Allegheny Uprising

aka The First Rebel

(1939)

81 minutes

Director: William A. Seiter

Cast: John Wayne, Diana Claire Trevor, George Sanders, Brian Donlevy, Wilfrid Lawson, Robert Barrat, Moroni Olson and Chill Wills.

Action / Adventure / History

Based on Neil Swanson’s novel “The First Rebel”, this pre-revolutionary war period piece sets Jim Smith (John Wayne) against unscrupulous and devious Indian trader Ralph Callendar (Brian Donlevy), who has been unethically, although not illegally, trading weapons and liquor to Indians. Callendar has been getting away with it due to his cunning use of ‘by the book’ British Captain Swanson (George Sanders). Swanson is too concerned with his duty to the crown to realize he’s being duped and Callendar is able to convince Swanson that Jim Smith is actually the troublemaker and gets him arrested. An all star cast compliments this momentous film, and captures the tensions that lead up to the American Revolution.