TECUMSEH

Tecumseh – German title

Manitou vergisst seine Sohne – German title
Tescumseh - Der Übermacht unterlegen – German title
Wódz Indian Tecumseh – Polish title
Tecumseh el Apache vengador – Spanish title
Veliki Poglavice – Yugoslavian title
Tecumseh – English title
 
A 1972 East German production [DEFA (Babelsburg)]
Producer: Heinz Hermann
Director: Hans Kratzert
Story: Wolfgang Ebeling, Rolf Römer (Rolf Specht)
Screenplay: Wolfgang Ebeling, Rolf Römer (Rolf Specht)
Cinematography: Wolfgang Braumann [Orwocolor, CinemaScope]
Music: Gunther Fischer
Running time: 109 minutes
 
Cast:
Tecumseh – Gojko Mitic
Eileen – Annekathrin Bürger (Annekathrin Rammelt)
Simon McKew – Rolf Römer (Rolf Specht)
Patterson – Winfried Glatzeder
McKew – Leon Niemczyk
Raffael – Milan Beli
Newman – Gerry Wolff (Gerald Wolff)
Governor William Harrison – Wolfgang Greese
General Brook – Miezzyslaw Kalenik
Parker – Gerd Funk
Logan – Werner Hahn
Wetherford – Dirk Jungnickel
Mac – Herbert Köfer
Aldington – Fritz Links (Friedrich Links)
Sam - Hannes Schönemann
Crane – Hans Peter-Pieper (Hans-Peter Pieper)
Ellis – Wilfried Pucher
Doctor - Arnim Mühlstädt
Wanata – Maciej Rayzacher
Barry/Clay – Rolf Ripperger
Round Head – Joseph Schorn (Josef Schorn)
Patterson - Winfried Glatzeder
Colonel Proctor – Helmut Schreiber
Mediator - Günter Schubert
O’Brian – Rudolf Ulrich
Clift - Werner Schmidt-Winkelmann
Mrs. O’Brian - Ingeborg Krabbe
Elliott – Oleg Vidov
Black Eagle – Minja Vojvodic (Miodrag Vojvodic)
Red Hawk - Mintscho Nikolov (Mincho Nikolov)
Kish-Kalva – Wilfried Zander (Wladimir Zschwiaraschwili)
Walagua – Myriam Avache
Tenskwatawah Winnemak – Sepp Kolse
Leather Lip – Fred Alexander (Alfred Beeh)
Mitshikanawa - Walter Issberner
Walk in the Water – Peter Mau
Old hunter – Horst Kube
Young maid - Gabriele Lohmar-Hartmann
Second Man - Klaus Gehrke
Vinnemak – Sepp Klose (Josef Klose)
Ordinances - Volker Steinkopff, Ulrich Teschner
Soldier - Harald Fischer
Bald heads - Jürgen Hölzel, Manfred Schück
Stunts: Wilfried Zander (Wladimir Zschwiaraschwili)

At the beginning of the 19th century, white settlers regularly make and break treaties with the Native American inhabitants to gain possession of vast hunting grounds at ludicrously low prices without any bloodshed. William Harrison, Governor of Indiana, has made and broke no less than fifteen such treaties, driving increasing numbers of Indians out to the infertile West. To put a stop to this criminal practice, the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh tries to unite the Native Americans. In 1811, he founds a tribal alliance and has Native American lands declared communal property. Chiefs who sell their land in spite of this agreement are to be killed. During the chief's absence, however, Harrison raids the "sacred city" of Tippecanoe founded by Tecumseh and his supporters, reducing it to ashes. The few survivors of the bloodbath flee to Canada, where they join forces with the English as they wage war against the Americans. But they, too, fail to keep their promise to Tecumseh concerning an independent Indian state. In a decisive battle, the defeated English betray and abandon their Native American allies. Together with the other members of his tribe, Tecumseh is killed too.
 
YouTube film clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhC0ZWTwQ1M