Jay Silverheels Movies

This romantic western drama, based on the best-selling novel by Marilyn Durham, stars Burt Reynolds as Jay Grobart, an outlaw married to an Indian woman named Cat Dancing. When Cat is raped and murdered, a distraught Grobart kills the man responsible for the crime; he soon pulls a robbery with the help of his friends Dawes (Jack Warden) and Billy (Bo Hopkins), and is now on the run from the law. While in transit, Grobart and his partners run across Catherine (Sarah Miles), a woman running away from her abusive husband Crocker (George Hamilton). Catherine is abducted by Dawes and Billy, but Grobart protects her from their violence and threats of rape. As Grobart and Catherine get to know each other, they find themselves falling in love, and despite his lawless past, she admires him for avenging the death of the woman he loved. Grobart, Catherine, and the men travel to the Indian village where Grobart lived with Cat Dancing and their son; however, Lapchance (Lee J. Cobb), a bounty hunter hired by Crocker, is on their trail to bring Catherine back to her husband. The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing was one of Burt Reynolds' first major starring roles after Deliverance elevated him to full-fledged film stardom following years in television and low-budget pictures. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Have you ever longed for the day when James Brown, Martha Raye, and Col. Harland Sanders would appear in a movie together? Well, that's barely the tip of the improbable casting iceberg in this bizarre cold-war spoof. The leaders of the American intelligence organization the S.S.A. ("Super Secret Agency") are becoming increasingly alarmed by the disappearance of a number of B-list celebrities, who are being spirited off to Communist Albania. Eager to bring the fading stars back to the Land of the Free, the S.S.A. come up with a simple plan: They'll find four typical guys in their mid-twenties, have them form a rock group, make them into international stars, and wait until they get invited to play a gig in Albania, which will allow them to find out what's become of Rudy Vallee, Butterfly McQueen, and Huntz Hall, among others. Unemployed philosopher Michael A. Miller, Native-American honor student Ray Chippeway, phys-ed major Dennis Larden, and male model Lonny Stevens are drafted by the S.S.A., and after some intensive training by experts (Trini Lopez shows them a few guitar chords, and Richard Pryor gives them a crash course in soul), they become an overnight sensation as The Phynx (yes, it's pronounced "Finks"). Their album sells 17 million copies on the strength of songs like "What Is Your Sign?," and their groupies have to be cleared away by forklift. But fun and games have to go to the back burner when Albanian ruler Markevitch (George Tobias) and his wife, Ruby (Joan Blondell), invite the Phynx to perform at the behest of their son. Pat O'Brien, Xavier Cugat, Patty Andrews, and Dick Clark are just a few of the other notables who make cameo appearances in The Phynx, which had a very brief theatrical release before being sold to television in the early '70s. Legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller penned the songs performed by The Phynx (and Stoller composed the background score), though for some reason they're not covered nearly as often as "Jailhouse Rock," "Hound Dog," or "Yakkety Yak." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In fine Hollywood tradition, John Wayne had to play a "one-eyed fat man" before the Motion Picture Academy considered him worthy of an Oscar. In True Grit, Wayne plays grumpy, pot-bellied U.S. marshal "Rooster" Cogburn, hired by 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) to find Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey), who killed her father. The headstrong Mattie could have had her pick of lawmen, but selects the aging Cogburn because she believes he has "true grit" (she talks this way all through the picture, so be prepared). Also heading into Indian territory in search of Chaney is Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Glen Campbell), who wants to collect the reward placed on the fugitive's head for his earlier crimes. Complicating matters are Chaney's scurrilous cronies Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall), Quincy (Jeremy Slate), and Moon (Dennis Hopper), who have no qualms about killing a troublesome teenaged girl like Mattie. While the plot of True Grit, adapted (and streamlined) by Marguerite Roberts from the novel by Charles Portis, maintains audience interest throughout, the glue that truly holds this Western together is John Wayne, delivering one of his finest performances (though some believe he was better in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon). Wayne's casual charisma is infinitely more effective than the mannered method acting of Kim Darby and the floundering non-acting of poor Glen Campbell. And who could not love the climatic face-off between Duvall and company and John Wayne, whose "Fill your hand, you son of a bitch!" is not only a classic bit of dialogue, but the apotheosis of the Wayne mystique. In 1975, Wayne repeated his True Grit characterization opposite Katharine Hepburn in Rooster Cogburn, but the film failed to match its predecessor and the overall effect was blunted. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After rescuing a horse from thieves, a Native American teen befriends the animal, and together they share a number of adventures. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

