Fort Apache (1948) User Reviews

John Wayne And Henry Fonda Cast Against Type

[sddavis63 · 7/10 · 17 February 2015]

John Wayne and Henry Fonda are iconic actors, and you have a tendency to know what sort of characters to expect from them. "Fort Apache" is a good movie, but what makes it really interesting to watch is that both Wayne and Fonda are cast a little bit against type in this. That's a bit jarring, and it forces you to watch, because you don't know exactly what to expect from them as the movie goes on. For a western that has surprisingly little action (the requisite "cowboys and Indians scene comes only in the last half hour) the performances from these two alone make this worth watching.

Fort Apache is a lonely US army outpost in the years after the Civil War. Nothing much happens there, and it's not a particularly prestigious assignment. The officers and men are comfortable and unchallenged under the command of Wayne's Captain York. Things change when Fonda's Col. Thursday shows up to assume command. Thursday is a bitter character. He thinks he's better than Fort Apache, and he resents being assigned to the command. You get the impression that he was a well regarded Union officer in the Civil War who just got overlooked in peacetime. But he's an officer, and Fort Apache is his assignment and he's determined to make it the best outfit in the US Army. No more comfortable outpost. The men wear proper uniforms, they drill, they train. Thursday's awkward in the command. Fort Apache is a close knit post, and he just doesn't fit in. His interactions with the soldiers and other officers are stiff and formal. Wayne's relaxed York and Fonda's by the book Thursday make this an interesting character study more than a western for the most part.

For all his attention to detail, though, Thursday has a basic problem: he yearns for glory, and he's not especially competent. Given the chance he orders his men to attack a group of Apaches returning from Mexico who've been promised by York that they could negotiate. But Thursday wants to beat them in battle and make his name, over York's protests. Not surprisingly, the end result is not unlike Custer's Last Stand.

This is a character study, and the characters are strong. It's not only Wayne and Fonda. There are other good performances in this as well. I was quite taken with the very pretty 20 year old Shirley Temple as Thursday's daughter. Interestingly, her love interest in the movie is played by John Agar, her real life husband at the time. Ward Bond was also very good as Sgt. Maj. O' Rourke. The battle scenes are restricted to the last half hour or so, and they serve primarily to show Thursday making blunders and rejecting the advice of those who know the Apache better than he does. The last scene of the movie is the classic example of a manufactured hero. Killed by the Apache after his own incompetence doomed him, Thursday is turned into a gallant national hero. York assumes command of Fort Apache, but the portrait of Thursday hangs over him. Those we recognize as heroes aren't always the real heroes apparently.

It's a well done movie. If you're expecting a traditional cowboy and Indian shoot out, you won't find it here. BUt it has a few humorous moments, and if you're looking for a solid, character driven western featuring two very good actors, Fort Apache will definitely satisfy. (7/10)

Brilliant evocation of military leadership and authority

[shakercoola · 7/10 · 6 April 2019]

An American Western; A story about an arrogant cavalry colonel sent to a remote Arizona desert outpost which he considers an insult after his service in the Civil War. Determined to show his heroism, he plots to lure the local Apaches into waging war. The first of three remarkable films director John Ford made about the US Cavalry - a subgenre of the Western featuring the United States Cavalry fighting Native Americans, such as the Apache, the Sioux or the Cheyenne. It deals with topics such as leadership, responsibility, heroism and legend and is one of the first to present an authentic and sympathetic view of the Native Americans. It is characterised by a superb example of military academy stiffness and martinet approach which meets a more organic Western community of an isolated outpost. The portrayal of Lt. Col. Owen Thursday was inspired by General George Armstrong Custer and his ill-fated stand at Little Big Horn. Immaculate and painstaking detail was made to the story's period and setting. Henry Fonda and John Wayne give the drama authenticity and vigour. Ford's direction achieves broad scope, employing a non-linear narrative by using digressions from the main storyline to help produce the atmosphere of a military outpost, making the main theme about moral ambiguity in warfare powerful.

Fonda And Wayne Clash In John Ford Cavalry Pic

[stryker-5 · 8/10 · 13 January 1999]

Lieutenant-Colonel Owen Thursday arrives at a frontier fort to take up his new command. His harsh, unbending philosophy of soldiering creates something of a stir in the regiment. His pretty daughter Philadelphia causes a rather different commotion.

The headstrong commander refuses to listen to the advice of his loyal captain, Kirby York, who knows frontier life and enjoys a rapport with the indian chiefs. The two officers are both strong characters, and their differing ideas inevitably lead to a clash.

Cochise and his braves are willing to accommodate the white man so long as their concerns are handled with diplomacy. Unfortunately, the high-handed approach of Lieutenant-Colonel Thursday cause relations to deteriorate, and conflict ensues.

In the course of the 1940's and 50's, director John Ford returned repeatedly to this subject-matter, John Wayne in Monument Valley with the US cavalry, fighting redskins and singing Irish folksongs. The stirring anthem in this movie is "The Girl I Left Behind Me", sung as the regiment rides out in full panoply to meet Cochise - although "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" gets an airing, too.

The cavalry regiment itself is a protagonist in the story, regarded as a living entity by its members. When Captain York is promoted to Colonel and commands the regiment, he makes a powerful speech stressing the continuity and tradition which have made the regiment great. The sense of hierarchy is strong. This is a world of order in which army regulations govern even the way an officer presents his calling-card. Soldiers can quote the regulations by heart. This well-regulated military force will, we feel, impose civilisation on this wild frontier.

