Walking Thunder

Walking Thunder is a 1994 film starring James Read, John Denver and David Tom and Bart the Bear, written and directed by Craig Clyde. It relates the memoirs of a young boy Jacob McKay who travels with his family on a wagon on their way to California and become stranded in the Rockies. There they learn to survive, adapt to their surroundings and make the most of what they have with the help of a mountain man, an elderly Sioux medicine man and a legendary bear known by the Native Americans as Walking Thunder. The film won a Silver Award at the Worldfest Film Festival. It was released in 1995, but was not widely distributed until 1997.

Plot

While his parents are away, a young boy, Danny McKay, stays with his grandmother. She gives him a journal written by his grandfather Jacob when the latter was a teenager. It relates how Jacob travelled with his parents and younger brother Toby in a covered wagon on the way to California. One day, they become separated from the wagon train and become stranded in the Rocky Mountains. While they are sleeping, a bear appears and rummages through the wagon, scares off their mules and livestock and scatters their possessions. The wagon's axle is broken in the process and the father, John, decides to build a shelter as it would take too long to fix the axle and winter is near. Also, the mother Emma is heavily pregnant with their third child. Jacob and Toby are sent to look for food and eventually reach a lodge owned by Dark Wind, an old Sioux medicine man. Jacob and Toby fear him but are eventually re-assured by the arrival of mountain man Abner Murdock, who understands the Sioux language and acts as interpreter. Murdock and Dark Wind share a meal with the McKays, and Dark Wind regales them with the story of a bear known by the Sioux as Walking Thunder, with whom he shares a kindred spirit, and who reigned the land in which they live.

The family needs supplies to survive the winter, so Jacob is sent with Murdock to procure them from a rendezvous of mountain men which takes place days away.

Meanwhile, Jacob's family, aided by Dark Wind, work to build a cabin to shelter them from the elements. Eventually, Walking Thunder appears. The family fears him, but Dark Wind utters a chant which seems to appease the bear, who leaves.

At the rendezvous, Jacob purchases necessities, and Murdock convinces him to also buy a rifle. During the gathering, Murdock gets into a fight with Ansel Richter, a hunter and his companions, Weasel and Blood Coat. They have seen Jacob spend his money, and think that he may be wealthy and decide to trail him and Murdock and steal from them. The three men follow Murdock and Jacob, who are returning to the cabin. The trio reaches the cabin first, and imposes on the McKay's hospitality, while casing the place to see where the family has hidden the (non-existent) gold. When they start drinking and becoming unruly, John asks them to leave. Murdock and Jacob arrive later.

The next day, John goes out to hunt for game, but then gets almost shot at by Richter and his cohorts. Murdock eventually saves him. Murdock helps the McKays build their cabin and then leaves, planning to go to Fort Bridger for the winter. Dark Wind blesses the family and gives them tokens of grace. Walking Thunder later appears to Richter, who attempts to shoot him for the price that his skin will fetch, but a nearby Dark Wind first utters a warning call, and the bear disappears. Frustrated, Richter shoots Dark Wind in the shoulder. Dark Wind returns to the cabin, where Emma tends to his wound. Fearing that Dark Wind's attacker will return, the McKays prepare their firearms. Nevertheless, the three hunters eventually enter the cabin and threaten to kill the McKays unless they reveal where they hide their gold. Murdock then arrives and says that there is no gold, driving them away. He had changed his mind about going to the fort, feeling that he was needed at the cabin.

Murdock takes John on a hunting trip to obtain meat for the winter. Jacob is left in charge of the cabin. Emma goes into labor, but the two boys are unsure of what to do. Dark Wind, having recovered from his injury, helps deliver the baby girl. Thwarted by their unsuccessful raid on the cabin, Richter, Weasel and Blood Coat turn to hunting down Walking Thunder to obtain his pelt. Weasel wounds the bear, who limps away. Murdock and Jacob hear the shot and ride up to avert further killing. In the ensuing fight, Weasel and Blood Coat try to take Murdock down. Richter attempts to kill Dark Wind, who is praying in the woods, but Jacob materializes behind him and tells him to put down his gun. Richter takes Jacob's rifle away and pulls out a knife. Walking Thunder then arrives and takes swipes at Richter, wounding and scaring him off. John arrives and helps Murdock fight off Weasel and Blood Coat, who also flee.

After Danny McKay finishes reading the journal, his grandmother gives him a brand-new journal to write his life events in.

Meanwhile, Walking Thunder has become a mystery and legend. White men's version says that he died the day he was shot, but according to the Sioux, he was healed by Dark Wind and roamed with him the mountains until the day they were recalled by the spirits to their eternal after-life.

Cast

• James Read as Abner Murdock
• John Denver as John McKay
• David Tom as Jacob McKay
• Brian Keith as The Narrator\ Old Jacob McKay
• Irene Miracle as Emma McKay (as Klara Irene Miracle)
• Christopher Neame as Ansel Richter
• Ted Thin Elk as Dark Wind (as Chief Ted Thin Elk)
• Kevin Conners as Toby McKay
• Billy Oscar as Weasel
• Don Shanks as Blood Coat
• Robert DoQui as Gun Trader
• K. C. Clyde as Danny McKay (as Kasey Clyde)
• David Kirk Chambers as Thomas McKay
• Carolyn Hurlburt as Anne McKay
• Bart the Bear as Walking Thunder