Today’s quick review: Fort Apache. Ordered to take command of Fort Apache from Captain Kirby York (John Wayne), Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda) seeks to revive his flagging career by rounding up a band of Apaches that have escaped their reservation. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Michael O’Rourke (John Agar), a young officer, pursues a relationship with Thursday’s daughter Philadelphia (Shirley Temple).
Fort Apache is a classic Western war drama starring Henry Fonda and John Wayne. The film revolves around the question of what to do with Chief Cochise (Miguel Inclan) and his Apaches, who escaped across the Rio Grande after their shabby treatment at the hands of the government. Where York urges fair treatment and caution, Thursday orders a decisive show of force. The clash between the two helps focus the film’s broader look at life in the cavalry.
Fort Apache manages to keep track of several rewarding plot threads without letting any of them get lost in the shuffle. The youthful romance between Michael and Philadelphia, the mundane task of training the new troopers, and the social lives of the officers and their wives all contribute to a multifaceted story. Fort Apache mixes the clean storytelling of fiction with an insight into human nature that gives it the right amount of reality.
The result is a film with a lot to offer. Fort Apache highlights the nuances of command, the moral dilemmas of war, and both the noble and the inhuman sides of life in the military. Fans of the classics will find that Fort Apache is a rare treat: a film whose plot and themes complement each other to form a satisfying whole. Viewers who are just looking for raw action or a Western romp will find Fort Apache too thoughtful for their tastes.
For a loose sequel starring John Wayne, check out Rio Grande. For another war drama that explores questions of honor and command, try The Bridge on the River Kwai or A Bridge Too Far. For another John Wayne cavalry movie, check out The Horse Soldiers.
[7.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040369/). I give it the same for rich drama and a broadly talented cast.