She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)

The best of director John Ford’s (and actor John Wayne‘s) U.S. Cavalry trilogy which includes Fort Apache (1948) & Rio Grande (1950) this essential Western won Cinematographer Winton Hoch his second of three Oscars (on three nominations). Hoch’s sweeping views of Utah’s Monument Valley and beautiful blue cloud dotted skies are unforgettable. It’s based on stories by James Warner Bellah that were adapted by Frank Nugent and Laurence Stallings. Ford and Merian C. Cooper were its executive producers.

Wayne stars as a retiring officer Nathan Cutting Brittles trying to stave off a pending Indian attack after General Custer’s massacre. John Agar Ben Johnson as Sergeant Tyree Harry Carey Jr. and Victor McLaglen (the drinking Irishman) as Sergeant Quincannon are under his command; Joanna Dru is among the women whose evacuation complicates his plans. Of course affections for the lovely Ms. Dru’s character among the two young lieutenants (Agar and Carey Jr.) is an additional source of conflict. Wayne for whom Dru wears the yellow ribbon must lead and help these two grow to fill his job in the less than a week he’s got left until retirement.

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