This Cavalry vs. Indians Western deals with Major Howell Brady (Jeff Chandler) supported by two colleagues (Charles Drake , Noah Beery Jr.) are sent by Washington to end the Kiowa uprisings in Indian territory . As they are assigned to go to Texas and recruit peaceful tribes Seminoles relocated from Florida to aid the army in bitter fighting the savage and hated Kiowas . As US cavalry and Indian tomahawk (led by Maygro : Henry Brandon who starred the unforgettable Indian ¨Scar¨ in ¨The Searchers¨) , though initially hostile , they subsequently join army and saber fighting side-by-side for the glory of the West . Nevertheless , Col. Jackson Meade (John McIntire) is reluctant to this unusual alliance and distrusts having Indians as allies . Then , Brady leads his regiment on a wild chase across the plains and hills in this saga of the old west . Brady and his US cavalry squares off rampaging Kiowas commanded by Satanta who refuses to surrender himself . Along the way Brady tries to win the heart of a widow who married a Confederate officer whose body was never found , and may still be alive .
This moving movie is an epic portrait of the historic story about celebrated Indians Seminola and Tomahawk against the Kiowas . The picture gets Western action , shootouts , a love story , breathtaking raids on a Yankee fort and results to be quite entertaining . It's a medium budget film with good actors , technicians , production values and pleasing results . At the ending , when takes place the Indian assault , possesses all the sweep , grandeur and noisy action of the greatest Westerns of an age long past . Nice acting from a great cast . As Jeff Chandler is good as Army Major Brady who attempts to vanquish Kiowas and to keep the peace between US cavalry and Indians . Chandler gives stature to the role , providing sincerity and bravura . Chandler was famous , until his early death , for playing Indian chief Cochise , a dignified portrait well shown in : ¨Broken arrow¨ , ¨Battle of Apache Pass¨ and ¨Taza , son of Cochise¨ . Although Chandler also played all kinds of genres , such as : ¨Return to Peyton Place¨(drama) , ¨Flame of Araby¨ (adventure) , ¨Merrill's marauders¨ (wartime , in his last film) , until his early death at 42-year-old . Mauren O'Hara as gorgeous and pleasant widow Elaine Corwin , proves to be a great actress , as usual . And other wonderful woman , Suzan Ball as Indian Avis , who also died early at 21 by cancer , being these ¨War arrow¨ and ¨Chief Crazy Horse¨ both of them directed by George Sherman , his last films . And support cast is frankly excellent , such as : Noah Beery Jr. , Charles Drake , Henry Brandon , Dennis Weaver , Jay Silverheels , Jim Bannon , Lance Fuller and special mention for the veteran John McIntire . This thrilling and stirring Western was beautifully shot by William Daniels , Greta Garbo's regular cameraman . And an original and shining score from William Lava and Herman Stein , though uncredited .
The motion picture was professionally directed by George Sherman in B-style , though has some flaws . Sherman made reliable low-budget fare for Columbia between 1945-48, then moved on to do the same at Universal for another eight years , where he directed this ¨War Arrow¨ . Sherman specialized almost exclusively in "B" westerns there , including the "Three Musketeers" series, which featured a young John Wayne. George directed lots of Westerns as ¨The Last of the Fast Guns¨ , ¨The Lone Hand¨, ¨Santa Fe stampede¨ , ¨Red skin¨ , ¨Chief Crazy Horse¨ ¨Calamity Jane¨, ¨Relentless¨ , ¨Comanche Territory¨ , ¨Dawn at Socorro¨, ¨Border River¨ and many others . He also made occasional forays into action and horror themes, often achieving a sense of style over substance . The only "A"-grade films to his credit were two westerns starring John Wayne: ¨Comancheros¨ (1961) (as producer) and ¨The big Jack¨ (1971) . His last films were realized in Spain as "Find That Girl" , ¨The new Cinderella¨ and ¨Joaquin Murrieta¨. War Arrow rating : 6/10 . Acceptable and passable . Well worth watching .
