John Ford Feature #10 – The Wings of Eagles (1957)

The Wings of Eagles (1957)
Directed by: John Ford
Written by: Frank Fenton, William Wister Haines (based on the life & writings of Frank W. Wead)
Starring: John Wayne, Dan Dailey, Maureen O’Hara, Ward Bond, Ken Curtis, Edmund Lowe

It’s hard to believe that the same man who directed a tried and true masterpiece just one year earlier had anything to do with a picture like The Wings of Eagles.  Ford’s 1957 follow-up to The Searchers is unlike anything the great director ever put to film.  Instead of being reminiscent of his romanticized westerns, wartime films, or his period dramas, The Wings of Eagles more closely mirrors the so-called “Oscar-baity” biopics of today.  The film features many members of the John Ford Stock Company, and yet manages to feel nothing like any of his films I’ve seen to date.  It bears no resemblance in its style, music, cinematography, or even performances to the previous decade or so of his output, and just feels like an oddity in a career of never pandering to the masses.  The Wings of Eagles barely managed to make its budget back at the box office, and from everything I can tell received a very mixed reaction from critics and audiences alike.  Released the same year as massive hits (and later historically appreciated films) like Oscar-winning The Bridge on the River Kwai, Billy Wilder’s Witness for the Prosecution, Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory, Frank Sinatra vehicle Pal Joey and more, The Wings of Eagle was completely ignored by the awards circuit and has been more or less lost to time.  Ford’s film stars John Wayne as Frank Wead, known better as “Spig” to those close to him.  Sharing the screen with Wayne are Maureen O’Hara as his wife Min, Dan Dailey as Jughead Carson, Ward Bond as John Dodge, and Ken Curtis as John Dale Price.

The Wings of Eagles takes place in the aftermath of the first Great War.  We meet Frank “Spig” Wead (John Wayne), who seems to be a relatively carefree Navy man.  After a reckless stunt to prove the worth of aviation combat to Navy officials, his opinions on the matter are heard.  He urges the Navy to hone their skills through the use of races and endurance competitions, which will help develop pilots and create an aerial force to be reckoned with.  After spending the majority of his time and energy on the Navy’s aerial program and on general mischief, Spig and his wife Min (Maureen O’Hara) find tensions growing between them. Eventually Spig is promoted to the position of Commander for his contributions to the effort.  While attempting to celebrate with his wife and two daughters, Spig falls down a flight of stairs in his home and breaks his neck.  The accident has left Commander Wead’s lower body completely paralyzed, leaving him in long-term hospital care.  After rejecting his wife’s affections in the hospital, the only person Spig will see are his colleagues, “Jughead” Carson (Dan Dailey) and John Dale Price (Ken Curtis).  Jughead is more dedicated than most anybody and visits the hospital on an almost daily basis in order to help with Spig’s morale.  Carson tries to get Frank to regain the use of his legs through repeated use of the motivational sentence “I’m gonna move that toe!”.  Carson also helps Spig battle his depression and recommends the use of writing in order to cope.  After finally finding success in all three areas, Spig goes on to accomplish great things in the rising empire of Hollywood.  With new found success, he returns to the Navy during World War II in order to help develop escort and transportation vessels and vehicles.  After an ill-timed heart attack, Spig is sent back home before he can see out the end of the war.  Will Frank Wead be able to mend relations with his family during the last years of wartime, or will he die without them knowing just how much they meant to him?  Find out in John Ford’s The Wings of Eagles.

I can’t help but feel that I made a poor decision when scheduling The Wings of Eagles to be the final film of my John Ford marathon.  Not only does it feel incredibly anti-climatic, but also feels like I robbed myself of seeing a truly great Ford film.  I hope to continue the marathon next year and cover all the underrated movies I chose not to cover this time around (and maybe some of the ones I feel might require a rewatch), so I won’t beat myself up too much.  The Wings of Eagles isn’t the worst film I’ve any seen by any means, but it’s so incredibly mediocre in every way that it just isn’t memorable.  The moment the end credits started rolling on screen, I could feel the film already fading from my memory.  Ford’s 1957 film is so tonally confused that I was never quite sure whether to laugh or feel bad for the characters, especially Spig.  At times dramatic, and at other times almost veering into slapstick comedy, I was never quite able to understand how Ford felt about his subject.  There’s no doubt in my mind that he certainly admired Spig as a character and as a man, but it’s hard to tell his motivations for making an entire feature about it at any given moment.  His direction throughout just feels so uninspired, which is kind of heartbreaking coming off making literally one of the greatest American films ever made.  John Wayne’s performance as Spig isn’t exactly on the level of previous performances seen during the marathon, but the role isn’t exactly demanding either.  His performance is completely one-note, and especially doesn’t work during the hospital scenes where Spig is supposed to be depressed and at his absolute lowest point.  Maureen O’Hara’s performances as Mrs. Wead is an even bigger shame, as her single point in being in the film is essentially to serve as Spig’s estranged wife.  I never felt the on-screen chemistry between the two that I did in something like The Quiet Man, and instead just felt bad for the two legendary actors.  The cinematography is another aspect of the film that just couldn’t possibly live up to previous ones, this time featuring that ugly and washed out early colour look.  The film would probably be better suited to a black and white film, which probably would’ve detracted nearly as much as the harsh colouring did.  The one positive about the film is that the hospital scenes with Spig and Jughead are quite fun, and the “I’m gonna move that toe!” sequence is actually quite inspiring despite everything I’ve said about the film.  Some of the comedic moments work well towards the film, while some of the more elaborate gags just make The Wings of Eagles feel like a joke.  On a film note, Ford casting Ward Bond as “John Dodge” is tremendous, and I’m glad that even the curmudgeonly old director could poke fun at himself at times.   

I’m not upet that I saw The Wings of Eagles, but I can’t help but feel that John Ford was capable of so much more.  It would be another five years until he would direct The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, another tremendous effort by the legendary director.  I wish that Ford had at least made the story of Frank “Spig” Wead compelling to see on screen, because I kind of feel that the way it was depicted was a pretty big missed opportunity for all parties.  While not all bad, it’s certainly tough to pick out the very good moments of the film, which come all too sparingly.  John Ford’s The Wings of Eagles is not recommended.

John Ford Feature #9 – The Searchers (1956)

The Searchers (1956)
Directed by: John Ford
Written by: Frank S. Nugent (based on The Searchers by Alan Le May)
Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood, Harry Carey Jr.