In the 13th episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, John (Tom Tryon) finds himself in the uncomfortable position of mediating an argument between his son Willie (Brian Corcoran) and his new bride Viola (Betty Lynn). This domestic disturbance is temporarily shelved when word arrives that Apache marauders are killing the local ranchers' cattle. Hoping to stem this wave of terror, John pays a visit to his Indian friend Natchez (Jay Silverheels), who is now chief of the Apaches. Alas, the situation is beyond Natchez' control; the person responsible for the present crisis is the renegade Geronimo (Pat Hogan). Much against the wishes of his family, John tries to bring Geronimo out into the open by challenging the Apache to mortal combat. Originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology, "Geronimo's Revenge" and the 1961 episode "The End of the Trail" were edited together in 1964 and released theatrically overseas as a "feature film," also titled Geronimo's Revenge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the eleventh episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, John's children, Willie (Brian Corcoran) and Addy (Patricia Gorman), have at last become accustomed to their new home in Tombstone, AZ. The kids are also anxious for the widowed John (Tom Tryon) to propose to neighboring rancher Viola Howell (Betty Lynn). Finally working up the courage to pop the question, John is unfortunately sidetracked when he is called upon to testify at the trial of outlaw Loco Crispin (Gene Evans) in which John was instrumental in bringing to justice. Meanwhile, Viola's mother (Nora Marlowe) is worried that her prospective son-in-law is still a man of violence. Modern-day viewers will likely be fascinated by the warm friendships forged between John Slaughter and two ethnic characters, Apache brave Natchez (Jay Silverheels) and African-American ranch-hand Batt (James Edwards). "Apache Friendship" originally aired as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bob Hope plays a 19th-century insurance agent whose miserable sales record prompts his boss to send him out West, where he can (supposedly) do little harm. Hope manages to sell a $100,000 life insurance policy--to outlaw Jesse James (Wendell Corey), one of the worst "risks" in history! In his efforts to get the policy back, Hope finds himself being mistaken for Jesse, which is all part of the outlaw's plan to get Hope killed and thereby collect the policy money himself. But with the help of beauteous Rhonda Fleming (the essentially honest beneficiary to Jesse's policy), Hope gains a reputation as a lightning-fast gunslinger. In the inevitable shoot-out with the James gang, Hope is helped out by several famous Westerners, including Gary Cooper, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, James "Maverick" Garner, and even Tonto (Jay Silverheels). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This second theatrical-feature spin-off of TV's Lone Ranger series stars, as ever, Clayton Moore as the Masked Rider of the Plains and Jay Silverheels as his faithful Indian companion Tonto. This time around, the plot concerns five silver medallions. When placed together, these tiny hunks of silver reveal the location of the titular Lost City of Gold. The owners of three of the medallions have already been killed by the mystery villain; it's up to the Lone Ranger and Tonto to save the other two owners -- Douglas Kennedy and little Noreen Nash -- from harm. Unfortunately, the bloom was (temporarily) off the rose for the Lone Ranger franchise, and Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold ended up in the red. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hiyo Silver! This western video contains three episodes from the "Lone Ranger" series in which the Masked Man and Tonto deal with assassins, a serial killer, and an imposter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Three episodes of the Lone Ranger and Tonto series sees the pair searching for outlaws, locating missing road agents and assisting an Indian chief in his heir selection. ~ All Movie Guide

Count the Clues is a jerry-built TV movie comprised of three half-hour episodes from the Lone Ranger TV series. Since all three are in color, we can assume that they were lifted from the series' final season (1955-56). Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels star as, respectively, the Lone Ranger and his faithful "Kemo Sabe" Tonto. Each of the episodes eschew action for action's sake in favor of mystery. The storylines include a tense confrontation with outlaws (one of whom is an innocent man) and a contretemps with vicious track robbers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide