Movie Review: Fort Apache (1948) directed by John Ford
Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda) was a general during the American Civil War. He showed his brilliance in a particular battle, at the cost of his friend Sam Collingwood’s (George O’Brien) career (that man is now a captain.) After the war, Thursday lost his brevet rank like many other career military men, and was assigned to duties in Europe. And now Lt. Col. Thursday has been assigned to Fort Apache, a remote outpost in the middle of the most desolate and hostile territory imaginable, the Bronx Arizona. He considers it a dead end post with no chance for glory and advancement, but his daughter Philadelphia Thursday (Shirley Temple) is just glad to be spending time with her father again.
Also arriving at Fort Apache is 2nd Lieutenant Michael Shannon O’Rourke (John Agar), freshly graduated from West Point. For him, it’s something of a homecoming, because his father Sergeant Major Michael O’Rourke (Ward Bond) is top kick for the regiment stationed there, and the other veterans know him well. He and Philadelphia hit it off and the O’Rourke family helps the girl adapt to life at the fort, as do the Collingwoods.
Lt. Col. Thursday has a harder time of it. He’s a stiff-backed man, and appalled by the lack of attention to uniform code and discipline at the fort. He makes a bad impression on his officers, including veteran Captain Kirby York (John Wayne), who knows the local native people well, including the Apache themselves. He’s not good at taking advice or correction (it doesn’t help that he’s bad with names), and he’s class-conscious enough to dislike Lt. O’Rourke’s interest in his daughter.
Lt. Col. Thursday perks up when he learns that Capt. York has a plan to convince Cochise (Miguel Inclan) to return his renegade Apache to the reservation peacefully. Although Thursday has learned that Mr. Silas Meacham (Grant Withers), the “Indian Agent” for the reservation, is a corrupt criminal whose abuses drove Cochise and his people from that land, he deliberately brings Meacham to the negotiations and refuses to remove him in order to provoke a battle. A battle that Capt. York and all the soldiers know will doom them, but Colonel Thursday is convinced that his brilliant strategy will allow him to win.
This is one of the all-time great Westerns, with outstanding direction, a strong cast, and Monument Valley as a backdrop. Special film was used that really makes the scenery pop, and the outdoors scenes are a delight to the eye.
Fonda and Wayne are excellent in their respective roles, as is Ward Bond. Temple and Agar (married in real life at the time) are okay, but their parts have less range to work with. Comic relief is provided by four sergeants, of whom the most important is Sergeant Beaufort (Pedro Armindariz), a Hispanic man who previously served in the Confederate Army. York uses Beaufort as a translator to Cochise as his Apache is limited, but Cochise is fluent in Spanish.
While the story is loosely inspired by the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Colonel Thursday is depicted as the villain of the piece. He tricks Captain York into breaking his word to Cochise, and deliberately taunts the Apache to ensure they’ll fight despite their peaceful intentions. Because of his actions, his troops are needlessly slaughtered, and the U.S. Cavalry has to keep fighting the Apache when Geronimo comes to the fore. And in a nod to genuine history, the American government and media twist the story to make Thursday a hero. His tragic flaws of pride and glory-seeking are swept under the rug. Note however that the cavalry as a whole are depicted as relatively decent people.
There’s a good soundtrack, much of it based on songs from the time period.
Content note: A lot of shooting, often fatal but bloodless. Abuse of alcohol is frequent (most frequently by the four sergeants.) Captain Collingwood is hinted to be an alcoholic, but those same scenes show him being very careful not to let it interfere with his duty. Meacham abuses the natives under his care while uttering pious sentiments (a box of “Bibles” contains rotgut whiskey.) Colonel Thursday is racist, classist, overly controlling towards his daughter, and is not good at apologizing for any of those.
A must see for Western and John Wayne fans, but also a fine movie in its own right.
