The second of John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is the only one of the three to be lensed in Technicolor. In an Oscar-calibre performance, 42-year old John Wayne plays sixtyish Cavalry Captain Nathan Brittles. In his last days before his compulsory retirement, Brittles must face the possibility of a full-.. Read more
| Starring | John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar, Ben Johnson |
|---|---|
| Director | John Ford |
| Genres | Action/Adventure |
loading...
The second of John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is the only one of the three to be lensed in Technicolor. In an Oscar-calibre performance, 42-year old John Wayne plays sixtyish Cavalry Captain Nathan Brittles. In his last days before his compulsory retirement, Brittles must face the possibility of a full-scale attack from the Arapahos, fomented by the recent defeat of Custer and by double-dealing Indian agents. After a series of minor victories and major frustrations, Brittles decides to ride into the Arapaho camp, there to smoke a pipe of peace with his old friend, Chief Pony That Walks (Chief John Big Tree). Before he leaves, he is presented with his retirement present by his troops: a pocket watch, with the inscription Lest We Forget(Wayne's playing of this scene, barely holding back tears as he adjusts his spectacles to read the inscription, is one of his finest moments on film). Brittles is able to forestall an Indian attack, just in time for his official retirement. The film really ends here, but there are two more potential climaxes before the words THE END dissolve into view. The patchiness of the Frank Nugent/Lawrence Stallings screenplay (attributal to the fact that it is adapted from two different short stories) prevents She Wore a Yellow Ribbon from reaching the same lofty heights as the Ford/Wayne collaborations Fort Apache (1947) and Rio Grande (1949). The gratuitous offscreen narration of Irving Pichel is also rather distracting. Even so, Wayne's flawless performance, coupled with the supporting contributions of Ford's stock company (John Agar, Harry Carey Jr., Victor McLaglen et al) and the Academy Award-winning photography by Winston C. Hoch, automatically elevates She Wore a Yellow Ribbon to classic status.~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
| Starring | John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, George O'Brien |
|---|---|
| Director | John Ford |
| Studio | UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 39 mins |
| Certificate |  |
| Collections | 100 Wild Westerns, Multi-coloured Movie Collection |
| Genres | Action/Adventure |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | Production year: 1949 To Rent: DVD: 30 Apr 2001 |
The centrepiece of Ford's cavalry trilogy (flanked by Fort Apache and Rio Grande) and a film of both elegiac sentiment... read more on Time Out
- 4
- 0
jolly johnny
just brilliant.the second of the cavalry and the best. enjoy!
[Highly rated reviewer]
- 0
- 0
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon - 1949
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon - 1949
This is one of the Duke best movies, cinematography, script, setting and acting are all spectacular, one to all to ... read more »
- 0
- 0
Poetic sentiment or sentimentality?
There is no doubt that John Ford was one of the best of the popular directors who ever worked in Hollywood. Returning to this film after many years I was ... read more »
- 0
- 0
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
This first-class cavalry western contains some of John Wayne's finest screen moments i might even say that is is one if not the best film john wayne is in
Want to watch something right now?
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | EULA | Affiliates | Jobs | Inside LOVEFiLM Blog | About Us | Contact Us
International sites UK DK DE SE NO
LOVEFiLM, the LOVEFiLM logo and all other LOVEFiLM product or service names are trade marks of LOVEFiLM International Ltd. or its affiliates.
© 2012 LOVEFiLM UK Ltd. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
88% from 5 members
