Richard Harris was originally cast as the lead Flapping Eagle but withdrew from the production citing creative differences; he was replaced by Anthony Quinn. Quinn—part Mexican‑Indian and already Hollywood’s go‑to ethnic warrior—brought baggage. He had a long résumé of playing Plains and Western Native figures (Crazy Horse in They Died with Their Boots On, a Cheyenne in The Plainsman, Chief Yellow Hand in Buffalo Bill), and critics quickly accused the film of recycling ethnic caricature even as it tried to be topical. Quinn’s performance — including comic touches and dance moves that recalled his Zorba the Greek persona — led some reviewers and Native observers to deride the result as a “Zorba the Navajo.” The casting swap crystallized a larger argument about Hollywood’s habit of recycling established star personas into ethnic parts rather than hiring authentic Indigenous leads, and it helped ensure the movie’s reception would be fought over as much for who played Flapping Eagle as for what the film said about Native rights.
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AI concept artworkArchive Record · 1970s
Richard Harris walks; Anthony Quinn steps in and reignites debates over ethnic casting
Anthony Quinn / Flap / 1970s
Richard Harris was originally cast as the lead Flapping Eagle but withdrew from the production citing creative differences; he was replaced by Anthony Quinn. Quinn—part Mexican‑Indian and already Hollywood’s go‑to ethnic warrior—brought baggage. He had a long résumé of playing Plains and Western Native figures (Crazy Horse in They Died with Their Boots On, a Cheyenne in The Plainsman, Chief Yellow Hand in Buffalo Bill), and critics quickly accused the film of recycling ethnic caricature even as it tried to be topical. Quinn’s performance — including comic touches and dance moves that recalled his Zorba the Greek persona — led some reviewers and Native observers to deride the result as a “Zorba the Navajo.” The casting swap crystallized a larger argument about Hollywood’s habit of recycling established star personas into ethnic parts rather than hiring authentic Indigenous leads, and it helped ensure the movie’s reception would be fought over as much for who played Flapping Eagle as for what the film said about Native rights.
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