Examples of the regiment's rigid code keep recurring. The NCOs' dance has its own elaborate protocol, which not even Colonel Thursday dares to flout. Feelings over the O'Rourke marriage reach boiling-point, but everyone adheres to the rules of military courtesy. Washington's Birthday is celebrated as a regimental occasion. The Irish sergeants are all related by blood and marriage, and as their exuberant fraternal greetings subside, military discipline asserts itself effortlessly.

"I'm not a martinet," protests Colonel Thursday, the most extreme martinet imaginable. He is inflexible in his enforcement of the military code, and too stubborn and wrongheaded to listen to the advice of his officers, who are experienced frontier campaigners. He completely misses the presence of Cochise's war party because he has no combat experience and doesn't know to watch the skyline for dust clouds. In addition, Thursday is a terrible snob. He calls young Michael O'Rourke a 'savage' for a perceived laxity of discipline, and sets his face against the marriage of Michael and Philadelphia because of "the barrier between your class and mine". He is dismayed that the son of a sergeant should have passed through West Point, and needlessly offends Cochise by talking down to him.

And yet even Owen Thursday has a human side. We gather that there is some personal secret between him and Captain Collingwood, and we almost smile when the armchair collapses under him. Most tellingly, Thursday returns to the beleaguered redoubt after he has been rescued. He redeems himself by rejoining his soldiers in the thick of the fighting.

When young Philadelphia Thursday (Shirley Temple) studies Michael O'Rourke in her purse mirror, we know that these two will be the love interest. Also, as this incident illustrates, the womenfolk of Fort Apache tend to run the show in this masculine enclave. The Thursday residence is somewhat joyless, especially when compared with Aunt Emily's cosy quarters. The women brush aside the colonel's seniority and call in Mrs. O'Rourke to refurnish the place. In one of the film's good jokes, no fewer than eight Mrs. O'Rourkes answer the call. There is a touching scene when the regiment moves out and the women are left together. Mrs. Collingwood is torn, because her husband has his safe posting back east and needn't go into battle, but she knows how important it is for him to prove his courage. The womenfolk urge her to call him back, but she reluctantly allows him to ride out.

John Ford laced many of his films with Irish humour, and "Fort Apache" is no exception. The ubiquitous Victor McLaglen plays Sergeant Festus Mulcahy, and he and the O'Rourkes run the fort - that is, whenever they are not in the jailhouse on charges of drinking and brawling. Outrageously, Mulcahy promotes a raw recruit to corporal, simply because he's Irish. Quincannon virtually lives in the jailhouse, but he has a fine tenor voice, so he is released from custody in order to serenade the young lovers with his rendition of "Genevieve". When the dishonest trader Meacham has his whisky stock confiscated and marked for destruction, the sad faces of the sergeants make a comical picture, and the subsequent 'destruction' is even funnier.

Ford is a master of composition. York rides out to parley with Cochise and is engrossed in dialogue, leaving Thursday stranded and excluded. We hear the thunder of hooves offscreen before we see the charge, and its impact is magnified accordingly. In the sequence where York and Beaufort ride to negotiate with Cochise, the screen is filled with stunning images of rock and sky. The charging cavalry are cleverly 'lost' in their own dust, which closes behind them like a curtain, ending the scene.

Wayne is curiously subdued in this film. This is partly because he plays a conscientious subordinate, and partly because the confrontation with Fonda is eclipsed by other plot developments.

"They're The Regiment"

[bkoganbing · 10/10 · 22 June 2005]

I think that a list of John Wayne's five best pictures has to include Fort Apache. It's the first and best of the cavalry trilogy that he did with John Ford. Oddly enough he has less screen time here than in the other two, due to the fact that he was co-starring with another big Hollywood name in Henry Fonda.

It's first and foremost the story of a clash between two men who see the United States Army in very different terms. Fonda is a former general who's seen glory in the Civil War, but has been shunted aside. He wants to get back on top in the worst way. He's exiled to Fort Apache in the Arizona territory while the big headlines concerning the Indian wars are going to the campaign against the plains Indians which was true enough.

Wayne has also seen some glory in the Civil War. But he's a professional soldier and just wants to live long enough to retire. In fact Ward Bond who is the sergeant major at the post has also dropped down in rank, he was a major in the Civil War and a Medal of Honor winner. This was a common occurrence at the end of the Civil War. During the war, promotions came swiftly because of battlefield service. Something called a brevet rank was instituted a kind of temporary promotion. You could be a brevet brigadier general and have an actual rank of something like major. After the Civil War as the U.S. Army shrunk to its pre-war size, soldier reverted to previous ranks. This was something John Ford was keenly aware of when he made Fort Apache.

Ford's stock company was never better. Even minor bit parts are woven nicely into the whole story. And his photography of Monument Valley, it's beauty and vastness was never better even when he used color. Look at the scenes with John Agar and Shirley Temple riding and with Wayne and Pedro Armendariz on their way to parley with Cochise. Really great cinematography.

Ford had a couple of inside comments in the film. In a scene where Henry Fonda is getting an incomplete message from the post telegrapher, the telegrapher who might have strolled in from a Cagney-O'Brien film informs his commander that the message was interrupted "in the middle of the last woid." With both Irish and southern recruits in Fort Apache, a Brooklynese telegrapher would not have been out of place.

George O'Brien and Anna Lee, play Sam and Emily Collingwood who both knew Henry Fonda's Owen Thursday way back in the day. It's hinted that O'Brien had a drinking problem and that's why he's at Fort Apache, but he's looking for a transfer out. It comes as the regiment is moving out against Cochise.

