Cheyenne Autumn poster & wallpaper

Arthur Kennedy, Carmen D'Antonio, Carroll Baker

When the government agency fails to deliver even the meager supplies due by treaty to the proud Cheyenne tribe in their barren desert reserve, the starving Indians have taken more abuse then it's wort...( read more  read more... )h and break it too by embarking on a 1,500 miles journey back to their ancestral hunting grounds. US Cavalry Capt. Thomas Archer is charged with their retrieval, but during the hunt grows to respect their noble courage, and decides to help them.

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59% liked it

430 ratings

Unrated

Directed by: John Ford

Release Date: October 3, 1964

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DVD Release Date: June 6, 2006

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Flixster Reviews (39)

  • brooklynspo
    October 10, 2007
    brooklynspo
    "A dream is a dead end disguised as an escape."

    Very beautiful, very flawed. 1,500 mile epic journey never seems to leave Monument Valley. Was John Ford saying something or was he just lazy?
  • ileo
    January 7, 2008
    ileo
    Intriguing.
  • Yelverton
    November 13, 2009
    Yelverton
    Classic Western film.
  • ironhorse43
    August 24, 2009
    ironhorse43
    Looking way beyond Sal Mineo and other Italians as Indians all wearing the same type braided wigs the theme and subject matter of this flick was excellent.
  • 339z
    August 22, 2009
    339z
    well umn just seen this movie 4 the 1st time n think that this is a good movie 2 watch....its got a good cast of actors/actressess throughout this movie....i think that james stewart, gilbert roland, george o brien, elizabeth allen, edward g robinson, dolores del rio, arthur kenn...( read more)edy, carroll baker, carmen d antonio play good roles/parts throughout this movie....i think that the director of this western/drama/frontier/action/adventure movie had done a good job of directing this movie because you never know what 2 expect thorughout this movie...its a good movie 2 watch n its enjoyable thorughout this movie
  • donaldwhite1
    February 6, 2009
    donaldwhite1
    This movie is John Ford's attempt to tell the story of the Northern Cheyenne Indian's escape from Indian Territory and their return to their homeland in Montana. The basis of the movie is a true story that occurred in the summer and fall of 1878. The movie however skims over th...( read more)e historical details in order to fit the mold of a typical John Ford western. If you want the full story read Chapter Fourteen of the book "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." As usual John Ford uses Monument Valley Arizona to fill in for Oklahoma. He tries to show that the Indians were on a reservation in the middle of a desert. The truth was that Northern Cheyenne arrived in Oklahoma in August of 1877 the hottest time of the year in Oklahoma and they were not acclimated to the hot weather. These Northern Cheyenne had been at the Battle of the Little Big Horn and as punishment had been shipped south to live with the Southern Cheyenne and to separate them from their Sioux allies. When they arrived no one had made arraignments to feed them and there was not enough food to feed both the Northern and Southern Cheyenne. In addition they were forced to live along the mosquito invested rivers that resulted in a malaria outbreak that began killing them. Richard Widmark plays an army officer who is a composite of many cavalrymen who served in Indian Territory in those days; however, his views were of a more modern politically correct nature than the attitudes of the true soldiers in those days, although there were some who filled reports with the officials at Fort Sill in order to get more food and medicine for the suffering Cheyenne. Ricardo Montalban plays Little Wolf and Gilbert Roland plays Dull Knife the actual leaders of the Northern Cheyenne. When the Cheyenne made their break in September 1878 they were chased to the Cimarron River were the cavalry soldiers caught up to them. This was shown in the movie but the movie implies that a reckless officer played by Patrick Wayne attacked the Indians after an Indian played by Sal Mineo fired the first shot. To show how every cowboy, farmer and townsmen from Kansas to Nebraska came out to chase the Cheyenne; John Ford inserts Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday into the story when they weren't even involved. This was done to add some comic relief to the movie. Jimmy Stewart played Wyatt Earp but really was just playing himself. Carroll Baker plays a Quaker missionary lady who accompanies the Cheyenne on their trek even though at this time in Oklahoma history a white woman in Indian Territory had a life expectancy of about six months. The last half of the movie shows how the band of Cheyenne split in two. Half went with Dull Knife to Fort Robinson Nebraska. Karl Malden plays Captain Oskar Wessels who was an actual historical figure at Fort Robinson who took the Cheyenne prisoners. The movie then shows the events at Fort Robinson fairly accurately when it shows how the Indians rebelled when told they were to be shipped south and how they were shot down in a gunfight with the soldiers there. The end of the movie has Edward G. Robinson playing the Secretary of Interior who intervenes on behalf of the Cheyenne and lets them stay in the north. The truth was that the Secretary of the Interior was named Carl Schurz and was more interested in cutting the budget in the Indian Office and was actually the cause of the lack of food and medicine in Indian Territory. John Ford tries to paint a happy ending to the story but the truth was that of 927 Cheyenne Indians who arrived in Oklahoma in 1877 less than 100 made it back to their homeland in the north where their descendants live to this day.
  • neilhansen97
    March 24, 2008
    neilhansen97
    a western from the indians perspective very well done

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  • saltersheppard
    September 26, 2008
    saltersheppard
    Saw this movie when I was years old. Kept bugging my two older suisters saying "I didn't really understand it." Mom& Dad finally burst out laughing when I'd said it a hundred times.M sisters got so tired of me saying the same thing.
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Cheyenne Autumn Trivia

  • What were the names of the two indian chiefs in "Cheyenne Autumn"?  Answer »
  • The movie "Cheyenne Autumn" is based on an historical event in the 1800's?  Answer »
  • IN John Ford's 1964 Cheyenne Autumn, the native american extras added their own subversive dialogue in their native tongue, creating a cult classic on the reservation. From what tribe were the american indians?  Answer »
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