by white actors in body paint was acceptable in 1966...and certainly not today. Likewise, Johnny is supposed to be half white and half Seminole...and they cast pretty Chad Everett in the role instead of someone who looks like they could be a 'half-breed' (what he's called throughout the film) and without painting him with dark body paint. But remember...this is the same time period where movies like "White Comanche" was made...with William Shatner playing a Comanche! Yes, THAT Shatner!
I think the film is very earnest but it makes Taylor too bigoted and narrow-minded for today's audiences. Now, he is written this way deliberately AND there's the white lady doctor who does NOT share his paternalistic views...so to be fair, Dean is NOT supposed to be the model of decency and respect. But he mostly comes off as oblivious and mean. The idea of the white teacher learning and growing out of his outmoded preconceptions is sound...just making his that awful is a mistake.
So despite the film's many problems, is it worth seeing? Well, it depends. I've seen nearly every Robert Taylor film...so me watching it makes sense. It also might make sense to see how times have changed for the better. But there must be better stories than this one...though, now that I think about it, very few Hollywood films ever address modern native America and its culture.
