Savage Frontier (film)

Savage Frontier is a 1983 American made-for-television Western film directed by Peter Hunt. The film stars Jed Cooper, Lee Horsley, and Linda Gray. It aired as a two-part movie on CBS.

The film is a fictionalized account loosely based on events surrounding the early career of Jedediah Smith, a real-life 19th-century fur trapper, explorer, and mapmaker. The narrative focuses on his journey into the unexplored American West, encountering various challenges including hostile Native American tribes, treacherous terrain, and conflicts with competing trappers. The film depicts his resilience and determination as he navigates the dangers of the "savage frontier" in pursuit of wealth and discovery.

Savage Frontier is often categorized as an adventure-drama, and it reflects the common themes and tropes of Western genre films, including exploration, survival, conflict between settlers and Native Americans, and the rugged individualism associated with the American frontier. The film is noted for its outdoor cinematography and its depiction of the hardships faced by early explorers in the American West.