Fort Apache (1948)

My Review

Great stars, a great story, a great director, and stunning scenery all describe the Western film classic “Fort Apache.” Director John Ford (“The Grapes of Wrath” 1940) put together this story of the U. S. Army’s tragic clash with the Apache nation. The screenplay by Frank S. Nugent , based on the 1947 story “Massacre” by James Warner Bellah, was one of the first films to present a truthful and historic view of the Native American situation.

The cast includes John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen, John Agar, Pedro Armendariz, Guy Kibbee, Dick Foran, Anna Lee, Grant Withers, Mae Marsh, and Irene Rich. “Fort Apache” was a popular draw at the box office for producer John Ford and RKO Radio Pictures. It was largely filmed on location in the beautiful Monument Valley (on the Arizona-Utah border) and at soundstages in Hollywood.