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6.3/10
2.5K
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After destroying a Seminole fort, American soldiers and their rescued companions must face the dangerous Everglades and hostile Indians in order to reach safety.After destroying a Seminole fort, American soldiers and their rescued companions must face the dangerous Everglades and hostile Indians in order to reach safety.After destroying a Seminole fort, American soldiers and their rescued companions must face the dangerous Everglades and hostile Indians in order to reach safety.
Dany Aldon
- Bit part
- (uncredited)
Carl Andre
- Trooper
- (uncredited)
Mel Archer
- Pvt. Jeremiah Hiff
- (uncredited)
Gregg Barton
- Pvt. James W. Tasher
- (uncredited)
Jere Beery Sr.
- Dead Indian
- (uncredited)
George Bell
- Trooper
- (uncredited)
Jimmie Booth
- Trooper
- (uncredited)
Rudy Bowman
- Trooper
- (uncredited)
Beverly Brandon
- Mme. Duprez
- (uncredited)
Bob Burns
- Indian Boy
- (uncredited)
Sidney Capo
- Indian Boy
- (uncredited)
Larry Chance
- Chief Ocala
- (uncredited)
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United States Pictures which released Distant Drums through Warner Brothers was I think Gary Cooper's own production company. Looking at The Films of Gary Cooper book, I noticed about three others with same credits in the Fifties of which Distant Drums was the first.
The film was shot on actual location in the Everglades, I think Gary Cooper must have gotten some taste of what Bogey and Hepburn were enduring doing The African Queen. Too bad the story didn't rate the same as The African Queen.
Cooper is an American Army captain on duty with the army of General Zachary Taylor, played by Robert Barrat, who lives on his own island and doesn't dress in any army uniform. Zach Taylor had a reputation for informality, but that was carrying it a bit too far. The only other guy who had his own private island during war was Lt. Commander Quentin McHale and his PT Boat crew.
Anyway Barrat gives Cooper a mission and a Navy lieutenant played by Richard Webb to carry it out. To attack an old Spanish fort and go by boat across Lake Okechoobee. An early type of amphibious warfare. The attack goes off as planned and some civilian prisoners are rescued from the renegades using the fort. But the Seminoles are in hot pursuit of Cooper and the whole bunch through most of the film.
I can't believe by the way that a director like Raoul Walsh had the army and the Seminoles fighting with repeating rifles and six shooter revolving pistols. Stuff wasn't invented yet.
For the early years of the republic, Florida under Spanish rule and loose rule at that, was a thorn in our side. Pirates like the ones you see here used it as a haven for raiding purposes. But it was also a refuge for runaway slaves. Our southern states wanted Florida acquired to put an end to that. The indigenous tribes to Florida, the Seminoles did offer refuge for runaway slaves. So a war there was inevitable, especially when southern presidents like Andrew Jackson were in the White House.
Maybe one day someone will do a proper film on the early history of Florida, but this ain't it.
The film was shot on actual location in the Everglades, I think Gary Cooper must have gotten some taste of what Bogey and Hepburn were enduring doing The African Queen. Too bad the story didn't rate the same as The African Queen.
Cooper is an American Army captain on duty with the army of General Zachary Taylor, played by Robert Barrat, who lives on his own island and doesn't dress in any army uniform. Zach Taylor had a reputation for informality, but that was carrying it a bit too far. The only other guy who had his own private island during war was Lt. Commander Quentin McHale and his PT Boat crew.
Anyway Barrat gives Cooper a mission and a Navy lieutenant played by Richard Webb to carry it out. To attack an old Spanish fort and go by boat across Lake Okechoobee. An early type of amphibious warfare. The attack goes off as planned and some civilian prisoners are rescued from the renegades using the fort. But the Seminoles are in hot pursuit of Cooper and the whole bunch through most of the film.
I can't believe by the way that a director like Raoul Walsh had the army and the Seminoles fighting with repeating rifles and six shooter revolving pistols. Stuff wasn't invented yet.
For the early years of the republic, Florida under Spanish rule and loose rule at that, was a thorn in our side. Pirates like the ones you see here used it as a haven for raiding purposes. But it was also a refuge for runaway slaves. Our southern states wanted Florida acquired to put an end to that. The indigenous tribes to Florida, the Seminoles did offer refuge for runaway slaves. So a war there was inevitable, especially when southern presidents like Andrew Jackson were in the White House.
Maybe one day someone will do a proper film on the early history of Florida, but this ain't it.
I saw "Distant Drums" for the first time when I was 10 or 11 years old and I recall it was a great film for me. Then I saw it as an adult and though it was not the great film I remembered it was still very good as an action and adventure sort of western. Since I'm not from the USA I didn't notice some historical mistakes -mainly the use of guns and rifles not yet invented by the time of the action- I learned about after reading some reviews here; I think those are major flaws in a movie.
However, I think my little knowledge about the Seminole wars in Florida give me the possibility of judging the film just at what it is: an adventure film. That established, "Distant Drums" appears to me as a highly entertaining and well done movie as well as a very original film mainly because of where the action is located. Is has great color, beautiful photography and incredible open wide sceneries in the Everglades. The plot -although kind of standard (a bunch of soldiers chased by savage Indians through the swamps- is however very well handled by director Roul Walsh and he keeps action going all along without major bumps. The sequence at the Seminole village is most impressive and tense as it is the final underwater knife duel between Captain Wyatt and chief Okala.
