Unconquered 1947 DVD - Gary Cooper / Paulette Goddard
In London in 1763, Abigail "Abby" Hale (Paulette Goddard) is tried for the death of a Royal Navy officer which occurred when she tried to save her sick brother from the press gang. The judge condemns her to be hanged, then offers her the "king's mercy": transportation to the British colonies in North America and a term of "not less than 14 years as an indentured slave, to be sold at auction". She chooses the latter.
Aboard ship as they near Norfolk, Abby incurs the anger of trader Martin Garth (Howard Da Silva), who then insists upon the auction being held there and then. There is a bitter bidding war between Garth and Captain Christopher Holden (Gary Cooper), which Holden wins, for an exorbitant sum. Holden, still in plainclothes, will be later identified as officer of the Virginia Regiment by his then worn silver trimmed, blue/red uniform (which cuff flaps are mistakenly shown with four buttonholes instead of the originally three). A friend reminds Holden he is engaged. He sets Abby free, but afterward, his fiancee Diana informs him that she has married his brother.
Meanwhile, Garth bribes the slave dealer into saying that Holden was only jesting and never bought her, and destroys the bill of freedom. Garth takes Abby to the western frontier, where he is selling guns to the Indians towards the end of the French and Indian War. Holden's friend John Fraser (Ward Bond) shows him something he got from an Indian who tried to kill him. Holden and Abby's paths cross, but Garth convinces Holden that Abby came to him of her own accord.
Later, Garth makes it clear he is attracted to Abby. However, his Indian wife Hannah, daughter of Chief Guyasuta, shows up with an important message. Garth hastily departs for a meeting. At the meeting are George Washington, Colonel of the Virginia Regiment, his subordinate Holden, colonial governor Sir William, and others. They are deeply concerned about a possible native uprising. Holden fears that Pontiac will unite the tribes to wage war. Holden suggests sending someone to take "peace belts" to the Indians; Garth recommends Holden, and Holden accepts. However, when Holden and his two companions are ambushed, he realizes that he needs to deal with Garth. When he comes for Garth, he is reunited with Abby, and their mutual misunderstanding is cleared up before they flee together to Fort Pitt.
When Garth comes for Abby, Holden provokes him into a duel. However, Garth has a bill of sale for Abby, so the governor awards her to him. Before Garth can do anything, he is summoned by Guyasuta. He takes Abby along.
When a nearby settlement is wiped out, the governor prepares Fort Pitt for a siege.
Holden walks unarmed into Guyasuta's camp and, by trickery, manages to save Abby from being tortured to death. They escape and, seeing the aftermath of the slaughtering of settlers, head off to warn Fort Pitt against Indian treachery. However, Garth convinces the authorities that Holden is an untrustworthy deserter; Holden is sentenced to death and Abby is returned to Garth. She makes a bargain with Garth: she will willingly go with him in return for him arranging Holden's escape. He agrees, but plots Holden's death in the escape attempt. Hannah, having been told by Garth that he is abandoning her for Abby, warns Holden, takes his place and is fatally shot.
With no more food left, the acting British commander decides to accept Guyasuta's false promise to let them go unharmed. Fortunately, reinforcements arrive just in time, and the Indians flee. When the relief force enters the fort, however, the besieged see that the soldiers in the wagons are dead. Holden was unable to obtain reinforcements from the nearest British unit because it had suffered grievous casualties, but he was able to get a token force of mostly drummers and bagpipers of the famed Black Watch ... and corpses. Afterward, Holden kills Garth in a shootout, leaving him and Abby free to marry, ending her slavery.
Cast:
Gary Cooper as Captain Christopher Holden
Paulette Goddard as Abby Hale
Howard Da Silva as Martin Garth
Boris Karloff as Guyasuta, Chief of the Senecas
Cecil Kellaway as Jeremy Love
Ward Bond as John Fraser
Virginia Campbell as Mrs. John Fraser
Katherine DeMille as Hannah
Henry Wilcoxon as Captain Steele
Sir C. Aubrey Smith as Lord Chief Justice
Victor Varconi as Captain Simeon Ecuyer
Virginia Grey as Diana
Mike Mazurki as Bone
Porter Hall as Leach
Richard Gaines as Colonel George Washington
Gavin Muir as Lieut. Fergus McKenzie
Jane Nigh as Evelyn
Alan Napier as Sir William Johnson
Marc Lawrence as Sioto, Medicine Man
Raymond Hatton as Venango Scout
John Mylong as Colonel Henry Bouquet
London Astronomers:
George Kirby as Charles Mason
Leonard Carey as Jeremiah Dixon
Frank Wilcox as Richard Henry Lee
Davison Clark as Mr. Carroll of Virginia
Griff Barnett as Brother Andrews of Pennsylvania
Lloyd Bridges as Lieut. Hutchins
Oliver Thorndike as Lieut. Baillie
Ninetta Sunderland as Mrs. Pruitt (as Nan Sunderland)
Rus Conklin as Mamaultee
Iron Eyes Cody as Red Corn
Julia Faye as Widow Swivens
Paul E. Burns as Dan McCoy
Mary Field as Maggie
Diane Wadelow as Lancashire Lass
Clarence Muse as Jason
Cecil B. DeMille as Narrator (uncredited)
Robert Warwick as Pontiac (uncredited)
Gordon Richards as Sheriff (uncredited)
Jay Silverheels as Indian (uncredited)
Runtime: 146 Minutes