John Ford is considered one of the great trailblazers in the early days of film, one who paved the way for early sound films to go on to become what they have today.  His influence is so indescribably far-reaching that his work still fascinates audiences, critics, and filmmakers and is continually studied by young and old alike.  The Searchers is perhaps considered to be his greatest film, and in a career full of truly remarkable films, that’s saying a great deal.  Though his 1956 classic earned no Oscar nominations that year, it is widely considered to be one of the greatest American pictures ever made, and has earned just about every retrospective accolade that historians can throw at it.  The Searchers is truly epic in its scope, taking place over a number of years and featuring terrific set pieces, breathtaking cinematography, and one of the most engaging performances ever given by a man who was once considered to be a bad actor.  Ford’s masterpiece would prove to be one of his final “traditional” westerns, and is considered to be the pinnacle of the director’s collaborations with actor John Wayne.  It wouldn’t be a great film without its fair share of controversies, and this film features them in spades.  The Searchers is most notable for its interpretation and examination of the racist attitudes towards Native Americans by early Americans.  Ford’s film depicts Native people as being ruthless and bloodthirsty, not because of any prejudice held against them by the filmmakers, but in order to justify the brutal actions of its main characters in the final act of the film.  Despite some of these dated and controversial themes and features, the film has more than endured the test of time and is even more poignant for its brutal examination of tough ideas and themes.  It has influenced and paid homage by great film directors like David Lean, Sam Peckinpah, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Martin Scorsese.  The Searchers stars the great John Wayne as Ethan Edwards, who is considered to be one of the most compelling characters in a film of its time.  Also featured are Natalie Wood as Debbie Edwards, Jeffrey Hunter as Martin Pawley, Vera Miles as Laurie Jorgenson, and regular John Ford Stock Company regulars Ward Bond as Rev. Capt. Samuel Clayton and Harry Carey Jr. as Brad Jorgenson.  

Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) and Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) in 1956’s The Searchers.

The Searchers begins with Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returning home to his brother Aaron (Walter Coy) and his family after an eight year wartime absence. It’s clear that Uncle Ethan has been missed, as his influence is immediately felt in the Edwards household as well as in the community. Edwards is soon visited by the Rev. Capt. Samuel Clayton (Ward Bond) and his band of Texas Rangers. Clayton and the Rangers report a herd of stolen cattle, and suspect Comanches in the area as the thieves.  Ethan and his adopted nephew Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) ride off with the Rangers to find the cattle, but instead find an obvious ploy to lure the men away from their homes.  They immediately turn around and head for the Edwards home, but it’s too late, as the home has been burnt to the ground, and Aaron, his wife, and their son have been brutally murdered by the Comanches.  No sign Ethan’s nieces Debbie (Lana Wood) and Lucy (Pippa Scott) can be found in the destroyed home, so the men ride off in search of the two young girls.  After an intense firefight with the Comanches, the Rangers are left with too few men to effectively fight the enemy combatants, and head home. Without the Rangers at their disposal, Ethan, his nephew Martin, and Lucy’s boyfriend Brad Jorgensen (Harry Carey Jr.) are left to carry out the search.  After Ethan finds his niece Lucy brutally raped and murdered in a canyon clearing, an enraged Brad charges into the Comanche camp and is quickly killed.  After the two survivors lose the trail during the tough winter season they take refuge with the Jorgensen family, and Martin falls for their young daughter Laurie Jorgensen (Vera Miles).  Ethan and Martin are eventually tipped off as to Debbie’s whereabouts, and set off once again to find the last remaining Edwards child. Will Ethan and Martin be successful in their hunt for their young family member, or have they been chasing a ghost all along?  Find out for yourself in John Ford’s masterpiece The Searchers.

There are few better feelings in the life than knowing that you’ve just finished watching one of the greatest films ever made, especially when it manages to live up to the tremendous amount of hype and acclaim it has built up over nearly sixty years.  John Ford’s The Searchers is a masterpiece in every sense of the word, and has very easily become one of my all-time favorite films.  It’s presence alone has made December’s John Ford marathon more than worth the time and effort put into it.  There are so many highlights throughout the film that it’s difficult to single out my favorite elements.  The first thing I’ll address is the performance of Ethan Edwards by John Wayne, who is an incredibly complex and multifaceted character.  Edwards is very difficult to root for in The Searchers, between his need for brutal revenge, his apparent hatred of the Native American people, and his old world “take no prisoners” attitude towards all things in life.  Yet even without a protagonist to truly get behind and support, The Searchers makes you feel the immense pain felt deep inside of Ethan.  Wayne’s performance is unblinking and stiff in the best way possible, and is easily the greatest performance I’ve seen the old cowboy give to date.  The cast of supporting characters don’t stick around too long with the exception of Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) and the Jorgensen family, but every single performance is impressive in how they handle the gravity and seriousness of the situation at hand.  Hunter’s Pawley is the protagonist we yearn for in Ethan’s worst moments, and it is quite the experience to see the young man grow in front of our very eyes. John Ford’s direction of the films terrific action set pieces is remarkable, never opting to pull his camera away from the most important points of interest.  He handles the racism and moral ambiguity found throughout the film with a deft hand, keeping his camera motionless and letting the audience be the judge of Ethan Edwards’ actions.  The scene where Ethan Edwards and company discovers the burning remains of the Edwards home is one of the most heartbreaking moments ever captured on film, and clearly had a tremendous influence on a similarly moving scene in the Star Wars franchise.  Complementing the veteran director’s skillful camerawork is the photography by the Academy Award winning Winton Hoch.  Hoch once again shot the film in beautiful Technicolor, this time filming it entirely in VistaVision, one of the many film formats that would eventually lead to the modern day IMAX experience.  It’s a wonder how Hoch wasn’t nominated for an Academy Award for The Searchers, but the Academy’s ignoring of the film as a whole is even more shocking.

Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) and Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) in 1956’s The Searchers.

Ford’s The Searchers holds up in a way many classic films simply can’t, from its unflinching analysis of historical racism that nearly led to a genocide in the United States, to its epic scope and beautiful photography.  Everything about the film still feels relevant and pressing, even sixty years after its release.  The Searchers features an incredible cast propped up by one of the most impressive performances of all time in John Wayne’s Ethan Edwards, remarkable cinematography by the godfather of Technicolor, and impeccable direction by the great John Ford.  This is truly one of the greatest films ever made, and no amount of praise I can give it will ever be able to do it justice.  The Searchers earns my highest recommendation, and I implore that everybody reading gives it a chance.  You might just discover your new favorite film.

John Ford Feature #8 – The Quiet Man (1952)

The Quiet Man (1952)
Directed by: John Ford
Written by: Frank S. Nugent (based on The Quiet Man by Maurice Walsh)
Starring: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Victor McLaglen, Ward Bond

As you may have read in my brief summary post about why I chose to cover the films of John Ford for an entire month, the man still holds the record for most Academy Awards won for Best Director.  He won the award The Informer in 1935, The Grapes of Wrath in 1940, How Green Was My Valley in 1941, and finally for 1952’s romantic drama The Quiet Man.  The John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara starring film would be released to tremendous critical acclaim and box office success, and is still widely recognized as one of Ford’s greatest films.  It’s perhaps most notable for being such a departure compared to the violent westerns that filled most of his career, and might just shock you by how light and playful it initially comes off.  Instead of focusing on common Ford settings like the desolate western plains or the Pacific, the film takes place entirely in a small Irish community and features a cast full of Irish descendants.  It brings with it John Ford’s subtle sense of humour (perhaps more overt here), impeccable eye for photography, and a cast full of lovable and recognizable faces.  The Quiet Man once against featured the incredible cinematography of the great Winton Hoch, who would once again bring home the Oscar for Best Cinematography in 1952.  On top of bringing home awards for Directing and Cinematography, Ford’s drama was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Art Direction, Best Sound, and Best Adapted Screenplay.  The inspiration for the film – much like those in the cavalry trilogy – once again came from a story in The Saturday Evening Post, this time written by Maurice Walsh.  On top of starring the team of John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, The Quiet Man also features John Ford company regulars Victor McLaglen (The Informer), Barry Fitzgerald (The Long Voyage Home), Ward Bond (They Were Expendable), and Francis Ford (The Informer).  Unfortunately for Ford, the film would prove to be his final movie to be nominated for Academy Awards, despite his career continuing on for nearly fifteen years.

