White Feather (film)

White Feather is a 1955 Technicolor CinemaScope western film directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Robert Wagner. The movie was filmed in Durango, Mexico. The story is based on fact; however, the particulars of the plot and the characters of the story are fictional.

Plot synopsis

The story of the peace mission from the US cavalry to the Cheyenne Indians in Wyoming during the 1870s. The Cheyenne agree to leave their hunting grounds so that white settlers can move in to search for gold. Colonel Lindsay (John Lund) and land surveyor Josh Tanner (Robert Wagner) are in charge of the resettlement, but the mission is threatened when Appearing Day (Debra Paget), the sister of Little Dog (Jeffrey Hunter) and fiancé of Cheyenne tribesman American Horse (Hugh O'Brian), falls for Tanner. When Appearing Day runs away to join Tanner at the fort, American Horse follows and while he is captured, he is later freed by Little Dog and the two ride off to the hills. Tanner, Col. Lindsay and a troop of soldiers go to the Cheyenne camp where Chief Broken Hand (Eduard Franz) has agreed to sign a peace treaty. After the signing, a warrior rides up and throws down a knife with a white feather attached, a declaration of war by American Horse and Little Dog against all the soldiers. Tanner convinces the Chief to allow the matter to be resolved between themselves.

White feather

A white feather has been a traditional symbol of cowardice, used and recognised especially within the British Army and in countries of the British Empire since the 18th century, especially by patriotic groups, including some early feminists, in order to shame men who were not soldiers. It also carries opposite meanings, however: in some cases of pacifism, and in the United States, of extraordinary bravery and excellence in combat marksmanship.

Symbol of cowardice

As a symbol of cowardice, the white feather supposedly comes from cockfighting and the belief that a cockerel (a male chicken) sporting a white feather in its tail is likely to be a poor fighter. Pure-breed gamecocks do not show white feathers, so its presence indicates that the cockerel is an inferior cross-breed.

World War I

In August 1914, at the start of the First World War, Admiral Charles Fitzgerald founded the Order of the White Feather with support from the prominent author Mrs Humphrey Ward. The organization aimed to shame men into enlisting in the British Army by persuading women to present them with a white feather if they were not wearing a uniform.

White feather (disambiguation)

The white feather is a traditional symbol of cowardice in many places, although it may have the opposite meaning in others.

White feather or white feathers may also refer to:

Literature

Moving pictures

Music

Weapons

See also

White Feather (song)

"White Feather" is a song by Australian hard rock band Wolfmother, featured on their 2009 second studio album Cosmic Egg. Written by vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, the song was released as the third single from the album on 22 February 2010.

Background

"White Feather" was first performed on 6 February 2009 at the first of the band's two low-key comeback shows performed under the same alias, White Feather. The song was again performed at the second show, on 8 February, and later at the new lineup's first performance in the United States, on 1 May at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. On 9 May, Stockdale reported on his Twitter profile that he was "About to shred the solo on White Feather," describing it as "possibly the greatest song written since Womac[k] and Womac[k]'s "Foot Steps" Yes!"

The "White Feather" single was first released on the Australian iTunes Store on 29 December 2009. According to independent music website Altsounds.com, a full single release was scheduled for 1 February 2010, although promotional records released in December 2009 listed a 15 February 2010 release date. The official release date is recognised as 22 February 2010.