She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) User Reviews

This is my father's favorite film,

[ecjones1951 · 7/10 · 28 December 2005]

and he has easily seen it over 200 times. He got me hooked on it when I was a young girl by pointing out all the gentle humor and the repeated comedic bits that separate it from many other westerns. I still love it for those reasons and more.

"Yellow Ribbon" is not John Ford's best movie, but it may be John Wayne's. Capt. Brittles is -- needless to say -- the antithesis of Henry Fonda's Col. Thursday in "Fort Apache." When the film opens, it is obvious Capt. Brittles has earned the respect of his troops and won their loyalty, and by the fade-out they have come to love him like devoted sons.

For someone who was allegedly so difficult to work with, John Ford put together a truly remarkable stock company of actors and technical personnel. They appeared in his films time and again, and there was more or less a core group of professionals on screen and off that gave all of Ford's westerns color, excitement and realism. But "Yellow Ribbon" has something less expected: warmth. And there's not a thing wrong with that.

"She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" is also arguably the most sentimental movie John Ford ever made, and there's nothing wrong with that, either.

An American classic by John Ford and John Wayne

[NewEnglandPat · 7/10 · 29 September 2009]

This film is the second entry in John Ford's "cavalry trilogy" and may be the best of the three with John Wayne's performance being one of the best of his career. The picture is an ode to the U.S. cavalry in the wake of the Custer debacle with the threat of more Indian uprisings on the frontier. Wayne's escort patrol is the film's focal point which also has an on-going romantic squabble between two young officers and a woman which explains the movie's title. The wonderful lensing captures the natural beauty of Monument Valley, and the scenes of the patrol crossing the wide expanses during a thunderstorm with lightning streaks against the dark clouds are among the picture's best moments. Ben Johnson stands out as an ex-Confederate soldier and point man and other Ford stock regulars such as Harry Carey Jr. and John Agar have supporting roles.

You got a breath on you like a hot mince pie.

[lastliberal · 8/10 · 17 May 2007]

One of the best written westerns and an Oscar winner for cinematography, this John Ford western, some 10 years after Stagecoach, shows a different side of Wayne.

It is the middle film in John Ford's (and actor John Wayne's) U.S. Cavalry trilogy, which includes Fort Apache (1948) & Rio Grande (1950. It is the best of the three as we see Wayne, just short of retirement, trying to mature a couple of Lieutenant's to take his place.

Comic relief is provided by Victor McLaglen, as Top Sergeant Quincannon, especially where he single-handedly whips eight men between drinks. His presence can certainly light up a movie.

Colorful Centerpiece of Cavalry Trilogy...

[cariart · 24 September 2003]

SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON is, arguably, the most enduring and appealing of John Ford's 'Cavalry' trilogy. While lacking the dramatic core of a fatally flawed central character (FORT APACHE), or an estranged couple reunited by a headstrong son (RIO GRANDE), the film offers a richly sentimental tale of a crusty yet endearing career soldier (John Wayne) facing retirement, in a romanticized West where the cavalry stands as the only defense against the combined might of the Indian nations. The combination of Wayne and the cavalry in SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON is simply unbeatable!

Wayne, at 42, portrays the sixty-ish Capt. Nathan Brittles, and under Ford's sure hand, is magnificent in the role. Whether chastising young lieutenants ("Never apologize, mister, it's a sign of weakness"), complimenting an enlisted man ("Keep it up, and you'll make a fine corporal, in three or four years"), or kneeling at the grave of his long-dead wife, to share the news of the day, Wayne's performance shows a subtlety and sensitivity that his critics often claimed he lacked. When his commander, Major Allshard (George O'Brien) refuses his request to rescue Lt. Cohill (John Agar) and two squads who had performed rear guard duty, the anguish Wayne shows is heartbreaking. This is an Oscar-caliber performance, from a vastly underrated actor.

The rest of the cast measures up equally well. Victor McLaglen, as irascible as ever, plays Irish Top Sergeant Quincannon, full of blarney and (a bit of) whiskey. His morning scenes with Wayne, denying he'd been drinking, are comic gems. As the young suitors of Joanne Dru (who plays a more traditional role than in Howard Hawks' RED RIVER), Agar and Harry Carey Jr. are also quite good.

The real 'find' of the film, however, is Ben Johnson, in only his second major role. As Sgt. Tyree, ex-Confederate captain, and Brittles' best scout, Johnson shows an easy-going charm, a (feigned) lack of respect (when asked his opinion, he'd always begin with "That's not my department..." then make a dead-on assessment), and astonishing riding skills (not surprising, as Johnson had been a champion rodeo rider). A future Oscar winner, he displays a charisma on-camera that would quickly earn him a place in the 'Ford Family' of actors.

The visuals of SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON have been frequently compared to Fredric Remington's classic paintings of cavalrymen and Indians, and the comparison is justified; the film would win an Oscar for it's rich Technicolor photography, and images of 'dirty blue' riders on horseback against the stark blue sky and golden hues of Monument Valley are very reminiscent of the artist's work.

SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON is the kind of film you can watch again and again, and still find rewarding. It is on my 'short list' of favorite westerns, and if you haven't seen it yet, you're in for a treat!

Color Is Magnificent; Story Is So-So

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 22 October 2006]

I got interested in seeing this film not because I like westerns (which I do) but because I read where this was a spectacular visual film.. Well, that it is, with some drop-dead gorgeous color in spots that looks super on VHS or DVD, the latter being better, of course. Director John Ford has some nice shots of his favorite locale, Monument Valley, along with other nice shots.

