[Glenn Bartley]

is the name of a movie, starring Cornell Wilde, that I mentioned in the Survivorman thread. It is a tale of true grit, and a remarkable survival epoch in which a white safari leader is captured by native South Africans. He sees his whole party killed, but he is allowed to live and is given a chance to survive. He is stripped naked, and allowed a head start. The natives then pursue, and you will have to see the movie for the rest. He does some things to survive that someone might actually have to do in a real SHTF scenario being lost in the wilderness.

Well I pondered, in the Survivorman thread, if this movie was based on fact or if it was mere fiction; so I did a web search on the movie. I found a movie site http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060736/ detailing The Naked Prey. On that site there was a brief synopsis of the story line that made reference to one John Colter. His escape from Blackfoot Indians is the basis for the story line for the movie. It seems that it was much less expensive to film this movie in South Africa, so the Blackfoot Indians and the American west were dropped in favor of native South Africans and the bush.

This reference to John Colter, and the note that the story of The naked Prey was based upon his real life escape from the Indians got me even more curious, so I searched John Colter on the web. Here is a link http://www.edjohnston.com/edsci/colter1.htm to one of the sites I found about him. It is a three page read, and pretty long, but it gives some info on his travels with Lewis and Clarke; and then it details account of his escape from the Blackfoot Indians rather nicely. A very interesting read (even if you skip to the part about the escape) for a tale of true survival in the wilderness with the absolute bare minimum for survival - yes he was the original Naked Prey - no knives, no guns, no shirt or shoes, just his own bare arse. Pretty amazing, but read it for yourself.

I have to send this to my uncle Ken, who first introduced me to that movie; and who will likely be quite surprised to read it was based on a true story.

 

[Glenn Bartley]

I have to see this movie again soon......

 

[Temujin]

Man, talk about interesting. Thanks for posting this, Glenn.

 

[brass hammer]

Thanks Glen!

for the links!

if a man is barefoot in the bush, it's25% against him ALL READY[or-better]



i know a little a bout it!

coulter/blackfeet is a cool/real read!

:wavey:

in the MARINES, those without boots, weren't long for this WORLD!

 

[andy]

LUCK is what saved him. He stumbled upon

Yellowstone's hot springs, where the Indians would not pursue him.

 

[Aslan]

I could have sworn the movie took place in Africa, where his entire party was killed in some pretty cruel ways. One guy was coated in clay and baked over a fire, another stabbed to death by the women of the tribe.

The main character was stripped naked and given a head start. Then tribal warriors began hunting him. I think he had to run through a plain of cactus near the beginning of the chase.

Yellowstone isn't in Africa, last time I checked. (Plus, I beleive in the initial post, it is said the story took place in Africa.)

:devil:

 

[Glenn Bartley]

The movie was filmed in Africa using African natives only because to have filmed it in the uS would have been too expensive; however it is based upon Colter's escape from the Indiuans.

As for his finding the geisers at Yellowstone, yes this is one of his claims to fame, however I do not believe that was during his escape from the Blackfoot Indians. Could be it was at the same time though because the story I linked to does not specifically say yeah or nay to that, but I would think with all the details of the escape they would have included such if it was the case. Also you need to remember that he walked for over one week. It would take less than a day to clear the geiser fields at Yellowstone, and as even the story made clear he knew the Indians would figure he was headed to a fort or trading post. So they could have easily went around and been waiting for him or searching for him on the other side. Then again if he entered the geiser filed because the Indians considered it taboo, well that would not be luck but would have been a smart move on his part.

As for his being able to make it all the way to the Fort or trading post where he sought asylum, neither was that all luck. This man was able to traverse 200 miles of open wilderness, over a week's worth of walking, with no weapons, no tools, no clothes and no shoes - only an Indian blanket - all the while being pursued by Indians or believing that such may have been the case. Even if he had gotten mocassins or a knife - it would have still been an amazing tale of survival. In addition he was all the while walking on feet that had been badly torn and punctured (and probably smashed and bruised too) and he had no medications. There was also a good chance that other Indians would discover him, that is other nonfriendly Native Americans. He also faced whatever perils nature would throw at him. He had little food, but did eat what he could. What he did have was his smarts on how to find what food he could, his smarts about how to travel (doing much of it at night), his smarts about how to navigate, and his will to survive. Thie will to survive being one of the most important things he had. Of course, let us not forget his cunning - because it was pure brazen slyness that allowed him to trick the Indians into giving him his chance to escape in the first place. Now if you want to continue to say luck is what saved him - go ahead - you will be wrong!

