The Last of the Mohicans

The Last of the Mohicans is a 1936 American historical western adventure film directed by George B. Seitz and starring Randolph Scott, Binnie Barnes and Henry Wilcoxon. The screenplay by Philip Dunne was based on the 1826 novel of the same name by James Fenimore Cooper. It was produced by Edward Small and distributed by United Artists. Plot During the French and Indian War, Alice and Cora, the two daughters of Colonel Munro, commander of a British fort, set out from Albany to join their father. They are escorted by Major Duncan Heyward, who has loved Alice for a long time, and by the Huron Indian Magua. Magua is secretly an enemy of the British. Magua betrays them, but they are rescued by a colonial scout named Hawkeye and his friends, the last two members of the Mohican tribe, Chingachgook and his son Uncas. On their way to the fort, Uncas falls in love with Cora, while Hawkeye and Alice are attracted to each other. The fort is besieged by the French, under General Montcalm, and their Indian allies. Hawkeye sneaks out at night and overhears Magua's treacherous plans to raid the unprotected colonial settlements. Colonel Munro refuses to accept Hawkeye's unsupported word, and forbids the colonials to leave to protect their loved ones. Hawkeye arranges for the men to depart, but remains behind. Munro has no choice but to pronounce a death sentence on him for his actions. Magua incites his men to attack the fort to forestall an agreement between Montcalm and Munro that would allow the British to surrender the fort peacefully in exchange for their lives. Before Montcalm can stop the fighting, Munro is fatally wounded and his daughters are carried off by Magua and a small band of his supporters. Magua tells the women that Cora will become his squaw, and Alice will be burned alive. Hawkeye and his friends break out of the stockade and set out in pursuit, as does Heyward. When they reach a stream, they are forced to split up. Hawkeye and Chingachgook search downstream, Heyward and Uncas upstream. Uncas picks up the trail and, unwilling to wait for the others, hurries ahead by himself. He manages to free Cora, but they are trapped on top of a cliff. Uncas kills one man, but Magua sends him plummeting to the bottom of the cliff. Rather than become Magua's woman, Cora chooses to jump to her death. The dying Uncas drags himself over to her lifeless body and takes her hand in his before succumbing. Chingachgook arrives and challenges Magua to fight one-on-one.