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Western

Drum Beat (1954): Cast & Plot

Drum Beat (1954) movie poster

Drum Beat is a 1954 western directed by Delmer Daves, starring Hayden Rorke as President Ulysses S. Grant, Edgar Stehli and Peggy Converse. It runs 1 hour 51 minutes.

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Read the plot summary
Drum Beat (1954) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 51m (111 min)
Director
Delmer Daves
Genre
Western
Original language
English
Studio
Jaguar Productions
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Drum Beat About?

The premise of Drum Beat without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

President Grant commissions Indian fighter MacKay to negotiate with the Modocs of northern California and southern Oregon and to escort Nancy Meek to her relatives’ home. When Captain Jack launches ambushes and atrocities, MacKay confronts him in hand‑to‑hand combat, using guns, knives and fists, as the Modocs’ drumbeats herald the violence.

Drum Beat Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • modoc war
  • native american chief
  • cavalry vs indians
  • general the military rank
  • classical western
  • year 1872
  • peace mission
  • native american
  • based on true story
  • romantic rivalry
  • interracial romance
  • brother sister relationship
+38 more
  • father son relationship
  • peace treaty
  • the white house washington d.c.
  • interracial marriage
  • unrequited love
  • washington d.c.
  • bow the weapon
  • jealousy
  • manipulation
  • minister
  • timidity
  • horseback riding
  • 19th century
  • army captain
  • army fort
  • president of the united states
  • u.s. army soldier
  • u.s. cavalry officer
  • commissioner
  • white propaganda
  • revisionist history
  • ammunition shipment
  • attempted bribery
  • interrupted kiss
  • scene during opening credits
  • 1870s
  • bare chested man
  • modoc indian
  • modoc tribe
  • american indian
  • caucasian actor plays a native american character
  • caucasian actress plays a native american character
  • doctor
  • lieutenant the military rank
  • ulysses s. grant character
  • captain the military rank
  • colonel the military rank
  • written by director
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Cast & crew

Drum Beat Cast & Characters

Hayden Rorke leads the cast as President Ulysses S. Grant, with Edgar Stehli as Jesse Grant and Peggy Converse as Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant. Directed by Delmer Daves; 53 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Drum Beat

· 49 more
Show all 53 cast members
From the director

More from Delmer Daves

More films directed by Delmer Daves, best-rated first: 3:10 to Yuma, Dark Passage, The Battle of the Villa Fiorita and Youngblood Hawke.

Full filmography
Plot

Drum Beat Plot Summary

What happens in Drum Beat from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 10 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In 1872, veteran Indian fighter Johnny MacKay, Alan Ladd, is summoned by President Grant, Hayden Rorke, to Washington to brief officials about mounting hostilities between settlers, soldiers, and Modoc renegades along the California–Oregon border. Appointed the territory’s peace commissioner, he heads west with an escort for Nancy Meek, Audrey Dalton, a retired army colonel’s niece traveling to a ranch. The journey is shadowed by danger: outside Sacramento, an ambush leaves the sweetheart of their stage driver, Bill Satterwhite, Robert Keith, dead at the hands of a Modoc renegade. When they reach the western front, they discover Nancy’s aunt and uncle murdered and their ranch burned, a brutal reminder that violence can upend innocent lives in an instant.

Full summary

The whole story of Drum Beat, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Drum Beat?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actor portrays veteran Indian fighter Johnny MacKay?
Details

Drum Beat Also Known As

13 alternative titles, including “Der einsame Adler vom Last River” and “Capitan Jack”.

Also known as
  • Der einsame Adler vom Last River
  • Capitan Jack
  • 북소리
  • Tambores de guerra
  • L'Aigle solitaire
  • Rullo di tamburi
  • Der einsame Adler
  • Бойни барабани
  • Rød mands hævn
  • Rajadas de Ódio
  • Бой барабана
  • 드럼 비트
+1 more
  • Västerns son

Seen Drum Beat?
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Movies Like Drum Beat

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including War Drums, Drums Across the River and The Drum.

FAQ

Drum Beat FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Drum Beat, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Drum Beat?

Drum Beat runs 1 hour 51 minutes (111 minutes).

When was Drum Beat released?

Drum Beat was released on November 10, 1954.

Who directed Drum Beat?

Drum Beat was directed by Delmer Daves.

More films by Delmer Daves

Who is in the cast of Drum Beat?

Drum Beat stars Hayden Rorke as President Ulysses S. Grant, Edgar Stehli as Jesse Grant and Peggy Converse as Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, among 53 credited actors.

Does Drum Beat have a post-credit scene?

No. Drum Beat has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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