For a western, there isn't much action in this film. However, the beautiful colors and the magnetism of John Wayne, who dominates this film, still make it interesting. Victor McLaghlen adds some humor to the tale with with whiskey- drinking, hard-fighting Irishman role and Ben Johnson is good as the key scout.

I couldn't believe how young Johnson looked as I am used to seeing him as a grizzled veteran. In fact, I wouldn't have known it was him but for his distinct voice and accent. At any rate, I thought he was the best character in the film.

A good part of the story is about two guys - John Agar and Harry Carey Jr. fighting over Joanne Dru. That gets annoying after awhile and, after three looks at this movie, was a contributing factor in me trading this movie for another.

All in all, a "decent" western that those who don't like a lot of violence might like because there are no villains to hate and a surprising non-violent ending.

Never Apologize

[theowinthrop · 9/10 · 30 August 2005]

There is an ironic point about the production of SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON immediately after FORT APACHE. Most critics agree that Col. Owen Thursday, the martinet commander, is based on General George Armstrong Custer, and that the massacre of his command due to his own pig headedness is the battle of the Little Bighorn. But SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON begins with that moment in the summer of 1876 when the entire frontier was nervous after word came of the destruction of Custer forces. The historic continuity (which is amazingly consistent, despite minor anachronisms) is shown early when Captain Brittles, visiting his wife's grave, mentions to her the death of Captain Miles Keogh at the Little Bighorn. Historically this is correct. Keogh, a hero of the American Civil War, served with Custer's Seventh Cavalry and died with his commander and fellows. In fact, the only "survivor" of Custer's forces at that disaster was Keogh's horse, "Commanche".

Captain Brittles has served in the American cavalry for thirty years. He was one of those soldiers who held higher rank in the Civil War with a "Brevet", but in the cutbacks in the army following the war (Custer went from brevet major general to Lt. Col. in the regular army)Brittles had to be satisfied with the rank of Captain. His wife and children died (presumably of some epidemic illness at the post - they are buried nearby). His old orderly from the war, Quincannon (Victor McLaglen) is still serving him. But he is facing a crisis. His thirty years means retirement, unless the army decides to promote him to Colonel. Despite the debacle in Montana, it is not too likely that the politically unconnected Brittles will get the promotion his fine abilities deserve.

So we are watching an old soldier slowly fade away in this film. Brittles is aware he has days before he is to leave (unless a promotion turns up), and he has to try to keep the hot blooded Indian braves, impressed at what they just saw Crazy Horse and the Lakota forces accomplish, go on the warpath. He also has to keep his two most promising young officers (John Agar and Harry Carey Jr.) concentrating on their careers rather than fighting over Joanne Dru. He is worried too for Sgt. Quincannon, who is likewise going to be leaving the army a few days after Brittles. Will Quincannon's drunken, roistering ways ruin his chances to maintain his pension? And he has to keep an eye on the suspicious behavior of the local fort sutler (Paul Fix) is up to - can he be running guns? Whatever he faces, he faces unflinchingly, and his motto is never to apologize - it's a sign of weakness.

For all the anachronisms listed on this thread, such as the 48 star flag (in 1876?), Ford got the time and place perfect in what counts. Note the fascinating relationship of Brittles and Sgt. Tyree (Ben Johnson). 1876 was a crossroad year for the U.S. regarding the results of the Civil War. In the negative, a questionable Presidential election result was solidified when three southern states agreed to support the Republican (Rutherford Hayes) over the Democrat (Samuel Tilden) in return for the Federal troops being pulled out of the south and the official end of Reconstruction policies benefiting southern African-Americans. One can't deny that is still a stain in American history (despite Hayes excellent handling of the Presidency afterwords). But the former foes were finding less and less reason to dislike each other, and more and more to admire the grit both sides had shown. During the Civil War, Tyree was a Confederate Captain - he was Brittles' equal in rank. Once the war ended, after a few years, he joins the American Army and rises to the rank of Sergeant. Technically he is not as high a Sergeant as Quincannon, who is Brittles' aide. But Brittles constantly treats Tyree as a full equal, consulting him again and again on how to move next when going out of the fort to confront the Indian threat. The highpoint of this respect is when one of Tyree's "soldiers", "Trooper Smith" turns out to be a former Confederate cavalry leader named Rome Clay, and dies of wounds in an action against the Indians. Brittles and his men watch silently while Tyree and his fellow southern soldiers bury Clay properly with his flag, the Confederate one.

In terms of relations between the whites of the North and South, SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON is miles away from the confrontations of, say THE PRISONER OF SHARK ISLAND. There John Carridine's northern officer has nothing but fanatical contempt for Dr. Mudd, whom he considers evil for helping John Wilkes Booth. Until the end of that film, Carridine takes a sadistic interest in making Warner Baxter regret his every move. The events of THE PRISONER was from 1865 - 1869 (when Mudd finally returned to Maryland). This is seven years afterwords.

There are other little historical pointers. The rivalry of immigrant groups is shown when Quincannon is facing rival Sergeant Hochbauer, who openly dislikes the former as an overbearing Irishman (Hochbauer being a German). There is the civilian clothes that are meant for Brittles (complete with "Muller cut-down hat") that Quincannon ends sampling (which leads to his hysterically funny fight with Hochbauer and the other soldiers meant to take him to the guardhouse). Quincannon insists he is not out of uniform (technically he is) but is simply dressed as a retired gentleman should be. Yes, in 1876, that would be the dress of a retired gentleman.

I like this film. The characterizations of the all the actors are strong, and Ford had great set pieces in it. Perhaps not as great a film as THE SEARCHERS (which is more meaty and dark), but a top notch Western all the same.

