It's 1868, in the Dakotas, Cheyenne Chief Yellow Wolf (Frank Dekova) and his son Little Wolf (Vince Edwards) live on their reservation in destitution and squalor. The Cheyenne have no firearms, as per treaty stipulations, and they cannot hunt for food and have so few horses, they have to mostly walk everywhere. The Chief is hoping to convince the local army commander in Sand Creek that their tribe needs warm clothing, horses, and food. But they find the local army commander, Captain George (Lloyd Bridges), is a heavy-drinking racist who wants the natives gone from the Black Hills area totally. Chief Yellow Wolf bargains that he will show Captain George an area of recently discovered gold deposits in return for assurances that his tribe will not be removed from the Black Hills. Captain George agrees, but has no intention of honoring that agreement and after the two Cheyenne chiefs leave, he sends his man Garvin (Richard Shannon) to shoot at Yellow Wolf to intimidate the natives. Instead, Garvin shoots the chief dead in cold blood. The chief's son Little Wolf runs back to his tribe and vows vengeance! Town marshal Tate (Rory Calhoun) secretly loves squaw Pretty Willow (Joanne Gilbert - looking amazing here) who is Little Wolf's sister. Tate believes that the Cheyenne should be allowed to remain on their lands and treated fairly. He cautions the townsfolk that Little Wolf's warriors might raid the town to avenge their chief's death. However, Captain George and the rest of the townspeople dismiss this warning and make fun of Tate. They also demand Tate's resignation as town marshal. A disgusted Tate complies and hands-in his badge, and makes plans to move out of town. That very night, Little Wolf's warriors raid the town, steal army guns and horses, kill a few people and disappear. Having stolen most of the town's horses and weapons, the Cheyenne plan to return in force and massacre everyone. It's up to ex-marshal Tate to find a solution in a race against time to save lives...

Ride Out for Revenge is directed by Bernard Girard and written by Norman Retchin. It stars Rory Calhoun, Gloria Grahame, Lloyd Bridges, Joanne Gilbert, Frank DeKova and Vince Edwards. Music is by Leith Stevens and cinematography by Floyd Crosby. A black and white Civil Rights Oater, Ride Out for Revenge has good intentions and no little amount of dramatic worth. This is a sincere portrayal of the anguish of the American Indians, the Cheyennes specifically, in the aftermath of losing the Indian Wars. It also shows the bitter prejudice of the white settlers who have also suffered losses as a result of the wars. Not everything works, as it's certainly portrayed in simplistic terms, but the anti-racist core of the story is worthy of viewing investment. The movie really belongs to a wonderful Lloyd Bridges, who's perfectly slimy as a racist, greedy, cowardly Cavalry officer. The town of Sand Creek is inhabited by bitter victims of the Indian Wars. One man stands alone in Sand Creek, Tate (Calhoun), a one time superlative Indian Fighter who now finds himself in love with a Cheyenne woman and firmly of the liberal mind that war has no favorite side: Misery is equal regardless of race, creed and color. It should be noted that it very much beats the drum for both sides, it makes sure we know that all parties are scarred by the horrors of this distasteful war. But can Tate avert an impending massacre that is brewing because of bile strewn hatred? "Maybe you'd like to know what a savage girl does when her savage father is murdered? She cries. She cries just as hard as you did when John was killed."