Charles Collingwood was the second in command to Admiral Nelson at Trafalgar. Nelson became a British hero martyr, historians know about Charles Collingwood. When newspapermen at the end of Fort Apache remark about men like "Collingworth"not being remembered, it was John Ford making a statement about the worth of all the men who contribute their lives to defend their nations not just the leader heroes.

That remark by the way is the stage for one of John Wayne's finest acted scenes in his career. A soliloquy photographed through a cabin window about the life of the professional soldier, the camaraderie, the toughness, the bravery required of these men and how they deliver for their nation.

In a later film John Ford uses the line that in the west "when the legend becomes fact, print the legend." Henry Fonda's quest for martial glory was a blunder, but his story for the sake and tradition of his regiment is whitewashed and he becomes an inspiration.

Of course some of the lowbrow comedy that one expects from John Ford is here aplenty with the four drinking sergeants and their efforts to make soldiers out of the recruits. Led by Victor McLaglen, the quartet rounds out with Dick Foran, Jack Pennick, and Pedro Armendariz. See how they dispose of the contraband they are charged with destroying and its consequences.

Fort Apache also takes the side of the Indian here. Cochise played by an impassive Miguel Inclan is a figure of strength and dignity. Later on Jeff Chandler in another film brought speech to the dignity and that role launched his career. Cochise is the only true major figure in the film. He bedeviled the U.S. Cavalry for over a decade in Arizona Territory with guerrilla tactics Mao Tse Tung would have envied.

Fort Apache is a grand ensemble film and you will not be bored for one second in watching it.

Most Powerful of Ford's 'Cavalry' Trilogy...

[cariart · 24 September 2003]

John Ford's FORT APACHE is the first of a three-film cycle chronicling the exploits of the U.S. Cavalry in the settling of the West, but it is far more than that; as a thinly-disguised reworking of the George Armstrong Custer story, it provides insight about a leader so blinded by his own ambition and ego that his actions nearly wipes out his command, and would have to be 'covered-up' by an Army that always protects its 'own'. Ironically, in whitewashing his actions, he becomes a national hero, giving him, posthumously, the attention he'd craved. The story is a powerful one, and in the hands of a top-notch cast, FORT APACHE is as timely today as when it was first released.

Henry Fonda's Lt.Col. Owen Thursday is a complex, driven man, a martinet who considers his transfer to the western outpost as a slap in the face by the War Department. Accompanied by his daughter, Philadelphia (a grown-up and vivacious Shirley Temple), he arrives at Fort Apache early, and discovers the welcoming festivities are not for him, but for the return of the son of Sgt.Major O'Rourke (Ward Bond), a new second lieutenant, fresh from West Point. The younger O'Rourke, portrayed by John Agar, and Philadelphia are immediately attracted to one another (they were married, off screen), but, displaying a 'class' snobbery, Col. Thursday nixes any chance of an officer's daughter and an enlisted man's son (even if he is an officer) having a romance.

As the new commander, Thursday shows an insensitivity to both his own men (he rebukes former commander Capt. Collingwood, played by George O'Brien, in front of the other officers), and the intellectual and tactical skills of the Indians (drawing the ire of John Wayne, as Capt. Kirby York). He does convince York that he is interested in parlaying with Cochise, however, and soon York, whom the chief respects, is on his way to Mexico, to get him to cross the border for a meeting between the two leaders and the corrupt Indian agent (Grant Withers) whose actions had led to the current insurrection.

Ultimately, Cochise does cross the Rio Grande, and Thursday reveals his true plan; to demand a return to the reservation, or face annihilation. York feels betrayed, and warns Thursday that he's setting himself up for a massacre, especially as the commander intends to bring his entire command to the meeting. Thursday simply sneers at his warning, sarcastically suggesting that York is crediting Cochise as being as brilliant as Napoleon.

The meeting is brief, with Thursday showing no respect, and, sure enough, ends disastrously. Cochise, prepared for a potential betrayal, has lined the canyon walls beyond the meeting place with hundreds of sharpshooters, and, despite York's warnings (leading to his being branded by Thursday a 'coward', and ordered to remain with a rear guard), the Colonel leads his command in a charge, into the canyon...

In an unsympathetic role, Henry Fonda is marvelous, actually making Col. Thursday believable, if not likable. John Wayne, despite star billing, is actually secondary, plot-wise, but is excellent as the officer who learns, finally, what it means to command, by watching the wounded Thursday return to his command, and face certain death.

Major subplots of all three 'Cavalry' films would be devoted to Sergeants, and FORT APACHE offers four truly memorable ones, in Bond, Pedro Armendariz, Victor McLaglen, and Dick Foran.

FORT APACHE is a film that could easily stand alone as a superb drama; as the first of the trilogy, it set a high standard, and is considered by most critics as the finest of the three films.

It is unforgettable!

near perfect Cavalry Western with Fonda splendidly cast against type

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 8 September 2008]

In Fort Apache Henry Fonda, often the kindest but strongest of the kind figures in the movies, plays the General Custer-esquire Colonel Thursday, and John Wayne, often the one in the movies who will shoot Indians first and maybe (if he feels like it) ask questions later, plays the more level-headed/friend-of-Apache-Cochese Captain York. In any other Western the roles would be reversed, but John Ford trusted his stars as actors to not be type-casted, and particularly with Fonda he strikes some really rich ground. Part of that is in his direction (maybe some of Ford's stern and sometimes bull-headed self could identify somewhere in Thursday), but it's also Fonda being able to find certain beats or pauses or inflections that add dimension to what is a mostly stiff and unmovable Cavalry Colonel who is a gentlemen second and a military man first. Wayne is also very good here, as he often was for Ford more than any other director save for maybe Hawks, as he's more-so apart of the ensemble as opposed to a full-blown star, and there's even some subtlety where it's usually not seen by him.

