I Killed Geronimo on AllMovie

In a season that also brought the world such cinematic confessions as I Shot Jesse James (1949) and I Shot Billy the Kid (1950), both from low-budget Lippert Productions, rival producer Jack Schwarz released I Killed Geronimo, starring former "Hopalong Cassidy" sidekick James Ellison. Going undercover as the notorious "Waco Kid," U.S. Army Captain Jeff Packard (Ellison) manages to infiltrate a gang of gold-shipment thieves lead by nasty Walt Anderson (Ted Adams). But Anderson and his gang are not the only troublemakers around: Packard must also contend with Geronimo (Chief Thundercloud) and his Apache warriors, who are demanding guns in exchange for peace. When Major French (Luther Crocker) refuses, the Apaches attack. In the ensuing melee, Geronimo is stabbed to death by Packard, who almost single-handedly saves the fort. The demise of the great Indian warrior is, of course, totally fictitious. Rather than perish in heroic combat, the historic Geronimo (1829-1909) surrendered and was relocated to Florida, where he spent his declining years as a tourist attraction. Enhanced by heavy doses of stock footage from, among other films, John Ford's classic Stagecoach (1939), the film also marked the final appearance of Smith Ballew, a star of low-budget music oaters in the 1930s.