Second installment to cavalry trilogy , along with Fort Apache and Rio Grande

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 20 January 2008]

This attractive movie scripted by Frank Nugent is the second episode in prestigious cavalry trilogy , united to first , ¨Fort Apache¨ and following , ¨Rio Grande¨ . It deals with an ageing officer named Nathan Brittles (Wayne's greatest role as an Indian fighting Captain) and a sergeant (a sympathetic Victor McLagen) about retirement , attempting to custody the outpost commander's(George O'Brien) wife (top-notch Mildred Natwick) and daughter (gorgeous Joanne Dru) and drive and repel Indians off lands . Meanwhile , she's lured by two suitors (John Agar and Harry Carey Jr) wearing a yellow ribbon .

This extraordinary film packs melancholy , good feeling , friendship, comedy and marvelous outdoors . Furthermore, the usual comic relief in charge of Victor McLagen as a drunken sergeant . The movie contains usual Ford's themes , such as unlovable camaraderie , emotionalism with nostalgic longing for old values , as the family and tradition . Besides, there appear notorious secondary actors , Ford's usual , as Ben Johnson , Jack Pennick , Francis Ford , Paul Fix , among others. Winton C Hoch's impressive colour cinematography in stunning Technicolor , which deservedly won an Academy Award , reflecting splendidly the wide open spaces filmed in Monument Valley , Ford's penchant for location work . Winton Hoch assisted by cameraman Charles Boyle shot natural storms with real lightning and thunders while the groups of soldiers go riding . Emotive and patriotic musical score with classics ballads by Richard Hageman . The motion picture was wonderfully directed by the master Ford . Rating : magnificent movie , it is an unforgettable and unchallenged classic movie .

Exciting, highly enjoyable, and beautiful!

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 9/10 · 5 August 2001]

'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon' remains for many viewers their favorite Ford film, and it is certainly the most striking visually... Winton C. Hoch won an Oscar for his Technicolor photography...

The compositions and photography around Ford's new stamping ground of Monument valley are great to look at as always... The Monument Valley goes from bright sunlight to hail and sleet...

There is a melancholy mixed together in those incredible vistas, with a certain sense of dreamlike contemplation... A backdrop so complex but so significant as the human characters...

Ford has superbly achieved a huge and composite demonstration of all the legends of the frontier cavalryman... Never have the legendary troops been through the silent 'Indian country' and across the magnificent Western plains so brilliant, vivid, exciting and romantic...

Ford has surely done better himself, unquestionably with 'My Darling Clementine,' and 'The Searchers,' yet one has to admit the undisputed merits of 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.' Even the usual criticism launched against it-that it is a Western influenced by feeling rather by reason—can be dismissed at the start... Certainly Ford can be sentimental but only when the springs of honest feeling run dry and lose their inspiration, and this never really happens in 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.'

The story is that of an older cavalry officer (John Wayne) who is six days from retirement at Fort Stark when he's sent out, in a last mission, to escort the Major's wife (Mildred Natwick) and her niece, an attractive single lady (Joanne Dru) out of the danger area... Wayne tries to fulfill his military role protecting his female charges against the uprising of the Sioux, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche and Apaches...

Wayne possibly more than any other Western star has re-created and heightened the mythology of the West-one has only to watch again his absolute and ideal image in 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,' or his avenging Ethan in 'The Searchers,' to be reminded of how irresistible the Duke has been on the cinema screen...

'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon' is above all a sentimental movie, with irresistible scenes, full of Ford's best touches:

• The cavalry engaged in its everyday work... Wayne simply can't picture himself in a world far from the army...

• The comic interaction between Wayne and Victor McLaglen, two hardcore professional officers...

• The bravery of Sgt. Tyree (Ben Johnson), chased by hostile Indians, who must finish his mission by reporting to the captain what he saw...

• The rivalry of two young cavalry lieutenants (John Agar and Harry Carey Jr.) in love with the same woman, each competing to have her wear a yellow ribbon as a token of his love...

• The 'beloved brute,' the tough-soft cavalry sergeant sharing his saddle with a little orphan rescued from a devastated stage station...

• Ford celebrating McLaglen's lachrymose in self-indulgent fisticuffs in an epic saloon fight...

• The last inspection of the C. troops almost bringing tears to Wayne's and the audience's eyes, as he reads the inscription that means so much to him...

• Wayne riding into the war camp of the Indians to stop a war...

• The U. S. cavalry at full gallop descending upon the encampment, firing wildly and stampeding hundred of Indian ponies...

• The evocative use of music, notably the gay and spirited theme song of the yellow ribbon, played countless times...

'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon ' is an exciting story with strong characters and sentiment, highly enjoyable, and beautiful...

John Wayne as you've never seen him before

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 23 January 2017]

SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON is a 1940s western (in colour!) from famed director John Ford, set in the immediate aftermath of the Custer massacre and once again featuring soldiers in a plot in which they fight back against murderous Native Americans. As is usual for a Ford film, the main star is John Wayne, but there's a surprise in store here for the fans: Wayne is playing something OTHER than his usual character!

Wayne fans well know that the star was famed for playing essentially the same character over and over again during his long career - that consistency is what we love about him, after all - but here he plays an old-timer and is pretty much unrecognisable in the role, aside from his voice.

The film is solid enough viewing for western fans, featuring some great visuals and an ensemble cast of familiar faces who acquit themselves well with the material. The story rarely flags and builds to a thoroughly exciting denouement which doesn't disappoint. I could have done without all of the love triangle stuff but even that doesn't detract from the experience too much.