The story itself is also ripe for Ford's wonderful blend of all-American warmth and critical-while-embracing of American West themes, and there's a lot of extra entertainment with the supporting cast (mostly a who's who of genial drunks and weathered first-timers and ex-Civil War soldiers). And with one exception- a poetically ironic but unnecessary scene with Mrs. Thursday getting the telegram of his transfer right before the climactic battle- there's barely a scene that doesn't register as something worthwhile for the story, or for some interesting characterization, or even something in as simple as a dance between Thursday and O'Rourke that reveals how good Fonda could be at staying in character while in a formal bit like that. We're also given the proverbial 'good' young-actor performances from John Agar as the West Point graduate young O'Rourke who's after Shirley Temple's daughter of Col. Thursday.

Fort Apache allows for all of the thrills and curiosities of watching an 'old-fashioned' Western, but there's more than meets the eye for Ford. It's all so deceptively simple; it's not quite as masterful as the Searchers, but it's very close, at deconstructing the myths of strong American men going to kill Indians and win the day inn honor to reveal the savagery underneath where logic is thrust aside. But at the same time, Ford still celebrates the valor in men in the old west, and there's something of a forerunner to the message of Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: when legend becomes fact, print (or film) the legend - albeit with some truth sprinkled here and there. Surely one of the better Ford and Wayne Westerns, and one another in the equally (or even more-so) rewarding collaboration with Fonda, here revealing a whole other side than a Lincoln or Tom Joad. 9.5/10

Well-mounted western epic

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 10 November 2017]

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.

Monument Valley Hoedown

[NeutrinoKid · 10/10 · 8 July 2020]

The first film in Ford's cavalry trilogy was an instant Western classic, with Henry Fonda as a bitter commander who feels exiled at remote Fort Apache, and John Wayne as a desert battle trained officer who treats Chief Cochise with the respect he deserves. Historically cited as one of the first films to treat Native Americans with respect, Ford cast hundreds of Navajo to play Apache parts, and ultimately the plot portrays the ensuing massacre after Fonda misjudges and underestimates the Apache forces. Beautiful cinematography, ripping battle scenes, strong characters, and a gripping plot.

Uncomfortable Mismatch

[cstotlar-1 · 6/10 · 19 June 2012]

I was looking forward to liking this film so it came as a disappointment that things just didn't work for me. "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is one of my favorite westerns too. Shirley Temple never really made it on screen as an adult, regardless of how many times the system tried to use her. John Agar, her husband at the time (so I've read) was also lackluster so they matched on screen as well. We are all aware - or have been made aware - of John Ford's Irishness but in this case things got wildly out of hand. The humor was broad - extremely broad - and the "jokes" wore thin from the very beginning. What irritated me most, however, was the musical score. At the start of the film, already, with the magnificent vistas of Monument Valley, the score is overly forceful, staccato and as obtrusive as it is intrusive. The music is everywhere, even when it's not needed and spills off some scenes into others where it isn't even appropriate. It is consistently loud and impairs rather than aids what's on the screen. Someone should have edited the score!

Curtis Stotlar

Classic timeless Ford's masterwork

[pzanardo · 10/10 · 24 October 2000]

"Fort Apache" is the movie of respect. John Ford's message seems to be that everybody deserves respect. First of all, as natural in Ford's poetic ideology, the simple, low-class horse soldiers, with their sense of community, their sober courage, their stoic dedication to duty. Also the veteran officers Capt. York (John Wayne) and Capt. Collingwood (George O' Brien) share these plain but strong feelings with lower ranks, and have a deep friendship towards them. Then the Indians, here the Apaches, are represented as noble, brave, fair warriors, forced to war only by patent injustice. Important is the scene in the finale, when the winning Apaches nobly spare John Wayne and the other soldiers of the supply lines.

But Ford in not yet satisfied: even the arrogant, dumb, haughty colonel Thursday (Henry Fonda) deserves respect. His problem is that he's stupid, that's all. Actually, Thursday is a pathetic figure: he is the unique miserable character in the film, mainly because he is alone, an out-cast in the tight community of other soldiers. Moreover he is frustrated in his ambitions of career, and he is, in some sense, constantly humiliated in his pride by the veterans of Fort Apache. For instance, Thursday arrogantly wonders why the son of Sgt. O' Rourke (Ward Bond) was admitted to become an officer; but he readily realizes that the sergeant got this privilege from his outstandingly heroic actions on the battle-field, something that Thursday probably had always dreamed and never got. The priceless experience of the veteran officers is always understated by Thursday, in a somewhat childish, whimsical way. But perhaps he has a guess that he's wrong, and his reaction is to close himself into an armour of upper-class-pride, scorning the love of her daughter for the sergeant's son.

However, the movie develops through magnificent images of the Monument Valley, subtle psychological touches, sense of humor, moments of emotion, action, suspense. Then we get to a great scene that proves how cinema can be deep art. The horse soldiers are ready for the final attack; everybody is perfectly conscious that they will be slaughtered by the Apaches... everybody but the dumb colonel. They accept their fate quietly: well, their job is to face death, possibly to die in the most idiotic way, why not? This seems nonsense nowadays, but here Ford gives us a perfect representation of the spirit of the Nineteenth Century. Then, suddenly, Thursday accuses York of cowardice and commands him to the supply line, together with the reluctant Lt. O' Rourke (John Agar). Then York, in a plain way, informs Sgt. O' Rourke that his son will not participate to the suicide attack. These news immediately raise the spirits of the soldiers: not caring their own deaths, they roar an hurrah. The boy (their son) is safe, he will marry his girl, they will have children, the life will continue. Here Ford touches an extremely profound chord, something even deeper than our human souls, the core of our animal essence. Here we have the instinct of the mammal which offers itself to the predator, in order to save its puppies.

