Fort Apache (1948)

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Frank S. Nugent (screenplay)
James Warner Bellah (story)

Release Date:

9 March 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

In John Ford's sombre exploration mythologising of American heroes, he slowly reveals the character of Owen Thursday...

Plot Keywords:

Military | Last Stand | Fanaticism | Ambition | Cult Western

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

John Wayne	...	Capt. Kirby York
Henry Fonda	...	Lt. Col. Owen Thursday
Shirley Temple	...	Philadelphia Thursday
Pedro Armendáriz	...	Sgt. Beaufort (as Pedro Armendariz)
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
Jack Pennick	...	Sgt. Daniel Schattuck
Ray Hyke	...	Lt. Gates (Adjutant)
Movita	...	Guadalupe (Col. Thursday's cook)
Miguel Inclán	...	Cochise (as Miguel Inclan)
Mary Gordon	...	Ma (barmaid)
Philip Kieffer	...	Cavalryman (as Philip Keiffer)
Mae Marsh	...	Mrs. Gates
Hank Worden	...	Southern recruit
John Agar	...	2nd Lt. Michael Shannon O'Rourke
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cliff Clark	...	Stage driver (uncredited)
Frank Ferguson	...	Newspaperman (uncredited)
Francis Ford	...	Fen (stage guard) (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Cavalryman (uncredited)
Frank McGrath	...	Cpl. Derice (bugler) (uncredited)
Mickey Simpson	...	NCO at dance (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Tom O'Feeney (courier) (uncredited)
Archie Twitchell	...	Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
John Ford

Writing credits
Frank S. Nugent		(screenplay)
James Warner Bellah		(story "Massacre")

Produced by
Merian C. Cooper	....	executive producer (uncredited)
John Ford	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Richard Hageman

Cinematography by
Archie Stout
William H. Clothier		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Jack Murray

Art Direction by
James Basevi

Makeup Department
Emile LaVigne	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bernard McEveety	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lowell J. Farrell	....	assistant director (as Lowell Farrell)
Cliff Lyons	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Frank Parmenter	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Jack Pennick	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Jack Colconda	....	properties (as Jack Galconda)
Joseph Kish	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Joseph I. Kane	....	sound
Frank Webster	....	sound

Special Effects by
Dave Koehler	....	special effects

Stunts
Frank Baker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Carson	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Graham	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Hudkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ben Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walt La Rue	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank McGrath	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Danny Sands	....	stunts (uncredited)
Barlow Simpson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Henry Wills	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
D.R.O. Hatswell	....	costume researcher
Michael Meyers	....	wardrobe: men's
Ann Peck	....	wardrobe: ladies'

Music Department
Lucien Cailliet	....	conductor
Lucien Cailliet	....	music arranger
George Cooper	....	lyrics
Morton Downey	....	playback singer

Other crew
Katherine Cliffton	....	research editor
Merian C. Cooper	....	presenter
John Ford	....	presenter
Philip Kieffer	....	technical advisor (as Major Philip Kieffer USA Rtd.)
Katharine Spaatz	....	technical advisor
Kenny Williams	....	dance sequences
Sid Davis	....	stand-in: John Wayne (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Argosy Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1953) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• ClassicLine (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Astor-Filmi (1949) (Finland) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1948) (France) (theatrical) (as RKO Radio Films)
• Castle Video (1989) (Finland) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Future Film (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Turner Home Video (video)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

War Party

Runtime:

125 min | West Germany:84 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G | Iceland:L | West Germany:6 (nf) | UK:U | USA:Approved (certificate #12819) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Norway:16 (1948) | Finland:S | Spain:T | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) (2002)

Filming Locations:

Arches National Park, Moab, Utah, USA

Company:

Argosy Pictures

Trivia:

The "Apache" Indians were really members of the Navajo tribe.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The canyon that Captain York and Sergeant Beaufort ride into to meet with Cochise is supposed to be in Mexico. It is the same canyon that Col. Thursday and his command ride to defeat in the United States.

Quotes:

Ft. Apache sentry: Halt! Who goes there?
Sgt. Johnny Beaufort: The new commanding officer.
Ft. Apache sentry: Holy Moses!
Sgt. Johnny Beaufort: No, the new commanding officer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

Soundtrack:

The Girl I Left Behind Me

One of the Best

This is one of my top 3-4 movies made by the Duke. It gets better each time I watch it, and I watch it nearly every time it's on. If you haven't seen a restored version, you'll be amazed at the cinematography. Absolutely gorgeous. I don't think it would have been improved in color, as one of the earlier comments said.

The final scene reminds me of "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" as well. In "Valance", at the end of the movie, the newspaperman says upon learning who DID shoot Liberty Valance, "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." The same thing happens in Fort Apache, when the newspaper reporters talk about a famous painting of Col. Thursday's bold charge into the face of the enemy, when it was anything but the truth.

One hell of a movie that should be viewed by anyone who likes great entertainment.