A 1925 cavalry showdown where ego outranks strategy—and the 'coward' might be the only sane one.
Against explicit orders, a vainglorious cavalry major insists on counterattacking a gang of hostile Sioux Indians. His captain refuses to comply and is arrested for insubordination and cowardice.
Acting
Bob Walker's mustache-twirling villainy as Maj. Burleigh.
Direction
Alan James crams moral crisis into 50 relentless minutes.
Director
Alan James
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ben F. Wilson directed over 170 films but rarely acted; this rare on-screen turn lets him play the quiet conscience against Walker's blowhard energy.
The 'vainglorious officer' trope peaked in 1920s Westerns as audiences processed WWI's slaughter by incompetent leadership—Maj. Burleigh is basically a cavalry General Haig.
US
