John Ford is just such a good director, it’s a surprise when he does a misstep. And this one is not a misstep. It’s another excellent movie from Ford, about the military in the Old West, and the crucial differences between military protocol and military effectiveness. As usual, Ford juggles excellent photography and good performances (although Shirley Temple is a little wooden, apparently she didn’t mature in acting ability as she matured in age). Although it’s great to see members of Ford’s regular ensemble in supporting roles, it’s Wayne and Fonda’s picture, as the two men constantly butt heads about how best to deal with the different situations that arise. It’s to Ford and Fonda’s credits that they don’t make Col. Thursday a one-dimensional hardass, showing that although he is a stickler for protocol, that’s not ALWAYS a bad thing. An excellent Western, although I think this one’s more for establish fans of the genre than a movie that would draw new people in.

This movie is a true classic, and one of the most star studded movies ever. John Wayne wasn’t even top billing, or the romantic lead.
The story is roughly that of a Custer like commander, played by Henry Fonda, whose arrogance and superior attitude prove the downfall of him and a lot of other men.
A lot of great scenes, including the grandest dance scene of all time, albeit a slow dance, in which we are made keenly aware of the impending doom.
Although Custer is not named, he is obviously implied. And the Custer character is not the hero of Flynn, nor the caricature of “Little Big Man”. This Custer is somewhere between, and it is too bad he is not named, because this is probably the best and most realistic portrayal of the historic character.