Sean Thornton (John Wayne) is an Irish-American former boxer who has just moved back to his native land in order to reclaim his family’s farm in this tiny community of Inisfree.  Upon his arrival he is met with warm greetings from a townful of odd and interesting characters.  He meets and very quickly falls in love with Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara), who has a reputation around town as a fiery young independent woman.  Mary Kate also happens to be the unfortunate sister of the loudmouth bully Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen), who had his sights set on Thornton’s family farm.  After the Widow Tillane (Mildred Natwick) sells the farm to Thornton, an angered and jealous Will Danaher refuses to allow him to marry his younger sister.  After some trickery by the townspeople, Will is led to believe that the Widow Tillane wants to marry Will, but only on the grounds that Mary Kate be out of the house.  After a whirlwind romance, Sean and Mary Kate are quickly married and Will finds out the truth about the Widow.  Enraged, he refuses to allow Mary Kate to take her dowry, which has been passed on to her by her late mother.  Sean, being American and not understanding Irish traditions, refuses to speak with Will on the matter and is branded a coward by his new wife.  The marriage quickly falls apart, and the locals conspire to have Will return Mary Kate’s rightful inheritance to her.  With a coward husband and no dowry, Mary Kate boards a train to leave for greener pastures, but is quite literally dragged away by her husband.  Will the foreign Thornton confront the traditional Will Danaher and get his wife what rightfully belongs to her, or will he stand by and watch his marriage crumble before it could ever even gain steam?  Find out in John Ford’s Academy Award-winning The Quiet Man.

The Quiet Man was a very difficult film for me to review coming off the heels of the thrilling cavalry trilogy that preceded it.  Luckily, what I found was incredibly charming (if old-fashioned), funny, and beautiful film with a great deal to love about it.  Maureen O’Hara once again steals the show, this time as the incredibly strong and independent Mary Kate Danaher, who is an incredibly progressive character for the era the film was made in.  John Wayne’s performance as Sean Thornton is equally impressive, showing off more of his newly recognized acting abilities and proving that he has more range than just playing cranky, cynical men of the old west.  Thornton isn’t exactly a romantic or strong-willed character, but he’s always interesting to watch on screen because the character is quite a mystery for most of The Quiet Man’s runtime.  The former boxer turned Irish immigrant character works well for Wayne, and his brooding, yet charismatic screen presence never fails to compel.  The true standouts of the film are the once again incredible technicolour cinematography from Winton Hoch, coupled with some very restrained direction from John Ford.  His tried and true method of not distracting the audience with overly-complicated camera maneuvers works wonders, and instead the film focuses purely on storytelling and getting the best performances possible out of its cast.  Hoch’s bright and colorful cinematography is perfectly suited to the Irish countryside, and there’s something to marvel at in nearly every frame of the movie.  The film is also very well-written, especially comedically.  It opens with a hilarious example of slapstick humour that still works today, and continues by giving its entire cast of oddball characters their own unique personalities and eccentricities.  I can honestly say that I laughed out loud more than once during my two viewings of The Quiet Man, something that has rarely happened during my Ford marathon.  It’s clear throughout that John Ford is proud of his heritage and very passionate about Ireland, and that passion and interest in the setting and traditions add a great deal of genuine atmosphere to the film.  Unfortunately, there are a few moments that just didn’t work for me throughout.  One scene in particular involves Wayne’s Thornton giving off some awfully rape-y and abusive vibes towards O’Hara’s Mary Kate.  Not only does Sean Thornton corner his new wife in her dark room, but he throws her onto her bed hard enough to break it, staring a hole through her the entire time.  Maybe I’m crazy, but the entire sequence added nothing to the supposed romance between the two leads, and instead felt out of place and old-fashioned in the worst way possible.  Luckily, these moments are few and far between and aren’t enough to derail what is largely a terrific and charming film.  

The Quiet Man is a restrained deviation from John Ford’s usual work, and is surprising in how successful it is.  The comedy, terrific lead performances, beautiful Irish setting, and subtle direction make for a truly remarkable and memorable film, and one that has absolutely earned its reputation as being one of Ford’s best.  The Quiet Man was a tremendous surprise, and a film I can easily say comes highly recommended.

John Ford Feature #7 – Rio Grande (1950)

Rio Grande (1950)
Directed by: John Ford
Written by: James Kevin McGuinness (based on Mission With No Record by James Warner Bellah)
Starring: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Claude Jarman Jr.

Finally, the final film in John Ford’s epic cavalry trilogy is upon us. After returning to the western genre after a brief wartime hiatus, Ford would deliver a great many more terrific western films, all of which brought something new to the table.  Rio Grande is the final film in his trilogy, but far from the last good western that Ford would direct.  The film comes after both Fort Apache and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and features the only bit of continuity found in the entire thematic trilogy: John Wayne returns as Captain Kirby York, the progressive and forward-thinking main character in Fort Apache. The film was based on a short story found in the Saturday Evening Post entitled Mission With No Record, and written by James Warner Bellah.  Bellah’s short stories inspired the entirety of the cavalry trilogy, and he would even go on to co-write Ford’s terrific revisionist western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.  Rio Grande would be released the same year as Ford’s now celebrated Wagon Master, and would be his final western until the release of the highly acclaimed The Searchers in 1956.  The final film in the cavalry trilogy stars the aforementioned John Wayne as the grizzled Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke (spelled differently in this film), and Maureen O’Hara as Kathleen Yorke, the estranged wife of the veteran.  O’Hara was often called “the finest actress in Hollywood” by Ford, but after a number of films together the working relationship between the two fell apart, and Ford came to resent O’Hara for reasons pretty much unknown. On top of the pairing of Wayne and O’Hara, the film stars Ford company regulars like Ben Johnson as Trooper Tyree, Harry Carey, Jr. as Trooper Daniel Boone, and Victor McLaglen as Sgt. Maj. Quincannon.  Rio Grande was a tremendous success financially, but as with many of Ford’s mid-career westerns, would be largely ignored by the awards circuit of the time.