"...wherever they rode, whatever they fought for, that place became the United States."

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 24 August 2005]

The second of John Ford's cavalry trilogy that deals with the life of the professional soldier is the only one that was photographed in color. Lucky are we, the cinema fans two generations away.

She Wore A Yellow Ribbon has John Wayne the embodiment of the thirty year army man. The year of the action of the film which is 1876 has Wayne mentioning in passing that he was at the Battle of Chapultepec in the Mexican War which started in 1846. Wayne's Nathan Brittles was by his account a dirty shirt tailed runaway from his father's Ohio farm when he joined the army. And now he's reached mandatory retirement. He's married and has had a family who he's lost for reasons John Ford doesn't explain in the film. But Wayne dutifully, "makes his report" at their gravesides every night he's at the post.

Wayne's seen a lot of military history and a lot of tragedy. With no family left, the United States Cavalry is his home and family. He doesn't like the idea of retiring at all. In a later Ford film, The Long Gray Line, Martin Maher says that all he knows and holds dear is at West Point. Wayne could have said that line himself here.

Even though George O'Brien is the commanding officer at Fort Stark, Wayne is the father figure for the whole post. And not like some of the others don't behave like children. The whole romantic rivalry between John Agar and Harry Carey, Jr. over Joanne Dru seems pretty childish. Cute while in the safety of the post, but when out on a mission downright dangerous and Wayne like the good father scolds his kiddies.

With some makeup to grey his hair and wrinkle him a might, Wayne turns in one of his finest performances on the screen. Harry Carey, Jr. wrote what is probably the most evenly balanced portrayal of the Duke in his memoirs In the Company of Heroes. They didn't always get along, but Carey says Wayne was an inspiration to him and the other younger cast members. In fact during the scene with the gunrunners Paul Fix and Grant Withers being killed in the Indian camp while Wayne, Carey, and Agar watch on the ridge, the whole idea for the chaw of tobacco bit came from Carey himself, but that Wayne encouraged the improvisation as he was wont to do.

Other than the Duke, my favorite portrayal in the film is that of Ben Johnson as Sergeant Tyree. Wayne recognizes in him a younger version of himself. In fact Tyree is a former Confederate Army captain, a fact brought out in the death scene of "Trooper Smith" another former Confederate who in fact was a general in that army. Ben Johnson was a real cowboy, a horse wrangler who John Ford gave a chance to act. He graced many a film with his presence and won himself an Oscar to cap his career in The Last Picture Show.

Like in Fort Apache and Rio Grande, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is the story of the professional soldier and the sacrifices he makes when he gives up his civilian status to serve his country. It's a universal theme, not just confined to the USA. No one embodied that theme better than did John Wayne as Nathan Brittles in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.

"Don't apologize, it's a sign of weakness."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 24 September 2005]

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" may not be the best title that this film could have had; the yellow ribbon stands for a sweetheart, and the movie doesn't dwell on romance, unless it's the symbolic romance of the Old West in the days following Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn. That's where the movie picks up, as Captain Nathan Brittles (John Wayne) facing retirement in just six more days, laments the two hundred and twelve dead at that battle, having known many of the fallen. Brittles' last assignment will be to escort his commanding officer's wife (George O'Brien, Mildred Natwick) and niece (Joanne Dru) to a rendezvous with a stagecoach East at Sudrow Mills. At the same time, the Captain must avert the sale of firearms to hostile Indians who have come to heed Sitting Bull's call for a holy war against the white man.

Filmed in color as the middle leg of director John Ford's cavalry Western trilogy, "Ribbon" is set in Monument Valley, a favored Ford locale. You'll recognize formations from the prior year's "Fort Apache", and on them rest the year's Oscar for Best Color Cinematography.

Wayne's character plays out admirably against strong performances by a host of young actors. Ben Johnson is Brittles' right hand man, Sergeant Tyree, who offers strong advice for the Captain to consider, even when it's not "his department". Lieutenant Flint Cohill (John Agar) and Second Lieutenant Ross Pennell (Harry Carey Jr.) vie for the proverbial yellow ribbon worn by pretty Olivia Dandridge (Dru), and at one point it takes Brittles' intervention to prevent fisticuffs between the two officers, complete with a verbal dressing down as befits their station in the military.

You'd be hard pressed to ever see John Wayne cry in a movie, but he comes close here. When presented with a silver watch upon his retirement, his character holds back tears as he battles the sniffles, choking for the words to thank his men.

As was his custom, director Ford sprinkles this movie with moments of comic relief, and the best comes near the end of the film. Wishing to protect Top Sergeant Quincannon's (Vicor McLaglen) pension in retirement, only days following Brittles' own, the Captain orders his men to arrest Quincannon for being drunk and out of uniform. Earlier, Brittles encouraged Quincannon to try on a civilian suit to see how he would look dressed as a gentleman. Seven soldiers attempt to bring him in, but halt in their mission long enough for the sergeant to buy them all a round. With a politically incorrect line you probably wouldn't hear in a film made today, one of the soldiers states "I'd love to throw that big Mick into the cooler".

Ultimately, events conspire against Captain Brittles, as he accepts blame for the failures at Sudrow Mills, and for the Indians acquiring firearms. With the combined might of the Kiowa, Comanche, Arapaho, Cheyenne and Apache putting aside their differences to make war together, Brittles makes a last ditch effort to insure peace by riding into the Indian camp to parley with Chief Pony That Walks. He like Brittles is an old man, and has been overruled by the young chiefs. With the minute hand of his retirement watch showing twelve minutes to midnight, Brittles leads a charge to scatter the Indian horses so they have none to make battle - "No Casualties, no Indian war, no court martial".

