Distant Drums (1951)

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Niven Busch (screenplay)
Niven Busch (story)

Release Date:

29 December 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Romance | Western

Plot:

After destroying a Seminole fort, American soldiers and their rescued companions must face the dangerous Everglades and hostile Indians in order to reach safety

Plot Keywords:

Underwater | Stabbed In Stomach | Knife | Knife Fight | Native American Uprising

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Capt. Quincy Wyatt
Mari Aldon	...	Judy Beckett
Richard Webb	...	Lt. Richard Tufts
Ray Teal	...	Pvt. Mohair
Arthur Hunnicutt	...	Monk
Robert Barrat	...	Gen. Zachary Taylor

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #5260) | UK:U | West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument - One S. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, Florida, USA

Company:

United States Pictures

Trivia:

This film contains the first known instance of "The Wilhelm Scream" (a sound effect of a man screaming, since used in over 70 other movies). During a scene in which the soldiers are wading through a swamp in the everglades, one of them is bitten and dragged underwater by an alligator. The scream for that character was recorded later. Six short pained screams were recorded in a single take, which was slated "man getting bit by an alligator, and he screams." The fifth scream was used for the soldier - but the 4th, 5th, and 6th screams recorded in the session were also used earlier in the film when three Indians are shot, one after another, during a raid on a fort. Although the "signature" or "classic" screams, takes 4 through 6 on the original recording, are the most recognizable, all of the screams are referred to as "Wilhelm" by those in the sound community. Ben Burtt, sound effects designer on Star Wars (1977), named it "Wilhelm" after the character that let out the scream in The Charge at Feather River (1953). He discovered a file at Warner Bros. for this movie, which contained paperwork that was left over from the picture editor when the film was completed. One of the papers was a short list of names of actors who were scheduled to come in to perform various lines of dialogue for miscellaneous roles in the movie. After reviewing the names and even listening to their voices, one person seemed to be the most likely suspect: Sheb Wooley. Sheb played the uncredited role of Private Jessup in "Distant Drums", and was one of the few actors assembled for the recording of additional vocal elements for the film. It is very likely he was asked on the spot to perform other things for the film, including the screams for a man being bitten by an alligator.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tacones lejanos (1991)

Traditional western formula, stuck in FLA..

And right about in line w/ what the others here said-you have seen this plotline and characterizations 1000 times before. I too noticed how way outta time their wardrobe, weapons and the like were too-1880 instead of 1838, you know? This is an interesting story-Seminoles holding off Andrew Jackson and others for decades-but it hasn't been told the right way yet.

Here Cooper and company give it a try, but it's just 'Objective Burma' transferred to FLA. You do get to see Arthur Hunnicutt and Ray Teal doing their things too for what it's worth. Decent scenery, and of course famous underwater knife fight too.

** outta ****.