Rio Grande sees Kirby Yorke (John Wayne) now on the Texas frontier, and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  Yorke and his cavalry have been posted in Texas to defend against the threat of Apaches, but has recently seen Apaches taking sanctuary in Mexico, away from the threat of the U.S. cavalry. Yorke’s diminishing forces are threatened further by the lack of troops sent by his superiors.  Kirby’s son, Trooper Jeff Yorke (Claude Jarman Jr.), whom he hasn’t seen for years, has recently been added to the troop.  The addition of his son puts further stress on Yorke, as does the arrival of his estranged wife Kathleen (Maureen O’Hara), who has come to pull her underage son out of the cavalry.  The Lt. Col. Yorke, not wanting to seem to favour his son, ends up treating the young man more harshly than the other troopers.  Jeff is taken in by two older cavalry members, Troopers Travis Tyree (Ben Johnson) and Daniel Boone (Harry Carey Jr.), who help him acclimate to the harsh conditions of the forces.  As both of young Jeff’s parents want something different for his future, they slowly begin to settle their differences and rekindle the love they once held for each other.  After a visit by the general of his department, Yorke and his motley crew are ordered to pursue the Apaches into Mexico and stop them from fleeing.  By crossing the United States border and chasing after the Apaches, Col. Yorke risks the careers and lives of himself and his young troopers.  The proud Kirby Yorke of course chooses to accept his new mission, despite the enormous odds working against his cavalry.  Will Yorke be successful by risking it all in order to save his marriage, get closer to his son, and protect his fellow countrymen?  Find out in John Ford’s installment in the cavalry trilogy, Rio Grande.

Trilogies are a funny thing, with even the best of them having a weak or flawed chapter or installment.  Unfortunately, Ford’s cavalry trilogy is no different, and Rio Grande ends up being closer in comparison to Return of the Jedi than Fort Apache’s Empire Strikes Back.  That’s not to say it’s a bad film by any means, just a disappointment after the tremendous highs of the previous two films.  Where Fort Apache felt progressive and modern and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon featured stunning cinematography and an amazing performance by John Wayne, Rio Grande features very few standout elements.  John Wayne’s performance is solid as usual by this point in his career, but absolutely nothing to write home about.  Everything I came to love about Kirby York(e) in Fort Apache seemed to disappear almost entirely in this film.  York(e) feels like a completely separate, and far more bitter and cynical man than he did just two years prior.  Luckily, we have a very good performance by Maureen O’Hara to give us what Wayne’s York(e) fails to do.  There’s clearly a reason Ford was so fond of O’Hara for so many years; her screen presence and natural charm are undeniable.  The chemistry between O’Hara and Wayne is obvious, and it’s no wonder the two were featured in so many films together after this effort.  Unlike the previous year’s She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Rio Grande is once again shot in black and white, which I found to be an odd touch.  The cinematography features Ford’s trademark use of shadows against the bleakness of the western plains, but lacks the flourishes that Yellow Ribbon featured prominently (and picked up an Oscar for, too).  The soundtrack isn’t nearly as memorable as those found in previous films either, and I sorely missed whistling sixty year old tunes in the days following my viewing of the film.  On the very good side, the set-piece at the film’s climax is remarkable and intense, and I longed for more of the siege-style warfare featured here.  When it suddenly ended on a high note, I couldn’t help but be disappointed that it hadn’t gone further.  All of these jumbled thoughts sums up exactly how I feel about Rio Grande: It’s a frustrating and largely mediocre experience in a package that has so much potential for greatness.

Rio Grande isn’t a bad film by any means, it’s just not particularly memorable when compared directly to its predecessors.  It features good performances by John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, as well as a tremendous action set piece to close out the film, but lacks the punch of the previous two films.  The story is unique when compared to the others in the cavalry trilogy, but it just doesn’t go far enough with the story for the audience to care much.  John Ford’s mostly great cavalry trilogy doesn’t end with a whimper, but more of a tremendous sigh.  If you’re interested, view Rio Grande at your own discretion.

John Ford Feature #5 – Fort Apache (1948)

Fort Apache (1948)
Directed by: John Ford
Written by: Frank S. Nugent (based on Massacre by James Warner Bellah)
Starring: John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Ward Bond, Shirley Temple, John Agar

Just two years after the release of his widely successful western My Darling Clementine, John Ford decided to embark on the production of a loose trilogy of films.  Fort Apache is the first film in Ford’s “cavalry trilogy”, which includes She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Rio Grande (1950), all three of which star frequent collaborator John Wayne.  The three films form a trilogy in name and in spirit only, not having any recurring characters or situations (except for John Wayne’s Captain Kirby York in Fort Apache and Rio Grande), with the exception of all films dealing with the United States cavalry battling Native American armies on some level.  Fort Apache, much like its successor My Darling Clementine, did not fare well on the awards circuit, but was still widely critically acclaimed upon its release.  Looking at the list of winners and nominees at that year’s major awards shows, it seems as if there was something of a stigma against traditional western films, with critics and audiences instead gravitating towards literary adaptations like Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet, which won Best Picture in 1948, groundbreaking visual dramas like The Red Shoes, and film noirs like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Key Largo.  Luckily for Ford’s legacy, the film was a hit with audiences and the cavalry trilogy as a whole is now considered one of the many high points of his prolific career.  Fort Apache stars longtime Ford collaborator John Wayne in his first of two appearances as Kirby York, My Darling Clementine star and future Oscar winner Henry Fonda, as well as child star Shirley Temple in one of her final film roles before retirement.  Other frequent John Ford supporting players Ward Bond and star of The Informer Victor McLaglen also make notable appearances.

Fort Apache takes place after the end of the American Civil War in or around the state of Arizona, circa the late 1800’s.  We meet Captain Kirby York (John Wayne), a decorated Civil War veteran who looks to replace the current commander at an isolated United States cavalry outpost, Fort Apache. Unfortunately for York, the position was unknowingly given to Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda), who has traveled to the outpost with his daughter Philadelphia (Shirley Temple).  York and other cavalry soldiers are understandably upset when they learn the news, mostly due to Thursday’s lack of experience with the Native American population settled in the area near Fort Apache.  Not only does Thursday lack the experience with the Native population, but he is also quickly outed as a class-conscious bigot with no remorse at all for the Native American’s, who are led by the great Cochise (Miguel Inclan).  Thursday’s daughter, Philadelphia, quickly falls in love with the young and handsome Second Lieutenant Michael O’Rourke (John Agar).  The budding romance is quickly squashed by Philadelphia’s father, who forbids any man he doesn’t consider a gentleman from seeing his daughter.  After learning of Owen Thursday’s disapproval, O’Rourke’s father Sergeant Major O’Rourke (Ward Bond), also a veteran of the Civil War, comes to blows with the bigoted commander of Fort Apache.  After learning of unrest by the Apache Natives, Commander Thursday ignores the advice of Kirby York, and decides to battle the forces of Cochise in the hills.  York, aware and sympathetic of the skilled Apache warriors, stands aside to watch an almost certain disaster take place in the hills near Fort Apache.  Will the bigoted Owen Thursday and his cavalry forces defeat the far more experienced Apache warriors, or will Thursday’s prideful ignorance lead to his and hundreds of his soldier’s untimely demise?  Find out in John Ford’s classic Fort Apache.