The feel good ending of the movie comes when Brittles, riding off into the sunset, is retrieved by Sergeant Tyree, bringing him news of a civilian assignment to Chief of Scouts from President Grant. The closing words of the narrator puts the sacrifices of the U.S. Cavalry into both human and historical perspective - "Wherever they rode, and whatever they fought for, that place became the United States".

John Wayne, Cinematography, Both Brilliant

[vox-sane · 9/10 · 14 November 2001]

Anyone who thinks John Wayne can't act should see this movie and eat crow. A young man then, he played a cavalry officer on the verge of retirement. Watch his eyes (the sign of a great actor). It's a wonder he wasn't even nominated for the Academy Award for this role, which few in Hollywood could pull off convincingly.

It's also a John Wayne western the woman in your life will probably like. Wayne talks tenderly at the grave of his wife, and even has a moment of sucking back weeping when his men show their fondness for him.

This bittersweet, elegaic film about a retiring officer on his last mission doesn't have lots of action in it (Ford seems to have thrown in a fistfight with McLaglin just because that actor had little to do, and though it's corny, it has a wonderful beginning).

Apart from Wayne, the reason to watch this is the cinematography. Monument valley, host to myriad westerns, never looked better. They even captured a marvelous thunderstorm in the background, in these days before special effects (the cinematographer, who did snatch an Oscar, originally protested the work, but Ford made him film the scene and they ended up with one of the most striking natural scenes ever).

For years people didn't think Wayne could act. Some, like me, grew up on his later, post-"True Grit" movies, when he did tend to walk through his parts, more icon than actor. He didn't have great finesse with his lines (neither does a fine actor of today, Harrison Ford), but his roles rarely called for the nicety of a Jeremy Irons. In his better movies, Wayne proves he's more than just a movie star. This is his finest hour, and may be John Ford's.

A wonderful tribute to the American spirit and glory.

[bobsgrock · 7/10 · 22 August 2009]

It may seem outdated and a bit racist for our time, but John Ford's She Wore A Yellow Ribbon as well as his entire Calvary Trilogy can all be seen as a tribute to the American spirit that embodied the patriotic feelings that made this country come to be. John Wayne gives one of his very finest performances as Captain Nathan Brittle, a man on the brink of retirement who finds himself amongst one last incident that involves facing seemingly all the Indian tribes gathered together to defeat the white man.

Wayne is so focused with this role; his gait, his speech patterns, his costume all come together to give us the character of a man who has been in the army for so long he knows practically nothing else. He lives for every exciting moment that can happen and he passes this love onto his supporters, Sgt. Tyree (Ben Johnson), and Lt. Cohill (John Agar). These are not only his two most loyal companions but also the two best supporting roles in the movie that complete the action of affection and loyalty needed to convince us that Brittle is a lovable man. Of course, with Ford the visuals enhance and entice us into the picture. Filming once again in Monument Valley, we see the beauty of the American west and why it was so important to discover and pioneer it.

Of course, there is a great case that can be made for the mistreatment of Indians, perhaps the only serious blotch on Ford's resume. Still, as an American and history lover, Ford is the Great American Storyteller and here he continues to entertain and astonish with his love and affection for the beauty and toughness of the western frontier and the spirit of the American destiny that pushed us all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

BEAUTIFUL, BUT NOTHING HAPPENS

[matt-96 · 5/10 · 1 April 1999]

I hate hating this film. Ford is one of the greats, and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is the greatest Western of all time. But here, despite gorgeous cinematography and underlying tension, nothing ever comes to anything in the area of action or suspense. Perhaps Ford wanted to revel in Wayne and his character, but a good story would have done wonders for true character development. Want to see real Wayne acting under Ford - try "The Searchers".

Looks great and plays well but I didn't find it as good as I've come to expect from this stable (sorry!)

[bob the moo · 25 December 2003]

A week or so before his retirement, Captain Nathan Brittles is in charge of a fort when it is clear that the Indian tribes are joining to fight their common foe of the cavalry. Brittles leads his men out to try and stop the impending attack but finds himself hampered by having to also escort the two women who were staying at the fort at the time.

I am a fan of Ford/Wayne westerns and will often enjoy them with ease. However I struggled to really get into this one and it did really feel a little light and unstructured. The overall plot was good but I didn't get any sense of detail or character other than broader brushstrokes. The action is good and the dialogue is witty and interesting but the film was a bit too light and impersonal to be able to take that broad sweep of history and apply it to this small group.

Wayne plays a man 20 years his senior but does it well. He has his usual tough charm and has some great dialogue to go along with it. He is given great support by the rest of the cast, some of whom stand out more than others. The best support he has also risks upstaging him - that of the scenery and the Oscar winning cinematography. The wide-open spaces feel wonderful and the colours are very generous.

Overall I did quite enjoy the film but I didn't really get into the plot. It seemed a little too big to be able to make the smaller things work. For example I didn't really get much from the idea of Brittles retiring where I think I was meant to read it as the changing of the type of men America needed from this period on, a salute to the men of the old west if you will. However this got lost in the battles and Indian wars. Still worth seeing but by Ford and Wayne standards this could be considered not much above par.

Enthralling spectacle, but unfortunately not a whole success

[larma7 · 6/10 · 17 July 2011]

This is a problematic western, although still very much so enjoyable in parts. In fact, to be fair, for most of the way it is quite an enjoyable film. John Wayne is strong in the lead, and I really liked Ben Johnson's presence here as his buddy side-kick. The love triangle is a bit silly, but amusing enough. The story is slight, but it is an extremely beautiful film, equaling "The Searchers" in its stunning Technicolor cinematography of Monument Valley. It moves at a good enough pace for the bulk of the running time, and it's a good film to sit back and enjoy the journey the film takes you on. Its story about coming of age between the characters, both passing on responsibility and accepting responsibility, is actually well done and the film is at times pleasantly sentimental.

