Fort Apache

“John Ford's Masterpiece of the Frontier!”

7.0(398)19482h 8m

Western

Owen Thursday sees his new posting to the desolate Fort Apache as a chance to claim the military honour which he believes is rightfully his. Arrogant, obsessed with military form and ultimately self-destructive, he attempts to destroy the Apache chief Cochise after luring him across the border from Mexico, against the advice of his subordinates.

Director

John Ford

Budget

$2.5M

Revenue

$3.0M

Where to watch

Rent

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Cast

John Wayne

Capt. Kirby York

Henry Fonda

Lt. Col. Owen Thursday

Shirley Temple

Philadelphia Thursday

Pedro Armendáriz

Sgt. Beaufort

Ward Bond

Sgt. Maj. Michael O'Rourke

George O'Brien

Capt. Sam Collingwood

Victor McLaglen

Sgt. Festus Mulcahy

Anna Lee

Mrs. Emily Collingwood

Irene Rich

Mrs. Mary O'Rourke

Dick Foran

Sgt. Quincannon

Guy Kibbee

Capt. Dr. Wilkens

Grant Withers

Silas Meacham

Reviews

2 reviews

John Chard

6y ago

9.0

Any questions? Fort Apache is the first film of what came to be known as John Ford's US Cavalry trilogy. Just like the other two, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon & Rio Grande, this is also based on a short story by James Warner Bellah. Originally intended to be shot in colour, it was however filmed in black and white with Ford still making spectacular use of the Monument Valley location. The story pri...

Geronimo1967

3y ago

7.0

Certainly, I think, the best of the John Ford US cavalry trilogies this one. Henry Fonda is cracking as the honourable, but out of his depth, by-the-book colonel sent to run a ramshackle army post just as the Apache are on the rise again. He replaces the far more practically experienced John Wayne and soon it all gets a bit sticky. John Agar and Shirley Temple provide an amiable romantic sub-plot ...