The remainder of the finale, with the ambush and the partial redemption of Thursday, is superbly filmed and crowns a timeless masterpiece of cinema: "Fort Apache".

An epic Western which contains sequences in its director's best manner...

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 7/10 · 4 August 2001]

In portraying the history of the United States from the Revolutionary War to World War II, John Ford continually resorted to a deeply personal, nostalgic form of legend... If there is no doubt of his importance to the development of the Western, his uniquely sentimental, poetic glorification of the white American's conquest of the wilderness is both picturesque and reactionary...

The cavalrymen get a more honorable deal from three films made in succession by him: 'Ford Apache,' 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,' and 'Rio Grande.' These are quite properly referred to as his 'cavalry trilogy' as they deserve to be considered as a body of work dedicated to a particular theme, that of the life of the cavalry and their role as frontier protectors in times of Indian uprising...

'Fort Apache' is about the tensions in an isolated fort-social and military - hierarchy tensions, and, ultimately, the purely military tensions that arise when the commanding officer is transparently ill-fitted for his command...

Henry Fonda is a vain, domineering, and embittered colonel who can't get over losing his Civil War rank as general... He arrives at the Arizona desert outpost to take over from the experienced Indian fighter, John Wayne... He is arrogant, accepting no advice, and further alienates the hard-bitten veterans by refusing to support the romance of his lovely daughter (Shirley Temple) with a young lieutenant from West Point (John Agar) who happens to be the son of sergeant major (Ward Bond).

There are nice touches in the film here about army traditions, and undisciplined troops: Civil War veterans living in noisy harmony; amusing and touching moments with variety of vignettes that deal with the everyday lives of Fort Apache cavalrymen; and pretty Irish drunk humor from Victor McLaglen... The inevitable climax concerns, of course, the colonel's arrogance and ignorance leading his men into an Apache massacre...

Ford consistently finds the most beautiful way to frame a scene, and the black and white photography is stunning... But the best of the trilogy is undoubtedly 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,' which remains for many their favorite Western movie...

probably John Wayne's greatest cowboy flick

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 26 January 2006]

I know that many consider Red River or The Searchers to be Wayne's greatest cowboy movies, but for me, you can't get better than Fort Apache. It is the first of John Ford and John Wayne's cavalry trilogy and is the best of the lot.

I think the most interesting thing about the film is its rather sympathetic view of the American Indians--they were shown as being decent and 3-dimensional and Wayne repeatedly stressed the importance of our country keeping its word of honor to them as well. In fact, it was very funny seeing Wayne portraying the voice of reason while Henry Fonda was more of a martinet and could have cared less about honor and truth.

Along the way, these two great actors are supported by old familiars like Victor McLaglen and Ward Bond, as well as Shirley Temple and her then husband, John Agar. Despite criticism leveled towards Agar by the media over the years (and to a lesser extent, to the adult Temple), I think they did just fine in their roles and made a positive contribution to the movie.

And finally, the action and cinematography is tops. It's hard to imagine a more beautiful black and white film or one where so much care and effort was given to make a great film.

western epic

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 2 January 2020]

Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda) travels to Fort Apache with his daughter Philadelphia (Shirley Temple) to take over command. Captain Kirby York (John Wayne) is disappointed as he expected to be the new commander. Philadelphia falls for young soldier Shannon O'Rourke despite the disapproval of her class-obsessed father. The Apache are on the war path five years after the peace treaty signed by Cochise. Due to alcoholism and starvation, Cochise had broken the treaty and left the reservation for Mexico.

This is an old style western from legendary director John Ford. Henry Fonda is somewhat miscast as the hard-headed, arrogant commander. John Wayne is the heroic one with the moral high ground. It may be better to switch the two leads. While John Wayne can be either, I don't see Fonda that way. As for the Apache, at least Cochise is played by a Mexican and the natives are shown as proud people. The first half is a bit slow. It has the old western humor and the first battle happens only at the halfway point. The most notable aspect is that the final battle has the sides switched from their standard roles. There is an obvious allusion to a historical event. It has something to say about the glorification of war. This is a western epic.

Not Deserving Of The High Marks It Gets

[ccthemovieman-1 · 5/10 · 13 March 2007]

This is overrated John Wayne western. I like Wayne, and I like westerns but that doesn't mean I like all of his movies. There are just too many scenes that go on too long, such as watching men ride horses to and fro, or people in line in a dance session. Where's the editing?

Also, the ending was very unsatisfying in which the "mean" officers is made out to be a hero in here, which wasn't the truth. The fact is he led his men into a needless slaughter. Shirley Temple's role ("Philadelphia Thursday") was also disappointing. True, she look very pretty and was interesting to see as a 20-year-old, but her role was dour - which doesn't fit her image- and she and John Agar ("Lt. Michael Shannon O'Rourke") want to get married after having known each other for just a couple of days???!! (Only in the movies, although Temple wound up marrying Agar in real life!).