However, it is in the latter stages of the film where I really feel it faulters. Actually, to say it faulters is probably an understatement, as it almost absolutely tanks. First off, there is the horrendous, inexplicable bar brawl. Absolutely no excuse. I can forgive a similar road-block found in "The Searchers" because there the rest of the film is so strong that it makes up for it, and also the fight scene isn't as terrible as it is here. At this point of the film, there was actually quite an effective melancholy tone to the story, and the bar brawl involving McLaglen just brings the entire film to a screeching halt. It comes completely out of left field, and it is not funny at all -- it is embarrassingly stupid and goes on far too long, destroying tone and pace of the film. Because of this, the movie begins to drag.

Secondly, the rest of the ending is questionable to me and makes little to no sense. Brittles last hurrah and redemption is one thing, although the way they miraculously defeat the Indian tribe seemed absurd, if not completely implausible. However, worse is the seemingly tacked on happy ending of Wayne's character literally shown riding out into the sunset, and then literally a moment later with the narrator claiming, "But the army wasn't done with him yet", and then showing him riding back in. WHAT??? Good lord, it just feels so cheap. The hokey narration doesn't help any either, and Ford's usual populist sentiments seem to drift into jingoistic ones, which is never a good thing for me.

Ford did much better in "Fort Apache" -- a far more polished and satisfying cavalry film as a whole. This is a lesser movie, but it is worth seeing.

Classic

[tightspotkilo · 9/10 · 1 November 2008]

It seems trite to say they don't make them like this anymore. But it's a fact. They don't make them like this anymore. And it seems likely we won't be seeing them making them like this ever again. This is John Ford at the height of his career, at his best, doing what he did best. On location in the Monument Valley, it is more than fair to say the scenery, the colors, even the weather, along with Ford's cinematography, particularly the patient framing of his shots and making full use of the setting and environment in which he filmed, are every bit as much stars of this film as are the featured human stars.

None of which is to say the human stars weren't good. John Wayne in the lead turned in a remarkable performance. Wayne was 42-years old when he made this, but he was playing a character much older than that, perhaps as much as 20 years older, and Wayne pulls it off. He looks and seems like a 60-year old man. He showed his acting chops here.

Ben Johnson had been around awhile at this point, mainly as a stuntman, but here he makes one of his first forays into real acting, and he does well, which no doubt boosted his career.

Perennial John Wayne sidekick Harry Carey, Jr. is here too, at the ripe young age of 28. It occurs to me as I write this in November 2008 that he seems to be the last surviving cast member of this movie.

Joanne Dru. What can be said? While this movie was made before I was born, Joanne Dru plays the fetching young woman wearing the yellow ribbon and stirring the male ashes deep inside as well as anybody ever could, and she was quite fetching indeed. Her performance still striking that chord precisely that way almost 60 years later.

Ostensibly this is a western, but this movie is actually much more a military movie than just a western. John Ford was a military man himself, who ultimately retired as a Navy Reserve Rear Admiral. He knew what the military was all about, he understood and enjoyed military life, military ways, military customs, and military culture, and he clearly relished making military depictions. So that's what we see here. All that military stuff. Oddly, though, it all seems out of time in a way. This movie was made in 1949, just a few years after WWII. While making a movie about the cavalry fighting the Indian wars in 1876, the military culture Ford depicted seems more apropos of the 1940s than of the 1870s. For instance, I'm just not sold on this version of history where US cavalry men were burdened with and hauled around family members in the wild wild west. Maybe they did, but I'm not so sure. It seems much more likely this was a device added to appeal to 1949 audiences. There are other examples of this. This is the only flaw in an otherwise very good movie. And who knows, maybe it isn't a flaw at all, true or not. It's a good movie. Ford made a movie in which he talked to all those recently mustered out veterans he knew were out there populating his audiences. On that level he succeeds.

the second film in John Ford's Cavalry "trilogy"

[disdressed12 · 6/10 · 18 April 2008]

i was a bit disappointed in this movie.for me,it is not as good as Fort Apache,the first film in John Ford's Cavalry "trilogy".i still liked it,but i thought it was a bit slow at times,and it doesn't have a lot of action.plus,i would have preferred if John Wayne's character Captain Nathan Brittles had more of a conflict with another officer,like his character in Fort Apache.there,his character had a conflict with Henry Fonda's character,a superior officer.that sort of added another dimension to the movie.this movie lacked the comic bits of Apache,which disappointed me a bit.it is a much more serious movie,to be sure.still,this isn't a bad movie and it is in colour.my vote for She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is a 6/10

The army is always the same. The sun and the moon change, but the army knows no seasons.

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 4 March 2008]

The second instalment of the acclaimed John Ford cavalry trilogy had a lot to live up to after Fort Apache (1948). So it may not be too controversial to state that "Yellow Ribbon" doesn't quite achieve the potential promise that Fort Apache's foundation building had provided. However, here is still a mighty Western of many joys.

The lead theme here is the passing of time, of time and love lost, lest we forget indeed. These themes give the film a strong emotional heartbeat from which to work from - even if on proviso it's noted that elsewhere there is not much in the way of an adrenalin pumping action extravaganza. Accepting it as an affecting character piece is something of a requisite if you want to get the most out of the viewing experience, and of course simultaneously getting wrapped up in the gifted art of film making in the process.

