FORT APACHE is quite possibly my favourite of the John Ford westerns I've watched thus far, featuring a winning combination of male stars Henry Fonda and John Wayne. The story is a thinly-guised version of the famous Custer tale in which a lieutenant colonel's hubris and hatred of the Apaches leads to an ill-advised venture against them, ultimately spelling disaster. Although the running time is lengthy, this is a well-mounted production that has a bit of everything, from humour to drama, romance to tragedy. Wayne's upstanding protagonist is a good guy to vouch for, Fonda's acting is commendable, and the supporting cast is chock-full of familiar faces including a grown-up Shirley Temple alongside Victor McLaglen, Ward Bond, Grant Withers, et al.
Review of Fort Apache
