Fort Apache (DVD) (Commemorative Amaray)

If you want to see Henry Fonda play the stiffest, grouchiest, most conceited, most pigheaded, most vainglorious, most embittered, most foolish military commander you can imagine, this is the right film.With all these negatives, a watchable film is going too require a good deal of counterbalancing humor, song and female presence. John Ford duly provided such aplenty in the form of the cultural contrasts between the formal New Englander, Colonel Thursday(Fonda) and the rough and ready westerners inside and outside of the post he has come to command. Seems the ranks of the NCOs at this post are mostly filled with fun-loving Irishmen. Thursday's beautiful teen daughter, Philadelphia(Shirley Temple), provides an easy entry into the feminine presence in the fort. A new West Point graduate, Lt. O'Rourke, also the son of resident Sergeant O'Rourke, happens to be arriving at the fort the same day as the Thursdays. The Colonel is very chagrined to find an escort waiting for Lt. O'Rourke, but not for himself! He's also chagrined to find that the party in progress when he arrives is not in his honor, but is a birthday party. "Whose birthday?" he asks menacingly. "General George Washington's", was the satisfactory answer. Thursday keeps addressing Lt. O'Rourke by various misnomers, suggesting he regards him so little that his name isn't worth remembering. Once he finds out that his daughter has designs on O'Rourke, he can finally remember his name! When Thursday is introduced to the former post commander, unbelievably, he declines to meet the extended hand of his predecessor! This is the only film in which Ford's two favorite leading men, Fonda and Wayne, star together, usually as antagonists on how to properly deal with the Apaches. Wayne, as Cpt. York, is knowedgeable and respective of the Apache's ways, while Thursday refuses to learn from the experience of York nor to respect the military prowess and agreements of the Apaches. He does, however, come to share the general disgust with the appointed "indian" agent, whose self-serving policies have led some of the Apaches to abandon the reservation in favor of Mexico and others to kill some soldiers on details. Anthony Mann later directed a film "The Last Frontier", in which the theme of an arrogant greenhorn commander from the East who refuses to heed the advice of those used to the local Native Americans, is repeated. Although not as well balanced as the present film, it's worth checking out. In both films, the offending commander has to be eliminated in order to allow a budding romance involving a woman dear to his heart to proceed to completion. In my opinion, this is the most enjoyable western Ford(and perhaps anyone else) directed, in spite of Colonel Thursday's difficult personality and the absence of either Walter Brennan or Gabby Hayes(neither on Ford's list of essential supporting actors). It's my guess the name Thursday was meant to have some symbolic significance. Thursday is, of course, named in honor of the Norse and Germanic god of thunder and war, protector of gods and humans from danger. Shirley Temple seems a tad stiff in her role. Perhaps this was intended as a consequence of a finishing school experience. She seems to be playing a girl of about 16, a few years younger than her actual age, who easily pouts when her clear romantic interest in a man is not immediately returned. John Agar, who plays her romantic interest, was in fact her husband at the time, but not for long. I was struck how much her face at this age resembled that of a young Jane Mansfield.

This is the first of Ford's cavalry trilogy, thought by many to be the best. I have nothing to add to the prior excellent summaries of this movie, but perhaps can shed a bit of light on what makes it special from the point of view of movie history. The first point of interest is the stars. Ford did many several fine movies with Fonda, in particular Young Mr Lincoln, but gradually seemed to express a preference for Wayne - probably because he was more overtly heroic - closer to Ford's mythological ideal of the Great Westerner. Fonda's heroism was more understated, often more cerebral. But, here we have a different Fonda - a bitter, incompetent misfit promoted over the head of the much more qualified, but younger, Wayne. Both actors give their best and, although Fonda's talent is rarely questioned, never let it be said that Wayne could not act. He is superb in this trilogy, playing a range of ages brilliantly - the same character in Fort Apache and Rio Grande, and the more elderly Nathan Brittles in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. Wayne also manages to convince with his portrayal of a man who genuinely understands the plight of the Indians it is his job to police, and sympathises with them. This is, to my knowledge, Fonda's first foray into the role of the anti-hero - although fatally-flawed might be a more appropriate description. Nearly twenty years later he really made the transition in the splendid Once Upon a Time in the West.Of equal interest in this movie, and a source of great aesthetic delight, is Ford's portrayal of Monument Valley as art. Taking advantage of black and white, he shows inumerable settings of different types of sky against carefully chosen geographical profiles that are simply stunningly beautiful. The more so, as they are used to emphasise the stark isolation of this conflict between the relentless development of the United States and the centuries-old right to roam of nomadic tribesmen.Finally, another item of particular interest is that Fort Apache featured former rodeo star Ben Johnson as the riding stunt double for Henry Fonda. The horses pulling a wagon, with three men on it, stampeded. Johnson galloped after it and managed to pull it to a halt before anyone was injured. A grateful Ford promised Johnson some work for his bravery, and the quiet man from Oklahoma was anticipating a more secure few years as a stuntman. Instead, he was rewarded with a 7-year acting contract! Thus, was born the career of the inestimable Trooper Tyree; a character who, for me, gives Rio Grande and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon the edge over Fort Apache. If you want Tyree in chronological order, see Rio Grande first; not to mention dozens of other films that Johnson lifts above the ordinary.I'll tell you what; why not buy all three of the trilogy? I'm not particularly a Western buff, but I love these movies. They are allegories for life; and anyone wanting to understand America could make no better start than with John Ford and his myths.

Excellent delivery and product, superb seller, the old man was well chufed

The best of the best!. Will watch this movie over and over

This is one of the series you need to get if you are an avid fan of John Wayne.To add to this would be She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande.A bit of a different angle to our Duke are Donovan's Reef and The Quiet Manwhich are grand movies as well.

Talk about a hard to find movie. John Wayne, John Ford, and a great western movie. It doesnt get much better. Fantastic collection for any movie buff or cinemafile. Terrific deal. Great product, great price , fast shipping

A younger Wayne but still a great actor and who doesn't like Henry Fonda. This movie was definitely a big surprise for me but a first class surprise. Great acting, story for both sides.