The Stalking Moon (1968)

My Review

“The Stalking Moon” is a western film about an Army scout who rescues a white woman and her son held for ten years in captivity by the Apache. The boy’s father, who is a warrior with the tribe, relentlessly pursues them across the Southwest, leaving numerous dead people in his wake. The intense drama proceeds from there, well directed by Robert Mulligan (“Up the Down Staircase” 1967). The screenplay by Wendell Mayes and Alvin Sergeant was adapted from the 1965 novel of the same name by T. V. Olsen.

The principal stars include Gregory Peck as the Army scout, Eva Marie Saint as the escapee, and Nathaniel Narcisco as the warrior. This was Narcisco’s only role in a feature film. Supporting cast includes Robert Forster, Frank Silvera, Boyd Morgan, James Olsen, and Noland Clay as the boy. The very riveting western drama “The Stalking Moon” was a flop at the box office for producer Alan J. Pakula and National General Pictures. It was filmed in Nevada, Arizona, and at the Samuel Goldwyn Studios in Hollywood, California.