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| LAST TOMAHAWK, THE |
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Aka Der Letzte Mohikaner (WG), Le Dernier Des Mohicans (Fr), El Ultimo Mohicano (Es), La Valle Delle Ombre Rosse (I)
1964
West Germany/Spain/Italy
Director: Harald Reinl
Screenplay: John Bartsch, Giovanni Simonelli (Italian print only), Roberto Bianchi Montero (Italian print only)
Music: Peter Thomas, Francesco De Masi (italian print only)
Cinematography: Ernst W Kalinke, Giuseppe La Torre (Italian print only)
Editor: Bruno Mattei
(Italian print only)
Release details: Italy (registered 31.12.64, first shown 22.04.65), Germany (17.04.65, 90 mins), Spain (Madrid, 05.09.66, 90 mins), France (07.12.66, 90 mins), UK (1968), US (1965, 89 mins)
Cast: Dan Martin (Chinga), Anthony Steffen [Antonio De Teffè] (Strongheart), Joachim Fuchsberger (Captain Haywood), Karin Dor (Cora Munroe), Marie France (Alice Munroe), Charles Land [Carl Lange], Ricardo Rodriguez, Kurt Grosskart
Uncredited: Stanley Kent [Stelio Candelli] (Boss)
When his tribe is wiped out, Chinga (Dan Martin) is left as the last of the Tomahawks. He swears to have vengeance on the men who carried out the massacre: Peo Wee, the renegade member of rival tribe 'The Mingos' (sounds like a type of crisp to me) and a paleface bandit who is only ever referred to as 'Boss'. (Stelio Candelli). Having whetted their appetite for mischief, these cut-throats then attempt to capture a wagonload of gold. They are unsuccessful; the driver manages to take refuge in a handy fort and their initial attempts at gaining entry are resisted by the commander, Colonel Munroe (who looks perturbingly future Tory tyro Michael Heseltine). They do, however, manage to find out that a squadron of reinforcements are making their way to the fort and, more interestingly, they are being accompanied by The Colonel's two daughters; Alice (Marie France) and the harmonium playing Cora (Karin Baal), who would seem to be suitable targets for a kidnap attempt.
Peo Wee manages to infiltrate this group by posing as a trusted guide, and soon manages to lead them straight into an ambush. Fortunately, at this point Chinga and his friend Strongheart (Anthony Steffen) reappear and manage to save everyone - everyone apart from the minor characters that is, who are left to die horribly. Cora soon starts to take a bit of a shine to Chinga (maybe because his marvellous array of birdcalls reminds her of her beloved, and now discarded, harmonium). After a number of daredevil (or half-brained) escapades, everyone manages to break into the fort. However, this makes the villains even more determined to get their hands on the booty.
The Last Tomahawk derives more from the German school of Westerns than the Italian. It's similarities to the popular Winnetou series of films are worn with pride. There's a heroic Indian chieftain, a trusty paleface sidekick, loads of romance and a relatively melodramatic plotline to draw it all together. What there isn't are gurning extras (these ones merely have silly haircuts and look like escapees from an Adam & The Ants video), random acts of violence and that disorientating atmosphere that you find in the more southerly examples - well, the better ones anyway - of the genre.
There are some good aspects. Harald Reinl directs well, much as is to be expected from this much-travelled veteran, and manages to create two especially powerful sequences: the aforementioned ambush and an impressive rockfall. The climactic fight isn't half-bad either, there's an unexpected conclusion and everything shoots along at pace (except for a slight lull in the middle). There are some nice performances, most especially from familiar German thesps Joachim Fuchsberger and the gorgeous Karin Baal, both of whom graced a large number of Krimis throughout the early sixties. Anthony Steffen has the rather thankless role of paleface sidekick to the hero and doesn't really get to do too much.
On the whole, however, it's difficult to recommend Tomahawk with any enthusiasm. As a curiosity it does have some value, and it's entertaining in a Saturday-morning matinee way, but it simply isn't - oh dammit, let's be honest - isn't cruel enough to stand up to comparison with the likes of Killer Kid, Django the Bastard or Blood at Sundown.
Matt B
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