She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

The second film in John Ford's celebrated "Cavalry Trilogy," 1949's She Wore a Yellow Ribbon stars John Wayne as Cavalry Captain Nathan Brittles, a veteran officer who is only weeks away from retirement. Set in the days following Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn (which Ford symbolically played out in Fort Apache)—a time when there is considerable restlessness among young warriors of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes—the story follows Brittles, who is asked to escort a friend's wife (Mildred Natwick) and her niece (Joanne Dru) to safety. The Ford stock company is assembled to play officers young (Ben Johnson, in his first major role, and Harry Carey Jr.) and old (Victor McLaglen), with John Agar cast as the romantic lead who vies for the attentions of the niece. Wayne plays the graying grand old man of the American cavalry with measured grace and creaky vulnerability, displaying an acting range previously unseen in his films for Ford. Especially moving is a scene in which Brittle's men present him with a watch and he fumbles with his glasses to read the inscription while holding back his tears. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is also a film about the courage required to prevent war rather than engage in it, making this one of the most peaceful of Ford's Westerns. The Technicolor photography by Winton C. Hoch won an Oscar and adds a glow to the nostalgic atmosphere of this classic American film. Newly restored and remastered, extras include Ford's home movies shot on location. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)