Taglines: A man called “Horse” becomes an Indian warrior in the most electrifying ritual ever seen!
A Man Called Horse movie storyline. During the early 1800s, English Lord John Morgan (Richard Harris) is hunting in the Dakotas, but he is captured by a group of Sioux warriors. Morgan’s guides are killed, but he is spared by Sioux Chief Yellow Hand (Manu Tupou), who marvels at Morgan’s blond hair. Brought to Yellow Hand’s tribal village, Morgan has to endure physical abuse and mockery at the hands of women and children who consider him to be a wild horse.
Restrained by a rope around his neck, Morgan is given as a gift to an old squaw, Buffalo Cow Head (Dame Judith Anderson), to be her slave and help her with daily chores. In the village, Morgan meets Running Deer (Corinna Tsopei), the beautiful young sister of Chief Yellow Hand. Morgan witnesses the traditional courtship process when Running Deer is asked in marriage by a tribe member who presents Yellow Hand with gifts in return for his sister’s hand in marriage. Morgan starts to fall in love with her.
Also in the village is half-breed, Batise (Jean Gascon), whose mother was Sioux and father was French. Batise becomes Morgan’s friend and interpreter. Batise advises Morgan against escaping citing his own escape attempt when he was re-captured and hamstrung by the savage Sioux. Despite these warnings, Morgan tries to escape several times, but he is re-captured. He decides to bide his time for another escape opportunity.
When a rival Shoshone war party approaches the Sioux village, Morgan kills two of the Shoshone scouts, winning the respect of his Sioux captors. Instead of escaping, Morgan plans to learn the ways of the Sioux, become a warrior, and gain his place amongst them. But this would require much more than killing a few Shoshone scouts. Lord John Morgan’s true ordeal is just beginning.
A Man Called Horse is a 1970 Western film directed by Elliot Silverstein, produced by Sandy Howard, written by Jack DeWitt. It is based on the short story “A Man Called Horse” by the Western writer Dorothy M. Johnson, first published in 1950 in Collier’s magazine and again in 1968 in Johnson’s book Indian Country. The basic story was used in a 1958 episode of the television series Wagon Train, titled “A Man Called Horse”. The film stars Richard Harris as the titular character, alongside Judith Anderson, Jean Gascon, Manu Tupou, Corinna Tsopei, Dub Taylor, and James Gammon.
Partially spoken in Sioux, the film tells the story of an English aristocrat who is captured by the Sioux people. The film was a Mexican-American co-production filmed on location in Arizona and the Mexican states of Durango and Sonora. It received generally positive critical reviews, and was a financial success, spawning two sequels; The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976) and Triumphs of a Man Called Horse (1983).
A Man Called Horse (1970)
Directed by: Elliot Silverstein
Starring: Richard Harris, Judith Anderson, Jean Gascon, Manu Tupou, Corinna Tsopei, Dub Taylor, James Gammon, William Jordan, Eddie Little Sky, Michael Baseleon, Tamara Garina
Screenplay by: Jack DeWitt
Production Design by: Dennis Lynton Clark
Cinematography by: Robert B. Hauser
Film Editing by: Philip W. Anderson, Gene Fowler Jr.
Costume Design by: Dennis Lynton Clark
Set Decoration by: Raúl Serrano
Art Direction by: Philip Barber
Music by: Leonard Rosenman
MPAA Rating: R for violence and nudity.
Distributed by: National General Pictures (United States)
Release Date: April 28, 1970
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