AllMovie

D.W. Griffith's Indian Runner's Romance represented one of the director's first forays to Biograph's facilities in Cuddebackville, a village in the Orange Mountain region of New York State. Arthur V. Johnson, James Kirkwood and Mary Pickford were among the Biograph "regulars" featured in this western melodrama. Upon discovering a valuable gold mine, an Indian brave (Kirkwood) is targeted by a gang of white bandits. The villains torture the brave's young wife (Pickford) to force her to reveal the whereabouts of the mine. She refuses to talk, whereupon the bad guys carry her off to parts unknown. Upon learning of his wife's abduction, the Indian gives chase on foot, negotiating steep cliffs and raging rapids in his pursuit of the bandits. Ultimately, our hero catches up with the heavies and kills them both, rescuing his wide-eyed bride in the process. Singled out for praise by the Variety critic at the time of the film's release was the breathtaking location cinematography of Billy Bitzer. Technical advice for Indian Runner's Romance was provided by Native American Mrs. James Youngdeer.