The Moviegoer

Anyone who wanders into "Unconquered" with a completely blank mind will come out refreshed, and imbued with the feeling that as long as Gary Coopers are around, America cannot fail. Later it will dawn on him he has just witnessed the greatest Technicolor carload of DcMille hokum yet produced. Settlers and Indians battle in this latest epic from the master of the crowd scene, which has hero Cooper rubbing elbows with George Washington, Mason and Dixon, Richard Henry Lee, and a host of other non-controversial historical figures.

As in all DcMille films, the people are caricatures, the production lavish, and the crowd scenes awe-inspiring. Gary Cooper is the strong silent moral colonial, who raises not a single eyebrow when alone in the woods with Paulette Goddard. She is intensely feminine, idealistic, and a perfect complement for Cooper. Opposing them are completely villainous Howard Da Silva, and evil inscrutable Indian chief Boris Karloff. DcMille has chosen an Indian war of 1761 as the setting of "Unconquered" and has duly costumed hundreds of extras as colonials. British redcoats, and painted aborigines. Fearless colonial Gary Cooper twice frees beautiful bondslave Paulette Goddard from lecherous Howard Da Silva, then from the torture stake of Boris Karloff, and finally saves Fort Pitt single-handed from a horde of howling savages.

No matter how Indierons the plot, or absurd the characters, it is impossible to dislike a DeMille motion picture. DeMille has captured the romantic spirit necessary to an adventure film, combined it with constant and furious action, and with them has woven a pattern of continuous delight that is never dull for movie audiences over the past twenty-five years.