Product Description

In 1870, when white men and Indians are fighting bitterly, Tom Jeffords (Stewart) strongly believes the Apaches are treated unfairly. After befriending their leader Cochise (Jeff Chandler) and arranging a truce, he is called upon by a U.S. Army general to negotiate a government peace treaty. Though he fulfills his mission, Jeffords soon experiences great tragedy when he, his Indian wife (Debra Paget) and good friend Cochise become targets of a renegade ambush.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6414 in DVD
• Brand: STEWART,JAMES
• Released on: 2007-05-22
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English, Spanish, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 93 minutes

Amazon.com
Delmer Daves's movie about ex–army scout Tom Jeffords's one-man peace mission to the Apaches, and the diplomatic partnership he formed with Cochise, has a child's-storybook clarity to it. That applies to not only its lovely Technicolor compositions but also its scenario, characterizations, and still-arresting mix of violence and delicacy. Broken Arrow wasn't the first Western to express sympathy for the Indian side in the frontier wars (Devil's Doorway came out earlier in 1950 and filed a more scathing brief on the Indians' behalf), but it was Daves's picture that had a decisive impact on popular consciousness and effectively amended the ground rules of the genre. James Stewart's Jeffords may be less compelling than the troubled Westerners the star would soon be playing for Anthony Mann, but there's real tenderness and vulnerability in the performance. Jeff Chandler scored a supporting-actor Oscar^® nomination for leavening the dignity of Cochise with sly humor. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews

A Classic Western That Deserves DVD Release!
This is really intended for Amazon--please convey to whomever that a market exists--we're all waiting for the remastered DVD!!!

If you agree, please cast your vote here!!!

Paying a High Price for Peace!
I've seen "Broken Arrow" (1950) when I was just a kid. The power of the images of this film remained in the back of my mind. In the near past a collection of the best Far West movies was edited in Argentina. This was the first title I run to buy. I wasn't disappointed with what I found.

It is one of the first films, if not the first, to show common human traits in both Native Americans and Pioneer Americans. Both are shown alternatively as brave, cruel, ruthless, honorable, truthful, and wicked. It shows a true kaleidoscopic round of basic human attitudes.

James Stewart impersonates Tom Jeffords (1832-1914) a historical character, known for opening the postal trail thru Apache's territory. This story is shown in the movie, with the logical and expected changes that a commercial product implies.
Nevertheless it depicts the relationship of trust developed between Cochise (1805-1874) the great Apache leader, fleshed outstandingly by Jeff Chandler, and Jeffords. They represent the best of two different worlds and work together to give peace a chance (as Lennon said). Peace is not an easy goal to reach; both of them had to pay a high price in order to obtain it.

A very young and beautiful Debra Paget, playing the role of Morningstar, contributes to give the romantic accent to the film.
There is enough action for the epic lovers, a very good photography in Technicolor and a solid script to backup the story.
One more thing, the Apache characters are, mostly, performed by Native American actors, contributing to make the story more credible.

I think this movie deserves, in justice, to be called a classic. Enjoy it!!!.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

A more accurate portrayal of the West
Broken Arrow was truly one of the first western flicks to portray the conflict between native Americans and white men with sympathy to the plight of the Indians. The story revolves around the conflict with the Apache tribe in Arizona in the 1870's.

Brooklyn born Jeff Chandler, aided by gobs of make up does a very respectable job playing Cochise. James Stewart in his genre playing Capt. Jeffords is sympathetic to the rights of the Apache to inhabit their territory. He learns the ways of the tribe to broker a piece treaty between Cochise and the untrustworthy U.S. military. While living among the tribe he falls madly in love with the ravishing Indian maiden Debra Paget (who was 17 in real life at the time of filming) and eventually marries her.

Cochise agrees to peace despite the objections of a splinter group of renegade Apache lead by Geronimo (played by a pre-Tonto, Jay Silverheels). The peace is a shaky one but eventually holds even through an attempted ambush of Cochise which results in the killing of Paget.