November 7 - She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

Today’s movie is a western with a scene that happens on November 7.  Watch it tonight and enjoy.

SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON      

At Fort Starke, Captain Nathan Brittles goes out on patrol and to deliver his commanding officer’s wife and niece to the eastbound stage. The niece is the object of the romantic attentions of two lieutenants, Cohill and Pennell. On patrol they skirmish with the Indians and find that the stagecoach post has been burned. On November 7, 1876 they return to the post, leaving Cohill and two squads to hold a river crossing. [1:01:35 to 1:13:47]  Captain Brittles retires from the army.  He returns to the troops and tries to talk peace with the Indians. When that fails he leads a stampede of the Indians pony herd through their camp, preventing a battle. Brittles is appointed Chief of Scouts. The niece, Miss Dandridge  and Cohill become attached.

            A classic western. The second film in John Ford’s “cavalry trilogy’. Famous for its Monument Valley cinematography. Interesting in that it hints that the Indians aren’t all evil, but are being manipulated by bad white men into fighting the cavalry.

In the film at 5:33, a calendar is shown and Sunday the 5^th is checked off to the comment that it is six days to Brittle’s retirement, which is shown as the 10^th. meaning the start of the film is on the fifth. However, the layout of the dates on the calendar only matches March, 1876. But we are clearly told at 12:21 that these events take place after Custer was killed, which was June, 1876. You will notice that the calendar does not give the month. I think that this printer did the calendar, with each month starting on the correct day of the week, but each sheet having 31 days. The only month in 1876 after Custer’s defeat that started on Wednesday was November.

Producer -  Merian C. Cooper, Lowell J. Farrell and John Ford

Director -  John Ford

Screenplay - Frank S. Nugent and Laurence Stallings

Awards - The film won the Oscar for Best Cinematography (Color). 

Running Time - 103 minutes

Released - October 22, 1949

Starring -

           

John Wayne as  Capt. Nathan Cutting Brittles

Joanne Dru as  Olivia Dandridge

John Agar as  1st Lt. Flint Cohill

Ben Johnson  as  Sgt. Tyree

Harry Carey Jr. as   2nd Lt. Ross Penell

Victor McLaglen as  Sgt. Quincannon

Mildred Natwick as  Abby Allshard ("Old Iron Pants")

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.