The best part of the film as the scenery, but I also say that in a John Ford-directed western because likes Monument Valley, and so do I. Ford seems to feature it in all his westerns, and it always looks good. In fact, that scenery was shown more often that in any other movie I've seen, and it's awesome whether it's in black-and-white or color. It makes me wish I could see this in widescreen

A great American film

[NewEnglandPat · 20 April 2003]

Director John Ford's first entry in his cavalry trilogy is this excellent film about life on a military outpost far from the glamorous theaters of the Indian Wars on the northern plains. The film touches on character development of the officers and enlisted men on the post, family relationships and the class distinctions among the military social order. Henry Fonda is great as a bitter, unhappy colonel who feels unappreciated by the military hierarchy and is displeased by his assignment to the isolated desert areas. John Wayne gives the film just the right balance as a captain who looks out for his men and knows Indians. Ford has his regular cast on board for the film, and John Agar and Shirley Temple handle the romantic clinches. The pace is slowed somewhat by comedy bits that add nothing to the film's substance. The black and white camera work is stunning and the music is reflective and melancholy.

Wonderfully shot Ford film with a lively look at the spirit of the Cavalry

[ma-cortes · 8/10 · 17 August 2010]

First entry in trilogy cavalry including glorification of military life , familiar drama , love and sentimental nostalgia with interesting character studio of a varied assortment of individuals . This is the initial outing in John Ford's trilogy cavalry continuing ¨ She wore a yellow ribbon¨ and ¨Rio Grande ¨ based on stories by James Warner Bellah . It's a first-rate Western masterfully directed by the great John Ford . This is a great Western drama, John Ford's lusty realization and a real classic . Commandant Owen ( Henry Fonda ) is a new and rigid Colonel who arrives along with his young daughter (Shirley Temple) in a fort nearly to Mexican frontier. Owen decides to do a name for himself by beginning a war with the Apaches Chiricaguas and Mezcaleros led by Cochise , against the advice of his two experienced captains ( John Wayne , George O'Brien ). Then the commandant of the far outpost - who has a difficult relationship to his underlings - leads a dangerous campaign against the Indians .

This classic picture ranks as one of the best of John Ford's work. It contains Ford's usual themes as familiar feeling , a little bit of enjoyable humor, a community decided to build the civilization on a virgin territory , friendship and and sense of comradeship among people . Furthermore , ample shots on cloudy and nebulous skies , prairies and mountains filmed at Monument Valley and Professor Valley. Interesting screenplay portraying in depth characters and brooding events with interesting issues running beneath script surface is written by Frank S. Nugent based on a story by James Warner Bellah , booth of whom are John Ford's habitual . Spectacular scenes when the Apaches Indian-Chiricagua and Mezcaleros-spontaneously attack the unit in its last stand .

This excellent film featuring a magnificent performance by whole casting . Awesome John Wayne in a larger-than-life character . Enticing and intimate Shirley Temple , Irene Rich , Anna Lee in sensible roles with sensational performances . Excellent co-starring cast , introducing John Agar - subsequently remembered as the lieutenant in 'she wore a yellow ribbon' , here his first main role . Good cinematography by William H. Clothier and Archie Stout reflecting splendidly marvelous outdoors from mythical Monument Valley , a place that Ford was often to revisit and he befriends Indians tribes . Emotive and vivid score by Richard Hageman based on traditional music ; it contains a wonderful song that is sung on some touching scenes among sweet glances of John Agar and Shirley Temple . In the movie appears all habitual Ford's friends as War Bond , Dick Foran ,Jack Pennick , Hank Worden , Grant Withers , Jack Pennick , Guy Keebe, Pedro Armendariz and , of course , the great Victor McLagen as grumpy sergeant in charge of training the new recruits . The movie is stunningly produced by Merian C Cooper - Argosy Pictures Production- and magnificently filmed by Ford with direction assistant by Cliff Lyons . Avoid a horrible version shown in computer-colored . Rating : Very good, better than average.

All time classic 💙

[millerjacqueline · 10/10 · 12 October 2020]

The scene when they found the whiskey, 'Seargent pour me some scripture'. There are so many classic lines in this movie. One of the many reasons I love Fort Apache ! The entire cast was the best of the best 💙💙

Castle In The Air

[writers_reign · 6/10 · 30 April 2009]

Not for the first time - and surely neither for the last - I find myself apparently watching a different film to other posters here. I have to say from the outset that I tend to find Ford as overrated as Hitchcock on the whole; this is not to say that either man is less than competent and more than a Journeyman yet whatever it is that has gained both iconic status continues to elude me. Fort Apache is and was marketed as a 'Western' yet well over half the screen time is allowed to elapse before anything remotely resembling 'action' occurs. The director seems to be abnormally concerned with day-to-day life on a military outpost in Arizona and the personality clash of a new commander whose military experience was gleaned from the War Between The States rather than that between US cavalry and native American Indian, and the hardened veteran Indian fighters. Given their two radically opposed acting styles it's not surprising that there is a total lack of chemistry between Ford regular John Wayne and Henry Fonda. Monument Valley is photographed well and several Ford regulars - Ward Bond, Victor McGlaglan - do what is expected of them but that's about it.

a classic

[sandcrab277 · 10/10 · 3 June 2018]

Perhaps the only film henry fonda had to actually act in because he wasn't playing henry fonda... i didn't care for his role either ... i'm sure john ford made him gnash his teeth over and over to get this performance ... shirley temple was the best in this film ... its probably the only film she was in that i liked ... john wayne played john wayne very well... the supporting cast did their jobs very well ... i've watched this classic about a hundred times

Power in place of honor, rank in place of logic...