Though it may come off as extremely old-fashioned in its politics and archaic views of race relations, Fort Apache was actually quite a progressive film at the time of its release.  John Wayne’s Captain York is very sympathetic towards the struggles of the Native American population in the area, and suggests to his commander that the cavalry treat Cochise and his men with the utmost respect and civility, but Fonda’s Lt. Colonel Thursday is having none of it.  Henry Fonda, one of the seemingly nicest men in Hollywood, is playing extremely out of type in Fort Apache as the prejudiced and incredibly strict Owen Thursday.  This makes Fonda’s performance all the more impressive, because I found myself outright hating Thursday in several moments of the film, especially when leading his men into a battle they know they will lose in the name of ignorance.  I’ve never actively rooted against a character played by Fonda, and to see him pull off such an impressive transformation made me fall in love with the film even more than I already had.  John Wayne’s Kirby York is the perfect counterbalance, bringing logic and a strong-willpower to the table.  It’s clear that York is the superior and more worthy leader of the titular Fort Apache, and for him to be as restrained as he is was both frustrating and admirable at the same time.  Although Wayne was mostly playing himself as York, the performance is still very good and offers a character to really get behind.  On top of two incredible lead performances, Ford’s filming of action and battle sequences is incredible, giving weight to every fallen cavalry soldier and Native American warrior, and making every shot fired worthwhile.  For a film shot thirty years before the era of action blockbusters even began, the action set pieces are incredibly well-paced and have a perfect mixture of wonder and gravity to them.  Fort Apache also brings with it a surprising amount of comedy, especially in its early cavalry training sequences.  John Ford has a knack for subtle humour in films that don’t appear to be comedic in any way at first glance, and it never fails to add a little something to his films for me.  Lastly, while not being something I usually praise or comment on in great detail, the sets and costume design in Fort Apache are absolutely something to behold.  The sets are furthered by the incredible black and white cinematography that captures the beauty and bleakness of the plains featured prominently in the film.  The uniforms worn by the cavalry look very accurate as far as I can tell, and it absolutely helps immerse you deeper into the film.

As a whole, Fort Apache is easily one of my favorite films of the marathon thus far.  Its progressive attitude towards race relations between the Americans and Native Americans is something to be admired for the time period, the performances by both Henry Fonda and John Wayne are terrific and career-defining, and the direction of massive action set pieces by John Ford rivals some of the great action sequences in films made today.  It is clear that John Ford was most comfortable in the western genre, and I can’t wait to dive even further into his catalog of great westerns.  Fort Apache is highly recommended.

John Ford Feature #4 – My Darling Clementine (1946)

My Darling Clementine (1946)
Directed by: John Ford
Written by: Samuel G. Engel, Winston Miller, Sam Hellman, Stuart Anthony, William M. Conselman (based on Wyatt Earp: The Frontier Marshal by Stuart N. Lake)
Starring: Henry Fonda, Victor Mature, Cathy Downs, Linda Darnell, Walter Brennan, Tim Holt, Ward Bond

Finally, the genre that John Ford made himself an icon with.  With World War II behind him, director John Ford could once again set his sights on the genre that made him a legend, the western.  Ford’s romantic account of the goings on in the town of Tombstone and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral is widely considered to be one of the greatest westerns of all-time.  My Darling Clementine is the great filmmaker’s first western since 1939, after briefly delving into the world of documentary filmmaking, as well as making award winning dramas such as Best Picture winning How Green Was My Valley.  The film is loosely based on a biography of the great Wyatt Earp, entitled Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal by Stuart Lake.  The book popularized the legend of the shootout at the O.K. Corral, and Ford’s My Darling Clementine took the ball and ran with it, making the tale as popular as we know it today.  John Ford, who during his silent filmmaking days had met the legendary Wyatt Earp, had been told firsthand about the events during the gunfight.  Ford remembered Earp’s words well, and adapted the story exactly the way that the former marshal of Tombstone had told him.  Even John Wayne, frequent collaborator with John Ford, had been on record saying the he shaped his entire persona on the legendary Earp.  My Darling Clementine stars the great Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp, who had previously starred in Ford’s Young Mr. Lincoln, Drums Along the Mohawk, and The Grapes of Wrath, as well as Victor Mature as Doc Holliday, Cathy Downs as the titular Clementine Carter, Ward Bond as Morgan Earp, and Tim Holt as Virgil Earp.  While My Darling Clementine was somehow ignored by the awards circuit after its release, the film became an immediate hit.  It is now widely known to be one of the greatest westerns of all-time, and one of Ford’s best films – something hard to achieve in such a prolific career full of terrific films.

My Darling Clementine tells the story of the Earp Brothers, Wyatt (Henry Fonda), Virgil (Tim Holt), Morgan (Ward Bond), and James (Don Garner) as they and their cattle head to California.  After learning of nearby town Tombstone, Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan head for the so-called “lawless” town and leave James alone to tend the cattle.  The brothers learn that Tombstone is without a marshal, and as a result has fallen into chaos because of outlaws and hooligans.  After a drunk man begins opening fire at innocent townspeople, Wyatt confronts him and boots him out of the town.  The town is quick to offer the position of marshall to the brave Earp brother, who has no interest in the position and has his sights set on Calfornia.  When the brothers return to where they left James, they find their younger brother murdered and their cattle stolen.  The Earps return to Tombstone, where Wyatt takes the position of marshal in order to avenge the death of James and track down his killers.  Along the way, Wyatt and his brothers meet the infamous Doc Holliday (Victor Mature), who would go on to become a good friend to the Earp brothers, as well as eventual deputy marshal.  Eventually, a young woman named Clementine Carter (Cathy Downs) arrives in Tombstone from Boston.  Clementine has traveled to Tombstone for Doc Holliday, who is gravely ill and trying to push the young woman out of his life.  Eventually, Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday meet the Clanton gang (Walter Brennan, Grant Withers, and John Ireland), who soon become the primary suspects in the murder of young James.  Will marshall Wyatt Earp and his deputies get justice for young James Earp’s death, or will the lawless town of Tombstone get the better of them?  Find out in John Ford’s spectacular My Darling Clementine.

