User Reviews

It seemed to me a lot was made of the Utes fearing the river because it went through a no man's land of dangerous rapids and unknown terror, but once the soldiers made their escape in boats, the Indians pretty much followed along in order to take out the cavalry. That was a disconnect for me, making me wonder why the story line brought it up in the first place. I guess it sounded good as a rationale for Brett Halliday (Dana Andrews) to pitch the idea.

This is one of those stories where the female lead, in this case Piper Laurie as Laura Evans, switches allegiances mid-way through the picture, throwing over her fiancé Lieutenant Ford (Rex Reason) when he sides with his commander Harper (William Talman) against Halliday for all the wrong reasons. Well OK, he was mostly following orders, but just like the Captain, he never did consider Halliday's point of view, even after Halliday proved his loyalty to the cause once hostilities got under way. Smooth move there Lieutenant, trying to take out Halliday and going over the cliff for his trouble; he should have watched that first step.

It seemed to me Dana Andrews was pretty low key in his lead role here, almost like he wasn't invested in the outcome of the movie. We eventually get to learn his character's back story, but it seems he could have put more energy into the role. Say, what's with that scene when he tries to save Livingston (William Schallert) and right there in the middle of the river, the screen writer came up with a quicksand gimmick! Has anyone ever heard of that? A complete head scratcher for this viewer.

Well this one winds things up pretty well up to expectation, with the headstrong Captain finally being convinced to see things the right way in regard to Halliday's circumstances. No feel-good romance ending to close out the picture though, since Talman allowed Halliday to escape according to the rule book.

Dana Andrews, Piper Laurie, and William Talman, along with several other cavalry troopers and a civilian trapper, must rough it in a journey of hardship down a treacherous river that snakes through the Grand Canyon in Jerry Hopper's "Smoke Signal," co-starring Robert J. Wilke, Milburn Stone, Gordon Jones, and Rex Reason. Meantime, when they aren't quarreling about themselves over Dana Andrews and the charges of treason and dereliction of duty hanging over his head, bloodthirsty Ute Indians harass them from the high rocks above the rapids on either side of the river. The highlight of "Smoke Signal" is lenser Clifford Stine's cinematography in the Grand Canyon. Of course, the principals in this saga of survival were never in danger of capsizing and drowning in the river. Universal-International wasn't about to risk the stars under these dangerous conditions, so the filmmakers relied on front and back screen projection to simulate the hazards. The sheer, austere beauty of the Grand Canyon provides a scenic background as well as an obstacle. Basically, Brett Halliday (Dana Andrews of "The Oxbow Incident") is a cavalry officer who deserted his post and went to live with the Utes after he witnessed the racism directed at the Native Americans by the cavalry. When the action unfolds, Captain Harper (William Talman of "Uranium Boom") has managed to lead a patrol through the desert to a fort situated on the river. When they arrive at the fort, the cavalry must make a desperate run before the Utes try to cut them off from their destination. After Harper and his men hold up in the fort, Halliday objects to the plans of First Sargent Daly (Robert J. Wilke of "The Magnificent Seven") and Corporal Rogers (Gordon Jones of "The Green Hornet") to smash the boats up for firewood. The Native Americans lay siege to the fort, and Halliday argues that the boats are the only way out of their predicament. Initially, Harper doesn't like this escape route, because he distrusts Halliday deeply, and he is intent on taking the former officer back to stand trial for his actions. Nevertheless, Halliday convinces the rest of the outfit that the river is the safest way. Harper believes in his heart that Halliday will try to escape and flee with the Utes. As it turns out, Halliday has no such plans. Moreover, the Utes want to kill Halliday before he can reach the campfires of friendly Apache Indians who can stop further bloodshed. Scenarists George F. Slavin and George W. George generate more than enough melodrama in the boats among the cavalrymen as well as the Indians who stalk them from the heights. One by one the Indians and the rugged terrain takes its toll on our heroes, whittling them down.

"Smoke Signal" belongs to that sub-genre of westerns that championed the cause of the Native Americans. According to Halliday, he deserted his post after he learned that his commanding officer, the father of Laura Evens (Pipe Laurie of "Carrie"), wanted to exterminate the Indians. Consequently, Halliday lived with the Utes and became what is derisively referred to 'a squaw man.' Sadly, his Indian wife died, and Halliday found himself at odds with the Utes who he had lived with in harmony for some time. The first of these so-called sympathy for the Indian westerns came about with "Broken Arrow" (1952) with James Stewart. Eventually, Hollywood changed its ideology. These films no longer adhered to General Sheridan's notorious remark that "The only good Indian I ever saw was a dead one." Mind you, the white Army Scouts served as the go-between the spit and polish cavalry officers in blue who wanted to wipe them off the face of the earth. Usually, a romance occurred between these sympathetic scouts and an attractive Indian maiden that riled the racist officers. In westerns like "Smoke Signal," there were good and bad Native Americans. Ultimately, even John Ford would make a pro-Indian epic "Cheyenne Autumn" that depicts the hardships these savages faced from distinctly hostile soldiers and frontier families. Eventually, Kevin Costner came along and made "Dances with Wolves" and played a role similar to that which Dana Andrews played in "Smoke Signal."