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 30 May 2008]

Henry Fonda is probably too young for his role as the rigid, by-the-books new Lieutenant Colonel stationed in the post-Civil War west by way of New England, yet his passionate feel for this imposing character--haughtily reserved from emotion, overtly focused but also uncontrolled--shows signs of an actor worth his conviction; this widower Lieutenant isn't a pleasant man by any means, and Fonda doesn't strive to sentimentalize him. "Fort Apache" is director John Ford's first entry in what became a trilogy about life in the US Calvary (the other films which followed were "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" in 1949 and "Rio Grande" in 1950, each starring John Wayne and co-starring Victor McLaglen). Wayne's Army Captain is surprisingly given much less to do than Fonda--perhaps less than even Shirley Temple cast as Fonda's daughter (Temple doesn't display the behavior of a young woman who grew up with this man as her father--she's lightly fanciful and chatty, as if she didn't have a care in the world). The film, shot at Ford's favorite movie location, Monument Valley, looks good but doesn't offer much in the way of drama until nearly an hour of screen-time has passed. Predictably, it wears patriotism as a coat of arms, but Ford offers no explanation for the Lieutenant's behavior (we have to fill in the blanks). John Ford wasn't a filmmaker apt to delve into the psychological make-up of a character; thus, we have the power and, ultimately, the ineptitude without much of this man's reasoning. What was the logic behind this plan of attack? The all-smiles tag at the finale isn't telling... **1/2 from ****

One of the Best

[garp15-1 · 9/10 · 26 July 2004]

This is one of my top 3-4 movies made by the Duke. It gets better each time I watch it, and I watch it nearly every time it's on. If you haven't seen a restored version, you'll be amazed at the cinematography. Absolutely gorgeous. I don't think it would have been improved in color, as one of the earlier comments said.

The final scene reminds me of "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" as well. In "Valance", at the end of the movie, the newspaperman says upon learning who DID shoot Liberty Valance, "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." The same thing happens in Fort Apache, when the newspaper reporters talk about a famous painting of Col. Thursday's bold charge into the face of the enemy, when it was anything but the truth.

One hell of a movie that should be viewed by anyone who likes great entertainment.

Fort Apache

[Magenta_Bob · 6/10 · 23 December 2013]

Having loved the Ford/Wayne collaboration The Searchers and in general become more positive towards "classic movies" since I last saw Fort Apache, I was hoping it would have something of a renaissance now, but no, it's still pretty lame. It's not downright bad, just very…not interesting in any way. The barren Arizonan landscapes are cool when they don't look too much like a set, although the colorization I watched looked slightly cheap. Henry Fonda is pretty good as the overzealous colonel, determined to gain glory despite having been sidelined by the US army, and when his conflict with good guy John Wayne intensifies, it is elevated to a decently interesting question of honor and the rights of the Native Americans.

When the massacre becomes a heroic charge, both Ford and Wayne know which story to tell...

[ElMaruecan82 · 9/10 · 24 May 2021]

John Ford is there neck-to-neck with Alfred Hitchcock, together the greatest directors of the English language. But I might give the edge to Ford because I'm a sentimental and I can't resist the way Ford emphasizes the story in history, covering through his immense body of work a century-and-half of American conquests and turmoils with the prose of a natural born raconteur and camera's penmanship.

And now that John Wayne became a controversial figure, when the myth of the American frontier is reduced to polarized intellectual crumbs triggering petty sensitivities, it's easy to see Ford as a one-sided old-school director who portrayed the Native in the negative in "Stagecoach" or "The Searchers". And I wish I could see the cavalry trilogy in chronological order and take a few words back from my "Rio Grande" review. Anyway, "Fort Apache" is certainly one of the earliest Westerns to deconstruct the 'savage' myth and offers a balanced view of the Apache tribes under the commandment of Cochise (Miguel Inclan).

And being a masterful military film, it goes even further by showing them as rather well-organized warriors, far from the usual caricatures of Indians going into headlong charges like sitting ducks for average sharpshooters; this time, they're the ones who set the trap and uses Monument Valley like the Vietnamese did for Dien-Bien-Phu with the French in Indochine. I admire John Ford's bravery, maturity, and visual artistry as the film is certainly the master as its peak in the way he's literally painting the battles with great black-and-white contrasts, giving a mythical aura to the whole action.

The film doesn't romanticize the cavalry, it's centered in a remote post in Arizona next to the frontier where a certain laisser-aller is soon to be disrupted by the arrival of Lt. Col. Owen Thursday, a man who acts by the book, a Civil War veteran whose assignment signifies a punishment rather than a promotion. Colonel Thursday, played by a straight-laced Henry Fonda, makes no attempt to be liked but rather to lead the fight the way he intends to, ignoring the advice of those who preceded him, notably the former leader: Capt. Kirby York (John Wayne). This time, it's Duke himself who sides with the Natives, accusing the corrupted Bureau of Indian Affairs for stirring their resentment and you can tell their fates hang on the blind patriotism of Thursday.

There's something so unflappable in his posture that it takes us off-guard, even by John Ford's standards, making the closest to an antagonist in the film. He even plays a pivotal role in the subplot, by preventing his daughter Philadelphia (Shirley Temple) to marry the clean-cut 2nd Lt. Michael Shannon O'Rourke (played by her husband John Agar), the son of the Sgt. Major of the same name, played by the inevitable Ward Bond. There are many "O's" in the army but as an annoyed Thursday points out "too many O'Rourkes". The romance, as predictable as it is, highlights the alienating effect Thursday creates within his entourage and how one man's attachment to the Code can break the codes of chivalry and savoir-vivre.

