Tonka is a 1958 American Western film directed by Lewis R. Foster and starring Sal Mineo as a Sioux who survived the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The film is based on the book Comanche: Story of America's Most Heroic Horse by David Appel, and depicts the fictional story of the Indian and US Cavalry owners of the horse of the title.[2]
| Tonka | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Lewis R. Foster |
| Written by | David Appel Lewis R. Foster Lillie Hayward |
| Based on | Comanche: Story of America's Most Heroic Horse by David Appel |
| Produced by | James C. Pratt |
| Starring | Sal Mineo Philip Carey Jerome Courtland Rafael Campos |
| Cinematography | Loyal Griggs |
| Edited by | Ellsworth Hoagland |
| Music by | Oliver Wallace |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2.5 million (est. US/ Canada rentals)[1] |
It was filmed in Bend, Oregon, and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution, a division of Walt Disney Productions.
Plot
editWhite Bull, a young Sioux, captures a wild stallion he names Tonka, and trains him. He must give the horse to his bad-tempered cousin, Yellow Bull, who abuses Tonka to break his spirit. White Bull lets the horse escape, and Tonka is captured by the U.S. Cavalry. Captain Myles Keogh rides Tonka at the Battle of Little Big Horn, and the horse is the only survivor of the massacre. When Captain Keogh is killed Tonka rises up and kills Keogh's killer. White Bull joins the cavalry, and is given the duty of looking after Tonka, who has received an honorable discharge from further battle duties.[3]
Cast
edit- Sal Mineo as White Bull
- Philip Carey as Captain Myles Keogh
- Jerome Courtland as Lieutenant Henry Nowlan
- Rafael Campos as Strong Bear
- H. M. Wynant as Yellow Bear
- Joy Page as Prairie Flower
- Britt Lomond as General George Custer
- Herbert Rudley as Captain Frederick Benteen
- Sydney Smith as General Alfred Terry
- John War Eagle as Chief Sitting Bull
- Gregg Martell as Corporal Korn
- Slim Pickens as Ace
- Robert "Buzz" Henry as Lieutenant Crittenden
- Eddie Little Sky as Spotted Tail
Production
editTonka was filmed in Bend and Madras, Oregon.[4]
References
edit- ^ "1959: Probable Domestic Take", Variety, 6 January 1960 p 34
- ^ TCM overview
- ^ Horse is 'Tonka' Star, The Boston Globe, December 26, 1958, page 19
- ^ "Filmed in Oregon 1908-2015" (PDF). Oregon Film Council. Oregon State Library. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
External links
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