John Wayne gives a top notch performance in what is obviously one of the first out and out serious roles that Ford gave him. His ageing Captain Nathan Brittles requires him to put in a very fallible human type of performance, something that he achieves in spades. He's a believable leader who is ruing the calling of time on his career in the service. Yet even Wayne's affecting turn is trumped by some of the most gorgeous cinematography you could wish to see from the 1940s.

Winton Hoch clashed with Ford on the shoot about various perfections (both parties equally to blame of course), but the final result is incredible. Witness a scene as Brittles visits his dead wife's grave, the backdrop is all purple and red, a storm is imminent, metaphorically and in reality. Has shooting in the desert ever been so colourfully lush? The locations are breath takingly brought to vivid life, Monument Valley in all its glory.

Picture leaves an indelible mark on the conscious for the art and performances (Joanne Dru, Ben Johnson, Victor McLaglen & Harry Carey Jr bring their "A" game), but temper that slightly for as a story it just about gets by for dramatic purpose. Yet of course John Ford knows his onions and structures it accordingly, bringing precision and a genuine love of the genre and the material to hand. 8/10

John Ford Western About Weary Old Timers

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 3 August 2020]

I don't much care for Westerns as a genre and especially not when they're served straight up. But if I'm going to watch one, I want to watch a John Ford Western, since he almost always was interested in more than just standard Western tropes and always used their conventions to explore other things on his mind.

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" stars a tolerable John Wayne as a U.S. cavalry sergeant who embarks on one last mission before his retirement. The film is steeped in a post-WWII sentiment of regret and loss -- regret that wars have to happen at all, and that younger generations of soldiers won't or can't understand the futility of destruction no matter how much their older and wiser forebears try to tell them so.

This film isn't a great Western along the lines of "Stagecoach" or "The Searchers." It's not especially lengthy but feels it, the film continuing long past the point where I thought things were wrapping up, and there are some unwelcome slapstick comedy scenes featuring Victor McLaglen that overstay their welcome. As a consolation, we get to bask in Winton Hoch's famous and spectacular color photography that captures the natural grandeur of the American West, and at other times uses saturated colors to give scenes a surreal, other worldly quality. Just take a look at the scenes set in a makeshift cemetery that find Wayne communing with his dead wife and children, the best scenes in the movie. Hoch deservedly won an Oscar for his work.

Grade: B+

the best of the cavalry trilogy

[MOscarbradley · 9/10 · 24 January 2007]

The fact that the names of Captain Nathan Brittles and Sgts Tyree and Quincannon have passed, not just into the mythology of the American western, but of movies themselves is testament to the iconic status of Ford's 1949 masterpiece, the second and best of what became known as his cavalry trilogy. That their names are also burned into our collective cinematic consciousness is also testament to the performances of John Wayne, Ben Johnson and Victor McLaglen who are all at their best here and yet are only part of a great ensemble that also includes that very fine and undervalued actress Joanne Dru as well as Mildred Natwick, John Agar, Harry Carey Jr and Arthur Shields.

The period is the Indian Wars that followed from the massacre of General Custer and Ford filmed it mostly in his beloved Monument Valley. It is largely devoid of the sentimentality of "Rio Grande" though it is never as dark nor as serious as "Fort Apache", (it straddles the middle-ground magnificently; even the comic fight scene doesn't sit uncomfortably), and while Ford may make the Indians the villains of the piece he nevertheless bestows on them a kind of dignity and some degree of respect. Ford's sentimentality isn't necessarily for the cavalry but for the passing of the 'old' West and the loss of Native American culture

John Wayne delivers the best acting of his career.

[JohnHowardReid · 10/10 · 31 May 2018]

Executive producers: John Ford, Merian C. Cooper. An Argosy Pictures Production, released through RKO-Radio Pictures. Copyright 26 July 1949 by Argosy Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Capitol: 17 November 1949. U.S. release: 22 October 1949. U.K. release: 8 May 1950. Australian release: 25 May 1950. 9,514 feet. 105 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Cavalry captain enters his last week of service before retirement. Encouraged by Custer's defeat, the various Indian tribes join together to fight their common enemy: the white man.

NOTES: Hollywood's most prestigious award went to Winton C. Hoch (only) for Best Color Cinematography of 1949, defeating The Barkleys of Broadway, Jolson Sings Again, Little Women, and Sand. Locations in Monument Valley, Utah. Shooting commenced early November 1948, winding up early December 1948.

COMMENT: A terrific film - except for one thing: the unconvincing slapstick involving Victor McLaglen. This seems pretty artificial when it starts (even though it does serve a useful purpose in providing necessary background information), but gets progressively less bearable until culminating in a ridiculous brawl. Fortunately, aside from the climactic all-in, these contrived scenes fail to spoil the picture as a whole. They could in fact easily be eliminated (though it would mean the loss of Francis Ford's part).

Otherwise, script, locations, action and acting are absolutely perfect. Wayne, in a character role, gives the best performance of his career. With the exception of the hammy McLaglen, he's given solid support too, with memorable cameos from Tom Tyler as an injured corporal, Rudy Bowman as the dying Trooper Smith, and Chief John Big Tree as the conciliatory Pony That Walks. Amongst the principals, John Agar (Mr Shirley Temple at the time) is adequate enough, Ben Johnson is better, whilst Mildred Natwick is outstanding. But I thought the most winning portrayal came from the beautiful, talented but much under-rated Joanne Dru.

