This massively influential western from director Delmer Daves was among the first to tell the native American side of the story. James Stewart heads the cast as a war-weary scout who falls, controversially, for Apache maiden Debra Paget during his mission to negotiate a truce. Jeff Chandler became an international star following his performance here as Cochise, a role he was to reprise twice more. The screenplay credited to Michael Blankfort was nominated for an Oscar, but was actually written by blacklisted author Albert Maltz.

Indian scout Tom Jeffords is sent out to stem the war between the American settlers and Apaches in the late 1870s Arizona. He learns that the Indians kill only to protect themselves, or out of retaliation for white atrocities.