Smoke Signal

Capt. Harper's cavalry patrol returns to the fort to find it besieged by Ute Indians. The apparent cause is the recapture of Army traitor Brett Halliday, who deserted to the Utes in a previous war; but Brett has a different story. With capture imminent, the only chance for the surviving men (and one woman) is to boat down a wild, uncharted river, where Harper and Halliday must pull together, like it or not.

Like the better-known The Last Wagon, Smoke Signal features a despised 'Indian lover' prisoner ( Dana Andrews) helping a mixed band of whites made up of cavalry officers and a lady ( Piper Laurie) evade the Utes by crossing the Grand Canyon stretch of the Colorado River, and along with the intense drama between the characters, the river plays its part in conveying the turmoil of the situation they are in.

It's a rugged action western with good performances by the underrated Dana Andrews, Piper Laurie, the bitter William Talman and Rex reason - a stirring adventure film.