![]() ![]() The cynical marshal makes a bargain, worth a thousand bucks to him, to bring back any white male who is around seventeen to businessman Henry J. A group of settlers are camped out on the fort grounds and want their relatives, some children, who were taken long ago in Indian raids, to be returned. Jim is to tag along, but without his uniform so he won’t be in violation of breaking the peace treaty. Because of his good relationship with Comanche Chief Quanah Parker, Guthrie is hired on as an army scout and sent on a mission to bring back any white prisoners captured by the Comanches. Jim Gary (Richard Widmark) comes with a detail from the local fort, some 40 miles away, and takes him to see the brusque no-nonsense fort commander Major Frazer (John McIntire). Guthrie McCabe (James Stewart) is the marshal of a small peaceful Texas town, where he’s pleasuring the attractive saloon owner Belle Aragon (Annelle Hayes) and receives a cut of ten percent profits from all the businesses in town to supplement his $100 a month paycheck. Ford fails to make his racism theme work in the same powerful way he did in The Searchers. Though it makes some good social commentary points and presents a worthwhile racism theme to explore, Ford fails to give it the depth required and can’t convincingly put a happy face on a dreary ending that seems contrived. It depicts both the white settlers and Indians as both hypocrites, bloodthirsty and willing to make financial deals together that are not above board. John Ford directed this minor, atypical Western for him, as a favor to Columbia boss Harry Cohn, which is not among his best films but shouldn’t be completely dismissed it doesn’t have much action, but has a blend of black comedy and a cynical tone about frontier greed and racism after the peace treaties are signed with the Indians. “Ford fails to make his racism theme work in the same powerful way he did in The Searchers.” Frazer), Chet Douglas (Deputy Ward Corby) Runtime: 109 MPAA Rating: NR producers: Stanley Shpetner/John Ford Columbia Pictures 1961) Wrangle), Henry Brandon (Chief Quanah Parker), Olive Carey (Mrs. Frazer), Annelle Hayes (Belle Aragon), David Kent (Running Wolf), Woody Strode (Stone Calf), Willis B. Jim Gary), Shirley Jones (Marty Purcell), Linda Cristal (Elena de la Madriaga), Andy Devine (Sgt. ![]() Nugent/from the book by Will Cook cinematographer: Charles Lawton editor: Jack Murray music: George Duning cast: James Stewart (Guthrie McCabe), Richard Widmark (Lt. (director: John Ford screenwriters: Frank S. ![]()
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