I’m incredibly happy to report that My Darling Clementine marks the first masterpiece of December’s John Ford marathon feature.  I had previously seen Ford’s Stagecoach, The Grapes of Wrath, Young Mr. Lincoln, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and How Green is My Valley, and I would absolutely rank this film with the best of them.  My Darling Clementine is an incredibly fun and well-paced adventure into the lawless town of Tombstone, which is a terrific setting that has been revisited time and time again in film and television.  In its strongest moments, the film is heartbreaking and riddled with tension, and yet somehow manages to still be a funny film with a terrific sense of adventure.  Henry Fonda’s Wyatt Earp is easily one of my favorite western protagonists, seamlessly transforming from the handsome blue-eyed Fonda into the vengeful, law-abiding Earp.  From the moment Wyatt Earp learns of the murder of his brother, he’s dead set on justice for those responsible, no matter what it takes.  Fonda’s chemistry with both Victor Mature and Cathy Downs is terrific, and helps further the sense of camaraderie between the cast of characters.  Victor Mature’s Doc Holliday is terrific as well, coming off a great deal more subtle than Val Kilmer’s notorious performance in 1993’s Tombstone.  The sickly Holliday doesn’t quite know what he wants at any moment during the film, nor does he seem to believe in himself, and Mature’s performance perfectly captures his divisive personality and attitude.  The photography and direction perfectly catch the beauty of the Old West, using Ford’s trademark shadowy imagery, coupled with daytime scenes that perfectly capture the hot, dry temperature of Tombstone and the surrounding locations.  One of my favorite scenes came when Wyatt Earp and his deputies encounter a Shakespearean actor at the town saloon, perfectly capturing the film’s unique sense of absurd humor.  It’s a damn shame that My Darling Clementine didn’t pick up any major awards at the time, because I truly believe Ford and his film could have given William Wyler and his Best Picture winner The Best Years of Our Lives a run for their money.

John Ford’s post-war effort My Darling Clementine is an understated, incredibly well-acted and well-paced masterpiece.  The film clocks in at 103 minutes or so, and yet still feels too brief.  It’s definitely something that I could have watched unfold over more than two hours.  Ford’s movie is both devastating and triumphant in its greatest moments, and I truly believe it to be one of the great westerns of all-time.  If you’re at all interested in the films of John Ford of those of the western genre, I can guarantee you won’t be let down by this film.  My Darling Clementine gets my highest recommendation.

John Ford Feature #3 – They Were Expendable (1945)

They Were Expendable (1945)
Directed by: John Ford
Written by: Frank Wead, Jan Lustig (based on They Were Expendable by William L. White)
Starring: Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed, Ward Bond, Marshall Thompson, Paul Langton, Jack Holt

The year is 1945, the second Great War has just rocked the entire world to its foundation, and the slow process of rebuilding and punishing those responsible is underway.  Commander John Ford had just returned from his tour of duty in the war, serving as the head of the photography unit for the Office of Strategic Services.  His time abroad saw him make several propaganda films for the United States Navy, including The Battle of Midway and December 7th.   Not only did the his time in the war see him make several successful films for the Allies (even winning an Oscar for Best Documentary Short for December 7th), but it even included Ford being at the famed Omaha Beach on D-Day.  When he finally returned home, he began to do exactly what he did best – direct the hell out of some great American films.  His next project after the war was 1945’s They Were Expendable, once again featuring a WWII backdrop, but this time focusing entirely on the American effort in the Pacific.  Once again featuring a group of rough men aboard a ship, They Were Expendable is a very fitting sequel to my review of 1940’s The Long Voyage Home. The film starred fellow war veterans Robert Montgomery (as Lieutenant John Brickley), and Jack Holt (as General Martin) as well as John Wayne (as Lieutenant Rusty Ryan), who was too old for the draft, and Ward Bond (as “Boats” Mulcahey), who was rejected by the draft due to his epilepsy.  John Wayne would try his best to enter into the war, but would ultimately fail in going overseas to serve his country.  Those close to Wayne said that not serving in the war was one of the biggest regrets of the star’s life, and that it caused him to overcompensate with over-the-top patriotism for the rest of his life.

John Wayne, Donna Reed, and Robert Montgomery in 1945’s They Were Expendable.

They Were Expendable follows a squadron of patrol torpedo boats, led by Lieutenant John Brickley (Robert Montgomery), as they travel to the Philippines to help ward off the threat of Japanese invasion.  The crew consists of the aforementioned Lieutenant Brickley, Lieutenant “Rusty” Ryan (John Wayne), “Boats” Mulcahey (Ward Bond), and Ensign “Andy” Andrews (Paul Langton), and Ensign “Snake” Gardner (Marshall Thompson) among others. The crew learns of the attack on Pearl Harbour, and are immediately assigned to the unglamorous task of being a “messenger” boat for other, larger, warships and squadrons.  The team is quickly forced into active combat duty after a surprise attack by Japanese warplanes, but are once again relegated to the lesser task of running messages.  After Rusty becomes injured during the surprise attack by the Japanese forces, the group meets 2nd Lieutenant Sandy Davyss, an army nurse who helps the men by giving them food, shelter, and aid.  As the men consider what to do next, Rusty and Davyss quickly begin to develop a romantic connection.  Frustrated with their roles in the war, the men come to realize that the small ships in their command may serve a far greater purpose than just messaging.  The men decide to use the small ships to their advantage in the success sinking of larger Japanese ships.  After some great victories and some tremendous losses, the crew are ordered to aid in the evacuation of General Douglas MacArthur and his family.  With Japanese moving closer and the nearly inevitable fall of the Philippines to Japan, can the crew of experienced soldiers survive the onslaught, or will their efforts and sacrifices be fruitless?  Find out in John Ford 1945’s They Were Expendable.

I won’t lie to you, my initial review for Ford’s last wartime film was initially going to be a negative one.  After questioning my own judgment and thinking it over, I decided to re-watch the film and see how I felt the second time around.  The good news is that They Were Expendable is much better than I gave it credit for, and this review is not nearly as negative as I had intended.  The film starts on a good note, and feels very much like The Long Voyage Home in the way it introduces the players to the audience.  Robert Montgomery’s Lieutenant Brickley is immediately likable in his clear strength in leadership, as is John Wayne in another performance that asks a little more than usual from Wayne.  The rest of the crew fits quite nicely, even if they don’t share the same amount of screen time or importance as Wayne and Montgomery. The chemistry between everybody is quite smooth, and that’s the important thing in a squad-based film like this.  The effects in They Were Expendable are terrific for their time, picking up an Academy Award in the process.  The attacks by Japanese warplanes feel deadly, surprising, and set the stakes in exactly the way they should.  When members of the crew and other Allied soldiers are shown dying, you genuinely feel it deep down.  Even though the Philippines is almost inevitably going to fall from the very beginning of the movie, you still hold out so much hope that somehow, someway these men and women will be able to fend off invasion.  The standout scene for me included Montgomery’s Brickley and Paul Langton’s Ensign Andrews in a hospital, as it is both incredibly powerful and emotionally devastating.  It comes in the middle of scenes showing both fighting and celebration, and packs a punch when it comes.  

John Wayne and Robert Montgomery in John Ford’s last wartime feature, They Were Expendable.

Overall, there’s a lot to like about Ford’s They Were Expendable.  It’s a admittedly a little slower than a war film of this nature should be, but I understand that the film is more about its characters and building tension.  The cast all put in good performances, with Robert Montgomery being the standout of the bunch.  Though the film may not be Ford’s greatest, it is still very admirable that the man would would want to revisit the subject of war even after being on one of the bloodiest battles in history.  They Were Expendable is recommended.

