She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)

Ah, my first western viewing this calendar year. The timing felt right to me, since I was getting tired of foreign and indie flicks.

Shortly after Custer's Last Stand, Frontier Army Captain Brittles (John Wayne) is six days away from retirement. On screen, that can only mean that something eventful is going to happen first. Specifically, he receives orders to escort the commanding officer's wife, Abby (Mildred Natwick), and niece, Olivia (Joanne Dru), to a coach heading back east. Since several tribes are on the verge of war against the cavalry, this mission will require a larger party than usual.

Yes, most of the Indians we see are portrayed as antagonists. A few are peaceable; one (played by Chief John Big Tree) is even an old friend to Brittles and shares his desire to avoid war. I can't say that anyone's a caricature, but it's only fair to warn you that major studios probably wouldn't tell such a story anymore.

The other aspect that might offend you is how the soldiers regard the women. It's no McLintock! for sexism, but the idea that women don't belong there might rub you wrong. At any rate, two soldiers attempt to court Olivia, almost coming to blows over her. (The title refers to her and a symbol of love.)

Honestly, bad behavior is rather common at this post. It's played for amusement a little with Sergeant Quincannon (Victor McLaglen), the Irishman who sneaks drinks and likes a good brawl with officers. Even Brittles, who seems relatively well-disciplined, doesn't set a great example, especially with his repeated insistence that nobody apologize lest they show weakness.

Nevertheless, Brittles may be one of the more likable roles for Wayne. Fresh off his impressive turn in Red River, he gets emotional in a way I don't normally see. (It doesn't hurt that he looks a bit different with a mustache.) He personally preferred this performance to his Oscar-nominated role of the same year in Sands of Iwo Jima.

Then there's the cause of the film's one Academy Award win: the cinematography. It owes a lot to Fredric Remington's art. I appreciate the rich Technicolor support, too.

I don't expect to remember much of SWaYR a year from now. It doesn't present much I haven't gotten from other westerns. Storywise, it's one of the least of the John Ford pics I've known. But it kept my interest for 103 minutes.