There's one scene where it's O'Rourke Sr. Himself who reminds Thursday that his conduct is inappropriate. But again to defuse all this uptight tension, Ford knows how to bring a dose of humor, earlier when he solemnly asked Phil to leave the house, not to compromise his young son's career, his own wife orders him to sit down and you can tell she meant business. That's one of Ford's unsung talents, to incorporate the right doses of comedy in his film, and I'll always be grateful when the credits include Victor McLaglen: he plays Quincallon, one of the four sergeants whose slight interest for alcohol inspires quite a hilarious ellipse. Like Hitchcock, Ford had his sense of humor.

And he knew how to make war movies, painting a glorious portrait of the cavalry that has nothing to envy from "Saving Private Ryan". His secret? He shows men first; greenhorns who're taught what a horse is, drunk sergeants, mama's boys but slowly these men grow and once they go into action, the faces disappears, forming troops leaving toward the horizon, the myth is on march. Ford's camera knows how to swift from one scope to another, and in the scene where York talks peace to Cochise and we see Thursday going into a rant against the Apaches, notice how the camera focuses on Cochise's eye-language, he's not shocked by the words but rather the man's foolishness. Ford gives a personal dimension to the fight and something almost suicidal in Thursday's actions.

But at the end, it's history written by the winner, echoing the legendary "if the legend becomes facts, print the legend", a literal massacre inspired from the fall of Custer at Little Big Horn, is 'purified', becoming a heroic charge and poor dead soldiers the posthumous carriers of a myth based on loyalty, courage and friendship. The romance that had so much buildup is cut short and we later see the little O'Rourke and Philadelphia who joined the other women gazing at the horizon while their men are converging toward the sunset. What stays is the tradition, the rituals like all these songs, these dances whose steps are no less rigid than military protocols. They all have a purpose, they give a ground to walk on, values to stand for, and Ford has the same attachment to filmmaking rules: don't tell what can be shown or expressed through music or images, have a good story and then improvise a little, trusting your actors.

And how fresh to see John Wayne playing such a nuanced character. I suspect he might have inspired Eastwood's "Josey Wales", especially when he meets the Chief played by Will Sampson, but I suspect all American directors have seen this film, for whoever you think is the best among Scorsese, Spielberg or Eastwood, well guess what? John Ford was their favorite director. That says something.

"Stay on your horses men, and if you fall off, get on again."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 17 July 2005]

Henry Fonda portrays Colonel Owen Thursday in this post Civil War cavalry Western, and manages to clash with virtually everyone else in the film, including his own daughter Philadelphia (Shirley Temple). Thursday is assigned to Fort Apache in the Arizona Territory, an end of the line outpost in which he feels shunted aside as regards his military career. Complicating matters, the pretty "Phil" is immediately attracted to West Point graduate and Second Lieutenant Michael O'Rourke (John Agar). Against this backdrop, Thursday must deal with an Apache tribe increasingly dissatisfied with reservation life and their treatment at the hands of dishonest trader Silas Meacham (Grant Withers). When Thursday decides that the Apaches must return to the reservation against their will, his resolve is questioned by Captain Kirby York (John Wayne), who has always stood by his word with Apache Chief Cochise.

Subordinate to his superior officer, John Wayne does an admirable job in maintaining a delicate balance between following orders and resolutely pointing out the Colonel's folly in pursuing his course against the Apaches. York self assuredly gets Cochise to agree to a parley, only to learn that Thursday's intention is to attack with a regiment and earn the glory that will get him promoted to a more suitable assignment. Noting York's attitude as cowardice, Thursday relieves him of command and details him to the supply train. Thursday's only redemption, if it can be called that, is that he returns to battle after being severely injured and with the outcome of the battle no longer in doubt. His death in combat cements his reputation, even as his arrogance and defiance to the end causes his own downfall.

In one of her final film roles, Shirley Temple seems out of place in the wild west, and her characterization of the Colonel's daughter is at times pouting and demure. There were moments in the film that she reminded me of the young Judy Garland.

John Agar marks his film debut in this movie; he would go on to mini fame in the mid 1950's in such "B" sci-fi and horror gems as "Revenge of the Creature", "Tarantula" and "The Mole People".

Word must be mentioned of the superb cinematography in this film; the expansive desert imagery and rock formations often times overshadow the story, as if the affairs of soldiers and Indians could even attempt to outweigh the beauty and grandeur of nature.

Besides the movie's star players, the film boasts a talented supporting cast, including Ward Bond, George O'Brien, Victor McLaglen and Dick Foran. Their finest moments usually come in the form of comic relief, as portrayed in a scene showing new recruits learning to ride horseback. But it's in a scene left to one's imagination that brings the biggest chuckle, when Colonel Thursday requests his men to destroy trader Meacham's supply of rotgut moonshine. Following orders, they each pick up a cup, in full readiness to complete their mission.

Did Not Like Fonda in Such an Unsympathetic Role

[Helpfan65 · 3/10 · 4 January 2020]

It was difficult to watch this and see Fonda play such as jerk. Plus the plot was somewhat weak, Temple and Agar's was storyline was uninteresting to say the least and the usual antics of McLaglen were repetitive of so many of his movies. To be fair the Apache's were treated as victims of the white man, justified in their actions, and it was surprising to see Wayne as their advocate. However I did not like the ending, it came across as a cover up placing false glory on a treacherous act. But I guess that was Ford's message, the image of the military must be protected, and that did not sit well with me.