Tale of the Navajos

Tale of the Navajos
Written byHarry Chandlee
John A. Haeseler
Produced byJohn A. Haeseler
Music byLan Adomian
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • March 3, 1949 (1949-03-03)
Running time
52 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Tale of the Navajos is a 1949 American semi-documentary film written by Harry Chandlee and John A. Haeseler who also produced. The film was released on March 3, 1949, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.[1][2]

Synopsis

A semi-documentary of the Native American Navajos with details based on authentic legends and lore of the Navajo. A Navajo boy and the son of a white trader explore together the ruins of a mesa to find turquoise and discover a way to hidden, rich pastures.

Production

The independent[3] producer spent two years living on an Arizona reservation trading post whilst making this film.[4] Variety named the co-stars as "Jimmy Palmer, paleface moppet and Zuci, Navajo boy."[3]

Distribution

By 1946, the film had been picked up by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer[5] which released it in Technicolor from March 1949.

References

  1. ^ "Tale of the Navajos (1949) - Overview". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  2. ^ Hal Erickson (2014). "Tale-of-the-Navajos - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Leo's Navajo Pic". Variety. 1 September 1948. p. 4.
  4. ^ "Tale of the Navajos". The Rutherglen Sun and Chiltern Valley Advertiser. 6 December 1949. p. 1.
  5. ^ "Motion Picture Division Index Search". New York State Archives. Retrieved 2025-08-28.