The story is set in the British province of New York during the French and Indian War, and concerns—in part—a Huron massacre (with passive French acquiescence) of between 500 to 1,500 Anglo-American troops, who had honorably surrendered at Fort William Henry, plus some women and servants; the kidnapping of two sisters, daughters of the British commander; and their rescue by the last Mohicans.
I can't imagine that Randolph Scott was an obvious choice for "Hawkeye" in this fast-moving adaptation of the famous Fenimore Cooper tale of the early colonial history of North America, but he works well. Henry Wilcoxson ("Maj. Hayward") is charged with escorting the daughters of his commanding officer to a fort. En route their guide "Magua" (Bruce Cabot) betrays them and tries to take the ladies hostage; enter "Hawkeye" who was already suspicious and in a timely fashion saves them from a fate worse than death. We now embark on a series of fun mini-adventures involving the British and French soldiers and the indigenous Mohican and Huron warriors fighting for control of the territory. It's a good, solid screenplay with a workmanlike cast and steady direction from George B. Seitz that does a fair degree of justice to the original book in an entertaining fashion.