Although he had worked with cinematographer Hoch on his immediately previous Three Godfathers, producer-director Ford was unhappy with the amount of time Hoch (a technical perfectionist) took to light his locations whilst cast and the rest of the crew broiled in the desert sun. A showdown came when Ford ordered Hoch to continue shooting during a thunderstorm. Hoch filed an official complaint with his union, alleging that the likely sub-standard photographic quality of the shots would damage his reputation. To Hoch's amazement, the executive board of the American Cinematographers Society sided with Ford, saying the director was within his rights to insist that photography be attempted even though lighting and other conditions may have been unfavorable.

Hoch protested vehemently and even canvassed the option of tendering his resignation, when he was hit with a second surprise. His photography captured the Society's award for the best color work of the quarter and subsequently went on to win America's most prestigious award for Best Color Photography for 1949. The thunderstorm sequence was singled out for praise. Belatedly realizing that outstanding photography does not result from mere technical perfection but from an artistic creativity that on occasion involves the taking of risks and bending of rules, Hoch thanked Ford profusely for forcing his hand and expressed the desire to work with the director again. Ford took Hoch at his word, assigning him to The Quiet Man (1952), for which Hoch won yet another award from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences!

"The army knows no seasons"

[Steffi_P · 7/10 · 17 November 2009]

This is the second picture in what is known as John Ford's cavalry trilogy. The three pictures may have been directed by John Ford, but trilogy is a misleading term because it implies intention and authorship. In fact, the stories of the cavalry trilogy were all the work of popular Western writer James Warner Bellah, who wrote many of this kind, but She Wore a Yellow Ribbon especially bears the hallmarks of its screenwriter Frank Nugent.

It was Nugent who really pioneered these stories of grizzled old men of the West stepping wearily aside for their younger comrades. John Ford directed most of them, and probably had a love and respect for Nugent's heroes, but he was by no means the originator of them. For comparison, check out the Nugent-scripted The Tall Men, directed by Raoul Walsh. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon shows the level of depth and self-reflection that the genre was acquiring in the hands of writers like Nugent. Unlike the previous year's Fort Apache, which is very much about the Indian wars and full of rousing battles and chases, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is not really much of an action picture. The Indian conflict is kept to the background, and does not follow a strong, cohesive storyline. If you like, it is a MacGuffin, the excuse for the real story arc of Captain Brittles wanting to retire with the taste of glory and the knowledge that the troop will continue in his tradition. In fact a lot of the criticisms of this picture seem to focus on the fact that the action scenes aren't very well thought through. This is a fair enough point – I don't think Nugent struck as good a balance here as he did in Fort Apache, and the ending in particular is something of an anti-climax.

It was a bold move casting 41-year-old John Wayne as the grizzled old man in question. This sort of upward ageing didn't happen a great deal in classic Hollywood, or if it did it was usually for necessity in stories spanning generations such Cimarron or Citizen Kane. Although the Duke isn't made up to look as authentically old as could be achieved today, and his voice does not sound like an older man's, he does successfully act old in his stance and mannerisms. It certainly made more sense to cast him as a 60-year-old than as a Mongolian (see The Conqueror, 1956). Of Ford's co-stars, the standouts are George O'Brien, once a leading man in the silent era, and appropriately enough making his biggest impact here in moments of silence; and a young Ben Johnson, who looked every inch the dopey cowboy but could act and act well. As to the young romantics, I'm afraid to say Joanne Dru is simply huffy and snappy, while John Agar is just dull.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is shot in glorious Technicolor, at a point where this became more and more the norm for the genre. Here it was probably done for no other reason than that this was the first time the independent Argosy Pictures could afford it. While John Ford's colour compositions were not particularly pleasing to the eye (pink and orange shirts on the Indians!), Oscar-winning cinematographer Winton C. Hoch has done a fine job bringing to life the reds and browns of the landscape. Even in the dusky scenes, those tones are beautifully picked out while all else is shadow.

Now, some might think my comment so far has been an unmitigated attack on John Ford. This wasn't intended, but if you feel it was the case, I recommend you read this last paragraph three or four times for the sake of balance. Ford was ideal for these pictures because he really gave a sense of danger to the untamed West. He actually does a better job of this here than in the more action-orientated Fort Apache. The little camp seems particularly empty and lacking in bustle. Its interiors are cramped and Ford emphasises this by never leaving much space between the camera, the actors and the back wall. Coupled with the quiet sound design, this gives the little outpost a real sense of eerie loneliness. On the open plain, the earlier shots are very light and blue skies are our backdrop. However as the situation literally darkens Ford changes his angles to bring more of the ground into the frame. And despite these "cavalry" pictures being a very distinct sub-genre, Ford still brings the iconic imagery of the time and place – the timeless buttes of Monument Valley, men on horseback silhouetted against the sky, motionless Indians who seem one with the landscape. Frank Nugent was a great storyteller of the West, but John Ford was its great image-maker.

My brief review of the film

[sol- · 5/10 · 13 March 2006]

John Wayne gives off one of his strongest performances in this John Ford western, convincingly playing a character who is much older than he was at the time. Ford uses his hues very well in this film, with vibrant colours, especially oranges. Also the realistic weather effects are worth noting. Other than these three areas though, there is not much else to bring the film above average of its type. It is a prototypical western, with dull supporting characters, three of which are involved in a love triangle that feels tacked on, adding very little to key story at hand. The narration does not work too well either, and the violence seems awkward; the film also moves rather slowly due to a lack of real excitement in the storyline and a lack of solid character study for compensation. So, I did not think too much of the film myself, but it is certainly okay overall. If nothing else, the film is worth watching for John Wayne's performance and looking at John Ford's colour and lighting techniques.