[citation needed] It was shot at the Spandau Studios in Berlin and on location in Croatia, including at the Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Old Shatterhand, blood brother of the Apache chief Winnetou, finds out that ruthless land grabbers did the killings, hoping to start off a war between the Indians and the settlers, and follows the trail right back to the gates of the cavalry's fort.

[citation needed] After the success of director Harald Reinl's Treasure of Silver Lake (Der Schatz im Silbersee) in 1962 produced by Horst Wendlandt for Rialto Film, his rival Artur Brauner from CCC Film also wanted to have his share in this upcoming series.

Since Wendlandt had acquired the rights for the original Karl May novels (although none of his films ever stuck to their respective plots), Brauner was only able to make a movie "inspired by" Karl May, using some of the already known characters portrayed by American Lex Barker as "Old Shatterhand" and Frenchman Pierre Brice as "Winnetou".

[citation needed] American Guy Madison, who had starred in the television series The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, played one of the bad guys and Israeli actress Daliah Lavi was one of the "damsels in distress" before turning to a singing career, as did American Bill Ramsey, the comic part in this movie, already known in Germany for his Schlager music and later jazz songs.