War Paint is a 1953 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and starring Robert Stack and Joan Taylor.

[1] The pre-credit sequence of the film starts out with Bureau of Indian Affairs Commissioner Kirby and the last survivor of his US Cavalry escort shot and scalped by Taslik (Keith Larsen) and his squaw Wanima (Joan Taylor).

The film proper begins with Lt. Billings (Robert Stack) leading his patrol, that has escorted Cpl Hamilton (Charles Nolte), a cartographer who has been making maps of the area.

This is given to Trooper, former Corporal Clancy, who is to make his way overland to the Indian village while the rest of the men conserve their strength by traveling only at night.

Schenck recalled that when it looked as though the film financing wouldn't come in on time, Robert Stack offered to provide the money himself.