John Ford Feature #2 – The Long Voyage Home (1940)

The Long Voyage Home (1940)
Directed by: John Ford
Written by: Dudley Nichols (based on The Moon of the Caribees, In The Zone, Bound East for Cardiff, & The Long Voyage Home by Eugene O’Neill)
Starring: John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell, Ian Hunter, Barry Fitzgerald, Wilfrid Lawson

1940 was an incredible year for film, and a very noteworthy one for John Ford.  His film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s famed novel The Grapes of Wrath was released and immediately became a smashing success, winning Ford an Oscar for Best Director, and picking up six other nominations including Best Picture.  His second film released in 1940, The Long Voyage Home, was released at the end of the year, and managed to be a big hit in itself.  While not as successful as The Grapes of Wrath – which is widely regarded as one of the best films of its time – The Long Voyage Home still managed to pick up six Oscar nominations of its own, competing with Ford’s other, arguably better film for Best Picture.  Also released in 1940 were Alfred Hitchcock’s Best Picture winning Rebecca and also his Best Picture nominated and criminally underrated Foreign Correspondent Charles Chaplin’s magnum opus The Great Dictator, George Cukor’s The Philadelphia Story, Walt Disney’s Pinocchio, and Powell & Pressburger’s The Thief of Baghdad.  Though the film is set during World War II and features the war prominently, it was released just one year before the United States, and John Ford himself, would enter into the war. While The Long Voyage Home was fairly successful at the time (and was even one of John Ford’s favorites), the film has been somewhat lost to time.  The film is only remembered for picking up several Academy Award nominations, starring John Wayne in something of a supporting role, and for featuring the cinematography of the great Gregg Toland.  Toland is perhaps best known for shooting Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane the very next year, and also had a hand in the photography of Ford’s The Grapes of Wrath, Best Picture winning The Best Years of Our Lives, and 1939’s Wuthering Heights, for which he picked up an Academy Award for Best Cinematography (black and white).

Ward Bond as Yank in one of The Long Voyage Home’s more touching moments.

The Long Voyage Home sees a band of misfits aboard a British steamship, travel from the West Indies to Baltimore, and then back home to England.  Notable characters aboard the ship include their leader Drisk (Thomas Mitchell), young Swede Ole Olsen (John Wayne), the steward Cocky (Barry Fitzgerald), Smitty (Ian Hunter), and the strongman of the gang, Davis (Joseph Sawyer).  The crew of the SS Glencairn love to drink hard, party harder, and generally seem to make the best of their long stretches at sea.  Soon after a visit gone wrong by a group of beautiful young local ladies, the crew sets off to pick up some valuable cargo for their return trip home.  They soon discover that the cargo is in the form of high explosives, and the crew quickly descends into chaos after the reveal.  They are soon coerced into continuing their mission by their captain, and head for the dangerous and war-torn waters that will get them home.  After an accident caused by rough seas late one evening, a member of the SS Glencairn’s crew is severely injured, and eventually dies.  The death causes the men on the boat to lose a great deal of morale, and eventually the men start to suspect that one of the crew members among them is a German spy.  After restraining the suspect and discovering what his secrets truly are, the ship is suddenly attacked by an enemy German plane.  Will the motley crew of the SS Glencairn ever make it home from their long and treacherous voyage, or will the paranoia and dangers of the second Great War get the better of them?  Find out in John Ford’s The Long Voyage Home.

After seeing some of John Ford’s most famed and beloved films and enjoying them a great deal, I began to see that one of his largest criticisms (or praises, in some cases) is that his films never seem to focus entirely on the story at hand.  Instead, Ford turns his cameras on his characters and the settings in which they inhabit.  For better or for worse, his lack of storytelling applies fairly well to The Long Voyage Home.  While there is an overarching narrative told through the film, we are simply dropped onto the SS Glencairn to observe the behaviours of its crew, and from there we are expected to pick keep up with the story and piece it together as we go.  The photography throughout the film is beautiful, dark, and foggy.  The atmosphere is thick with tension during any scene taking place at night, and we really feel like we’re inhabiting the SS Glencairn ourselves.  The musty old ship almost becomes a character unto itself, and I even began to feel oddly sentimental about it.  Thomas Mitchell’s outing as Drisk is very strong, and his performance becomes one of the highlights of the movie.  John Wayne’s performance as the young, hulking Swede Ole Olsen isn’t particularly remarkable or noteworthy, but it’s very fun to watch him play against type.  Normally Wayne speaks little, and his characters are brooding and mysterious, but in The Long Voyage Home, Wayne’s Ole just seems like the gullible young farmer that he is.  I won’t spoil anything for those who haven’t yet seen the film, but what I will say is that it’s surprisingly dark and dour at times.  The endnote is a particularly tragic one, and left me genuinely shocked when the credits rolled.  The reveal of the supposed “spy” and subsequent attack by the German plane is incredibly tense, and as a result really effective.

John Wayne as the young Swede Ole Olden in 1940’s The Long Voyage Home.

While I can’t call The Long Voyage Home a masterpiece by any means, I can absolutely say that I enjoyed my time with the film.  The cinematography is terrific, the raucous drinking scenes with the crew are fun to watch unfold (if only to see how chaotic they might get), and the characters and ship itself become genuinely sympathetic and relatable in the film’s best moments.  It may not be John Ford’s greatest achievement, but there’s no reason in my mind why this film has been forgotten the way it has.  The Long Voyage Home is recommended.

John Ford Feature #1 – The Informer (1935)

The Informer (1935)
Directed by: John Ford
Written by: Dudley Nichols (based on The Informer by Liam O’Flaherty)
Starring: Victor McLaglen, Heather Angel, Preston Foster, Margot Grahame, Wallace Ford

As the old adage goes, “snitches get stitches” – this is exactly what John Ford’s early acclaimed drama tries to convey to the audience.  The Informer was a massive hit upon its release in America, grossing more than double its meager budget, as well as widespread critical acclaim.  Ford’s film was nominated for six Academy Awards that year, bringing home four of them despite going head-to-head with that years Best Picture winner Mutiny on the Bounty.  John Ford brought home his first Oscar for Best Director, the film’s star and regular John Ford film actor Victor McLaglen won Best Actor, Dudley Nichols won Best Adapted Screenplay (which he then refused), and the film would also win Best Score.  1935 was a tremendous year for films, with about half of the twelve films nominated for Best Picture still being recognized as truly great or memorable works (Mutiny on the Bounty, Alice Adams, Captain Blood, David Copperfield, The Informer, and Ruggles of Red Gap). And yet even among that kind of company, Ford’s The Informer still manages to stand out from the crowd as one of the most fondly remembered films of the director’s early talkie career.  Though the famous Western director had made a name for himself with his many silent films starring Harry Carey, The Informer is arguably the point where John Ford became noticed as one of the great directors of the time to look out for.  His film Arrowsmith had also been nominated for Best Picture in 1931, but that film hasn’t endured the test of time the same way this has.

