She Wore a Yellow Ribbon - 75th Anniversary

This celebrates the recent 75th anniversary of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, the second in a series of US cavalry films by John Ford, preceded by Fort Apache 1948 & succeeded by Rio Grande 1950. All three feature John Wayne, but this was a surprise casting in the lead role, which until Red River 1948 Ford did not consider him capable of. Wayne is Captain Nathan Brittles, on the eve of his retirement, who takes out a last patrol to stop an impending massive Indian attack from Cheyenne and Arapaho after the defeat of Custer and the 7th Cavalry at Little Big Horn in Montana. He is also burdened by women who must be evacuated, so Brittles finds his mission imperilled. Wayne was 41 when the film was made, and playing a 60-year-old he won great acclaim for his acting, this being one of his personal favourites; he was nominated in the same year 1949 for Sands of Iwo Jima, but felt it should have been for this one; John Ford gave Wayne a cake at the finish of shooting, saying “You’re an actor now !” The film won an Oscar 1950 for best colour cinematography and also starred Joanne Dru, John Agar, Ben Johnson, Victor McLaglen, Harry Carey Jnr, George O’Brien & Mildred Natwick. This was shot on location in Monument Valley & Kayenta & Teec Nos Pos & Mexican Water & Red Mesa, Arizona; Moab & Kanab & Mexican Hat, Utah; also at RKO-Pathé Studios, Culver City, California. Brittles’ quarters in the film are still there at Gouldings Lodge, now called The John Wayne Cabin just outside of Monument Valley in Utah itself, near the Navajo reservation. The premiere was in Kansas City, Missouri. There is a famous Wayne quote from Brittles in the film:- “Never apologise; it’s a sign of weakness.”