 

[andy]

if it's less than 50-50, it's luck.

just like the results of a coin toss. What are the odds that you are going to find WARM water in cold weather, hmm? 1 time in 1000, around the world. What are the odds you'll stumble across an area that's "taboo" for your pursueres to enter? 1 in 1000 or less. It doesnt HAVE to be "all luck" for it to be LUCK that you make it. Audie Murphy was a hell of a soldier, but he himself said only pure luck saved him, not once but MANY times. You only die ONCE, and MANY things can kill you.

 

[RIKA]

Luck won't help you if you're a quitter. The man kept going no matter how much he hurt and no matter now cold. He used every ounce of smarts that he had. Sure he had luck but he made his own luck too. We can all learn that lesson.

RIKA

 

[DJetAce]

Since Colter had to conquer many many trials before he made it out, it wasn't 50/50. And it wasn't luck. That's what gunkid does not see. He did not get out of it in 10 min, or 1/2 walks, or with a CAR and can, or any stupid way gunkid would dream. And he was not a quitter like gunkid. He prevailed.

 

[Garand]

How many times has gunkid/erika given up to the police, meekly now?

 

[Glenn Bartley]

just like the results of a coin toss. What are the odds that you are going to find WARM water in cold weather, hmm? 1 time in 1000, around the world. What are the odds you'll stumble across an area that's "taboo" for your pursueres to enter? 1 in 1000 or less. It doesnt HAVE to be "all luck" for it to be LUCK that you make it. Audie Murphy was a hell of a soldier, but he himself said only pure luck saved him, not once but MANY times. You only die ONCE, and MANY things can kill you.

He hid in cold water, and the Indians searched the area, including in the water for him. Maybe it was luck they did not find him, maybe it was cunning because he kept hidden yet kept moving his hiding spot. That sounds more like he used his situation to his advantage than depending upon mere chance. As to what Audie Murphy said, that is what he said not what he did. If you were to give a detailed account of each of his actions you would find that he likely did things right the many times he did them. Sure chance may have it that a bullet in a firefight does not get you, but you increase the odds of not being hit by utilizing coverm, concealment, movement, and return fire. Are you telling me that Audie Murphy did none of those, but rather that he stood in the open without using tactics, and without firing his rifle and just let the bullets whiz around him and was thereby lucky! Audie Murphy was saying, in essence, what most really true heros say - It was nothing, I am not a hero, it was all just luck! They do this because being made a hero is an overwhelming psychological trauma! Why is it a trauma, because while he was doing what he did, he was unable to save the others that died. Now he has been made a hero for what he did, and the dead, well they are just the dead. Why was he able to make it while they died is a question he will ask himself for years. He will conclude it was not because he was better than they at anything if only because this is the guiltless way to go for the subconcious. If he says I was the best, I trained the best, I fought the best, I kicked butt the best, I lived the best - well that might wind up making him crumble later on because of feeling of guilt in that he dishonored those with whom he fouhgt, those who were as brave and as patrotic as was he - maybe even those who were more so than he. This is a psychologica self defense mechanism for the subconcious that comes out in the concious world by his saying it was all luck. So it is a commonly used psychological self defense system that prevents a big time guilt trip. Can you understand that at all?

As to Colter it was not 50/50 anything. The odds seemingly were stacked against him in that there were, among other things:

1) many more Indians than just he and his partner,
2) His partner got killed and he was now alone
3) The Indians were out for blood
4) he was stripped naked and forced to run for his life
5) He had no tools or weapons
6) He was wounded early on
7) He had 200 miles or so to go before he could get help
8) The Indians wore clothing and shoes (mocassins)
9) The Indians were armed
10) His mental make up was in his favor: he was a smart and clever guy with the will to survive

The odds against him were not 50/50 they were probably more likely 90% against him. The thing is, even then, it was not mere luck or chance that got him out. He was determined to survive, and that determination probably accounted for much of why he survived - it was not chance. If it had been 50/50 luck as you say, then he would have just as liely survived this encounter if he just stood there and waited for the Indians to shoot arrows at him. If luck was on his side they would have shot all their arrows, missed every time, and then decided, oh well we should let him live. Do you believe that? Well I sure don't believe that is what would have happened based upon your luck scenario and my bet is neither do you - not for a minute; but you just will not admit that someone had the smarts and the hardiness to do what you, or I, probably could not do in a million years.