The Informer follows ex-IRA (Irish Republic Army) foot-soldier Gypo Nolan (Victor McLaglen) shortly after the young man has been kicked out for trying to spare the life of a Black and Tan soldier.  The film takes place in the early 1920’s, when the outlaw IRA were battling the Black and Tans during the Irish War of Independence.  Our protagonist Gypo has his sights set on America, but first needs to get the money together to allow him passage into the blossoming country.  During a late night walk, Gypo finds that his good friend and former comrade Frankie McPhillip (Wallace Ford) is a wanted man, and the bounty on his head would allow for Gypo’s voyage to America.  He decides to meet with McPhillip, who has been living the life of a fugitive, and has been on the run for six months. Gypo finds out that McPhillip is one his way back to his mother (Una O’Connor) and sister (Heather Angel), making the trip by night to avoid the authorities.  Gypo very quickly makes the decision to become an informer, and alerts the Black and Tans to the presence of McPhillip.  The soldiers surround McPhillip’s family home, and the young fugitive is killed in a vicious gunfight, taking out several Black and Tans on his way out.  Gypo is given the bounty, but now bears the guilt of the death of his colleague weighing on his shoulders.  The new informer decides to drown his sorrows at a local pub, and runs into his girlfriend Katie (Margot Grahame).  Gypo lies to Katie and tells her that he mugged an American sailor and took the money from him, rather than betraying a former comrade and directly leading to his untimely death.  A now drunk and generous Gypo eventually runs into ex-IRA comrades, who are holding an inquest into the death of Frakie McPhillip.  They know that Gypo was the last man to speak with McPhillip, but can they prove that our protagonist snitched on him to enemy soldiers?  To find out, you’ll have to watch John Ford’s terrific The Informer and see for yourself.

If The Informer is any indication of the caliber of film I’m going to enjoy over the next month, then I can safely say I’ve chosen well.  The film has a very deliberate pacing, and very much feels like an early suspense film, but never slows down for too long.  The tension at the beginning of the film with Gypo roaming the darkened streets of Ireland is incredible, and the moment he sees the wanted poster for somebody who is clearly his friend is unlike any I’ve seen from the period.  Victor McLaglen’s performance as the slow-witted Gypo Nolan is easily the standout in the film, and his constantly conflicted character is not an easy one to get behind because of his actions. Gypo’s intentions are always good, but the way he goes about them are so morally ambiguous that you’re left not quite sure who to root for, which is something I always appreciate in a film.  It’s no wonder McLaglen won the Oscar for Best Actor that year, and I absolutely can’t wait to see him in a few more upcoming Ford films.  The directing technique in the film isn’t quite up to par with what we would come to see in works like Stagecoach (1939), but are still fairly impressive for an early sound film such as this.  Though the “talkie” had been around since the late 1920’s, you can still absolutely tell that Ford was working in an environment he wasn’t 100% comfortable with.  I think that the film would have worked just as well as a silent picture, and even feels like one in moments without music or dialogue.  As I was watching this film, it struck me that I’m going to be able to see this incredible director grow in talent and esteem, and I could not have picked a better film to begin with.  The Informer, though clumsy in small moments, is a terrific, suspenseful, and incredibly well-acted start to a prolific and critically acclaimed career.

Gypo Nolan (Victor McLaglen) and Barty Mulholland (Joe Sawyer) in 1935’s Best Picture nominee, The Informer.

If you’ve never had the privilege of seeing a John Ford film, I can probably think of better places for new viewers to start.  The Informer is a great film by a great director, but it’s definitely not the absolute best place for one to begin, because it only shows a small amount of what Ford was capable of.  The film is held together by an incredible performance by Victor McLaglen, who very deservedly beat out two of America’s best actors (Charles Laughton and Clark Gable) for Best Actor that year.  The Informer is sure to challenge viewers with its moral ambiguity, and get audiences very excited for what’s to come in Ford’s storied film-making career.  The Informer is highly recommended.

December Theme – John Ford (An Introduction)

If you aren’t somebody who is interested in film history and the significant players in its development, you may be wondering who exactly John Ford is, and what makes him so worthy of an entire month-long feature.  You may often hear him described as being a difficult, if unpretentious, and old-fashioned director.  Ford was an incredibly intense and idiosyncratic man who even managed to occasionally alienate even those closest to him.  John Ford smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish when he was permitted to, but was an extremely humble and sensitive man.  John Ford was and remains to this very day a mystery to many people, but the one thing that critics and historians alike are sure of it’s that he’s a legendary figure in the business, and one of the greatest filmmakers to ever live.  

Ford most famously made his name known through the direction of dozens of western and dramatic films, spanning from the early silent era to the mid-1960’s.  The great director is the only filmmaker in history to win four Academy Awards for Best Director (The Informer in 1935, The Grapes of Wrath in 1940, How Green Was My Valley in 1941, and The Quiet Man in 1952).  His frequent collaborators included famous western stars John Wayne and both Harry Carey Sr. and Harry Carey Jr., Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda, and Maureen O’Hara.

The films of John Ford often had themes that romanticized the old west, and were incredibly patriotic and passionate about America.  As far as direction, he greatly preferred the use of long, static shots as opposed to complex camera movements, which he felt were too laborious and time consuming.  Ford was never afraid to sacrifice parts of his work for the greater good, and was known to make last-minute changes to many of his scripts, proving he was never “married” to any one idea.  He preferred his actors known the ins and outs of their characters, and was not particularly fond of rehearsals.  Though Ford favoured a more deliberate pacing and classic approach to direction, his films are far from boring or standard in any way.  The man absolutely knew his way around a camera, and had both the critical praise and financial success to prove it.

John Ford’s most famous films include the incredible and highly influential Stagecoach, the Oscar-winning adaptation of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, the beautiful and controversial The Searchers, and my personal favorite film of his, the “film that beat Citizen Kane” How Green Was My Valley.  His influence has been felt for years, and his films continue to amaze and inspire generations.  Some of the directors who admired the man and were influenced by his films and style include my favorite director Ingmar Bergman, Jean-Luc Godard, Alfred Hitchcock, Akira Kurosawa, Steven Spielberg, and Orson Welles.

The schedule for my John Ford retrospective month looks as follows:

#1 – The Informer (1935) – December 1

#2 – The Long Voyage Home (1940) – December 4

#3 – They Were Expendable (1945) – December 7

#4 – My Darling Clementine (1946) – December 10

#5 – Fort Apache (1948) – December 13

#6 – She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) – December 16

#7 – Rio Grande (1950) – December 19

#8 – The Quiet Man (1952) – December 22

#9 – The Searchers (1956) – December 25

#10 – The Wings of Eagles (1957) – December 28

*The schedule is subject to change, with Christmas break looming.  If I have to eliminate any films from the marathon, I’ll be sure to post about it.