Gary Cooper (Wyatt) is very good as the leader of the escaping troop and shows the presence and self confidence a leader should. The rest of the cast brings a good support too, mainly Arthur Hunnicutt (Coooper's sidekick) and Ray Teal (one of the troopers), and Mari Aldon does a credible work as Cooper's romantic interest. Seminole chief Okala looks mean enough and a proper match for Cooper. Perhaps the less impressive performance is that of Richard Webb kind of dull as a navy officer involved in the mission.
In all this a decent action/adventure film, most entertaining and worth seeing for those who enjoy the genre.
However, I think my little knowledge about the Seminole wars in Florida give me the possibility of judging the film just at what it is: an adventure film. That established, "Distant Drums" appears to me as a highly entertaining and well done movie as well as a very original film mainly because of where the action is located. Is has great color, beautiful photography and incredible open wide sceneries in the Everglades. The plot -although kind of standard (a bunch of soldiers chased by savage Indians through the swamps- is however very well handled by director Roul Walsh and he keeps action going all along without major bumps. The sequence at the Seminole village is most impressive and tense as it is the final underwater knife duel between Captain Wyatt and chief Okala.
Gary Cooper (Wyatt) is very good as the leader of the escaping troop and shows the presence and self confidence a leader should. The rest of the cast brings a good support too, mainly Arthur Hunnicutt (Coooper's sidekick) and Ray Teal (one of the troopers), and Mari Aldon does a credible work as Cooper's romantic interest. Seminole chief Okala looks mean enough and a proper match for Cooper. Perhaps the less impressive performance is that of Richard Webb kind of dull as a navy officer involved in the mission.
In all this a decent action/adventure film, most entertaining and worth seeing for those who enjoy the genre.
I love Gary Cooper, especially during the 1950's. He actually aged better and better. This western is somewhat different than what he usually chose to play. He is a distinct personality that his men and others under his care recognize as "leader". I bought it totally. He is distant, sexy and loving to a small son. He is brave and a heroic personality. Just the kind of movie I love with Gary Cooper. The Florida vistas are wild and beautiful. The whole thing just entertained me and I came back for more. I don't remember this one from T.V. reruns so it was brand new to me. I highly recommend to people who love westerns (especially with Gary Cooper).
This picture was made when directors sacrificed authenticity for rapid gunfire. The trapdoor rifles and the Colt Single Action revolver were not even invented until 30+ years after the Seminole Wars. The under water knife fight reminded me of the face-to-face shootouts of "classic westerns". It never happened. The practical lawman of the old west (if he wanted to see the sunrise next day) captured his quarry while asleep or shot him from ambush. No sane person would willingly stand face-to-face against another armed man and yell "DRAW"!! Would YOU? There are no recorded shootouts of this type in Western history.
This Technicolor hokum set in 1840 follows a similar narrative arc to 'Northwest Passage' but instead of Alaska is located in the Florida Everglades and is far more tongue in cheek; with a noisy and anachronistic score by Max Steiner, plenty of gunplay, explosions and reptiles, and a worldly leading lady in Marie Aldon.
Did you know
- TriviaWILHELM SCREAM: This film contains the first known instance of "The Wilhelm Scream" (a sound effect of a man screaming, since used in over 400 other movies, at least 433). different variations of the sound effect are heard throughout the movie, heard two or three times during a fortress battle sequence when two soldiers are killed and let out Wilhelms. it's again during a scene in which the soldiers are wading through a swamp in the everglades, one of them is bitten and dragged underwater by an alligator and lets out a Wilhelm. six takes of this scream were recorded originally for the alligator scene by Sheb Wooley (actor of Private Jessup), the fifth take was used for the alligator scene though the fourth take became most popular. The scream for that character was recorded later. Six short pained screams were recorded in a single take, which was slated "man getting bit by an alligator, and he screams." The fifth scream was used for the soldier - but the 4th, 5th, and 6th screams recorded in the session were also used earlier in the film when three Indians are shot, one after another, during a raid on a fort. Although the "signature" or "classic" screams, takes 4 through 6 on the original recording, are the most recognizable, all of the screams are referred to as "Wilhelm" by those in the sound community. Ben Burtt, sound effects designer on Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), named it "Wilhelm" after the character that let out the scream in The Charge at Feather River (1953). He discovered a file at Warner Bros. for this movie, which contained paperwork that was left over from the picture editor after the film was completed. One of the papers was a short list of names of actors who were scheduled to come in to perform various lines of dialogue for miscellaneous roles in the movie. After reviewing the names and even listening to their voices, one person seemed to be the most likely suspect: Sheb Wooley who had played the uncredited role of Private Jessup in "Distant Drums", and was one of the few actors assembled for the recording of additional vocal elements for the film. It is very likely he was asked on the spot to perform other things for the film, including the screams for a man being bitten by an alligator.
- GoofsWhilst in the 'swamp' the soundscape includes the 'laugh' of the kookaburra, indigenous only to Australia and New Guinea.
- Quotes
[repeated line]
Screaming Voice: AAH!
- Crazy creditsOpening credits are followed immediately by Lt. Richard Tufts (Richard Webb) writing in his LOG "I, Lieutenant Richard Tufts, United States Navy, do make this account of my perilous journey in the Territory of Florida in the year 1840."
- ConnectionsFeatured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Greatest Sound Effects in Movies (2013)
- SoundtracksDistant Drums Theme
Written by Max Steiner
- How long is Distant Drums?Powered by Alexa
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