Jackson Booth-Millard Directed by John Ford (Stagecoach The Grapes of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley, The Searchers, The Man Shot Liberty Valance), I found this film listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I hoped it would be worthy of this and the five stars critics gave it. Basically set after the American Civil War, highly respected veteran Captain Kirby York (John Wayne) is replacing the commander at Fort Apache, an isolated U.S. cavalry post. The soldiers however are surprised and disappointed that regiment command is given to Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda), a West Point graduate who lacks experience with the Indians and is incompetent, arrogant and egocentric. Thursday is a widower, accompanying him is his daughter Philadelphia (Shirley Temple), she becomes attracted to Second Lieutenant Michael Shannon O'Rourke (John Agar), son of Sergeant Major Michael O'Rourke (Ward Bond), but Thursday will not allow his daughter to see someone he does not consider a gentleman. There is unrest among the Indians, led by Chief Cochise (Miguel Inclan), and corruption from from Indian agent Silas Meacham (Grant Withers), Thursday is unable to deal with this, due to his interpretation of regulations and his arrogance, so the Indians rebel, and York is eventually relieved and replaced by Captain Sam Collingwood (George O'Brien). Young O'Rourke is spared from battle by York on Thursday's orders, the entire command are nearly wiped out, but a few soldiers escape back to the ridge where Captain York is positioned, Thursday also survives, but dies soon after returning, York and the rest of the detachment are spared by Cochise because he knows York is an honourable man. Lieutenant- Colonel Kirby York becomes commander after this, O'Rourke becomes Lieutenant and marries Philadelphia, a reporter asks about the painting "Thursday's Charge", York who is commanding a new campaign against the Apaches, and believing Thursday was a poor tactician and led a suicidal charge, says the painting is accurate and the soldiers will never be forgotten as long as the regiment lives. Also starring From Russia with Love's Pedro Armendáriz as Sergeant Beaufort, George O'Brien as Captain Sam Collingwood, Victor McLaglen as Sergeant Festus Mulcahy and Anna Lee as Mrs. Emily Collingwood. Wayne as usual gives a great noble performance, Fonda is cast against type but also does well, and supporting cast members Temple and Armendáriz are good also, I will admit I did not pay the fullest attention to all the chatty scenes, but I was hooked by the action with cowboys against Indians, guns banging all over the place and the great use of sweeping desert and mountain landscapes, it is overall a worthwhile western. Very good!

Edgar Allan Pooh . . . as in Robert Heinlein's STARSHIP TROOPERS, director John Ford's final upbeat paean to "victory" might be possible to swallow. Or if they'd just had Multiplex theaters in Monument Valley when FORT APACHE premiered, Mr. Ford's racist groveling at the Altar of Manifest Destiny might have been nipped in the bud before he churned out a half dozen more of these malicious horse operas there. Given that German film director Leni Riefenstahl deserves a rating of "10" for her movie entitled TRIUMPH OF THE WILL (when translated into English, which details Hitler's rise to power), a person can spare an "8" for Mr. Ford's strikingly-photographed (not unlike an Ansel Adams work) homage here to an American Mini-Hitler (obviously Henry Fonda's "Col. Thursday" is based upon the hatchet job that Republicans have done over the years on their assassinated Whistleblower, George Armstrong Custer, whose ACTUAL championing of Native Americans is wonderfully portrayed by Errol Flynn in THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON). In FORT APACHE, Mr. Ford wastes our first 90 minutes detailing an affair between an Irish cavalry trooper (acted out by an undistinguished newbie) and a stymied tap-dancing tea-totaler (who'll only drink Shirley Temples). Sounds like a match made in Hell!

AaronCapenBanner John Wayne plays Capt. Kirby York, who is stationed at Fort Apache, which has had problems with renegade Chief Cochise leading his men off their reservation, and raiding outposts. Sent in as the new commander is Col.Owen Thursday(Henry Fonda, well cast against type) who is an ambitious and obstinate man with no respect for the Native Americans, which leads to disaster. Along with him is his daughter Philadelphia(Shirley Temple) who develops a romance with one of the soldiers(played by John Agar) which her father opposes. A climatic battle with Cochise led by Thursday will have long lasting consequences, as myth versus reality is once again tested...Well directed by John Ford, with a fine cast and intelligent script that treats the West with the complexity it deserves. A bit long, but an engrossing film.

mike48128 I wish they had shot this in color as planned or that there was a good "authorized" color version out there. Don't be fooled by the color cover. It's black and white. Henry Fonda and John Wayne do their best work here with Wayne taking the side of the Apache Indians. Shirley Temple is terrific as the Colonel's pretty young daughter. It's a long movie; over 130 minutes. At first I thought it was "slow." But with all that time, Director Ford gets to show life, tradition and chivalry on the old frontier. Details sadly missing in most other westerns. It shows the new recruits training and there is much humor until the movie gets "down to business." Based on a story entitled "Massacre" so it's obvious what's going to happen here, or is it? New post commander Colonel Thursday (Fonda) is disgruntled because he was transferred to this God-forsaken fort in Arizona. He wants his undeserved fame and glory so he lures Cochise into a trap, but he is the one that gets trapped; by his own arrogance and disrespect for the courage and intelligence of the Apache Nation. It is not the Apache that get massacred. Capt. York (Wayne) takes over the command when Colonel Thursday falls. He leads what remains of the troop not into victory, but an honorable truce. In true Calvary tradition, he does not speak ill of his fallen though misguided commander. Shirley marries her young lieutenant and the tradition of honor continues. A vivid portrayal of frontier Army life but probably not very accurate. Seeing the men march into battle is truly inspiring and thrilling to watch. A rousing musical score. John Ford knows how to tell a story well. Terrific staging and amazing stunt work. This film is so good that I soon forgot that it was in black and white and enjoyed it immensely. Even in b/w, the Utah mountains and photography are superb. Perhaps Ford decided against the use of color because of the somber drama in the final climax. Great performances by all, even Henry Fonda. I believe that this is Wayne's finest performance, and that's saying a lot considering how many movies he made. Also perhaps the best role John Agar ever had as well. He appeared in a few good movies with John Wayne but mostly is remembered for his "B" Sci-Fi movies. Violent but not bloody, Fort Apache was made in the tradition of the great American westerns.