Wardell Edwin Bond was born on April 9, 1903, in Benkelman, Nebraska, except if you believe the "Turner Classic Movie" website's biography.
https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/18845%7C153970/Ward-Bond/#overview
"TCM" has Wardell born in Denver, Colorado, but that mix-up can be cleared by the following newspaper clipping.
The citizens of Benkelman, Nebraska, always knew where the actor was born.
After graduating from "East High School", in Denver, the young man attended the "Colorado School of Mines", in Golden, taking undergraduate courses in Engineering and Science. Next, Ward Bond, moved to Los Angeles, and started attending the "University of Southern California", and was a member of the football team. Which in 1928, won "USC's" first National Championship.
Two years earlier, in 1926, another football player and friend of Ward Bond, had to stop playing after he broke his collar bone surfing. His name was Marion Robert Morrison aka: Marion Michael Morrison aka: Michael Marion Morrison, aka: Michael Robert Morrison, all depending on whose biography you read, or the names shown for the jobs he worked .
Which brings me to this article, and I start with Ward Bond's first on-screen appearance.
NOAH'S ARK premiered in Hollywood on November 1, 1928 as a Silent motion picture. The film would be re-released in 1929 with a sound musical score added
The motion picture has nothing directly to do with director John Ford, but does indirectly. "Warner Brothers" needed hundred's of extra's for the flood scenes and they hired three college students. Two of these were "USC". student's, Ward Bond, and "Fox" studio's assistant prop department employee,
Michael Robert Morrison. The third was Andrew "Andy" Vabre Devine, from "Santa Clara College".
None of the three thought about acting as a profession, but all would have that career change. And find themselves as part of the "John Ford Stock Company". Which was a small group of leading actors, a large one of supporting actors, along with John Ford's favorite motion picture technicians and writers.
Ward's next feature film was, 1929's, "Words and Music", and found him as the last fully credited actor, with 25th-billing, as, of course, a "Football Player". In the same motion picture at 7th-billing, was Ward's college friend, Michael Robert Morrison, portraying "Pete Donahue", but billed on-screen as "Duke Morrison". Which would add to the conversion about when, and why, the actor started being called "Duke".
Above left to right, Ward Bond, Lois Moran, and Frank Albertson, below, trumpet player Michael Robert Morrison
As my title implies, this article looks at the roles Ward Bond portrayed for the director he was most associated with, John Ford. I will be mentioning other titles made with other directors, but not in detail. This is to put Ward Bond's, Ford appearances, in perspective to his overall film and television career.
The website, "IMDb" has a list of 284 roles credited to the actor at:
However, that role total includes only one time portraying, "Major Seth Adams", on television's "Wagon Train", but has the annotation that Bond actually appeared in the role 133-times.
Ward Bond's 3rd-motion picture was also his first for director John Ford.
SALUTE released September 1, 1929
This was the 13th film produced by John Ford, and the 68th directed by him since 1917. From 1917 into 1923, he was billed as Jack Ford. He had been born John Martin "Jack" Feeney, on February 1, 1894, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. It was in 1914, while acting and directing for his older brother Francis Ford, the adopted stage name of Francis Joseph Feeney, that John Feeney also adapted the last name of Ford.
"Salute" is a sports drama about two brothers, one at "West Point", the other at "Annapolis", their rivalry in love, and the Army-Navy football game.
As the above posters indicates, the co-stars of "Salute", were:
The male lead was George O'Brien, who would be known for his Western roles, that started with director Jack Ford's, 1924 classic, "The Iron Horse". In 1964, George O'Brien, would be in the cast of director John Ford's apology to Native Americans, "Cheyenne Autumn".
The female lead was Helen Chandler, who is best remembered for portraying "Mina", in director Tod Browning's, 1931, "Dracula", co-starring with Bela Lugosi.
In the motion picture were, 10th-billed, Ward Bond, portraying "Midshipman Harold", below right, and uncredited, Michael Robert Morrison, portraying "Midshipman Bill", below left.
The actor's next appearance was in a pre-motion picture code feature film. This was director John Ford's crime drama, "BORN RECKLESS", premiering on May 11, 1930. Ward Bond had the credited role of "Sergeant", with 19th-billing. Also in the cast was an uncredited Michael Robert Morrison as an "Extra".
Immediately before his next John Ford motion picture, Ward Bond found himself with the uncredited role of "Sid Bacom", in a Western directed by one-eyed, Raul Walsh, a close friend of Ford. The 1930 motion picture was shot in both the normal 35mm, and also in 70mm widescreen, but that isn't why "The Big Trail" is remembered. The Western feature film is remembered for the name director Raul Walsh created for his new movie star, "Fox's" prop department assistant, Michael Robert Morrison, was now John Wayne. The complete story will be found in my article "JOHN WAYNE, WILLIAM FOX: Grandeur and 'The Big Trail" kicking up wagon train dust at:
UP THE RIVER premiered in New York City, on October 10, 1930
This is a comedy about two prisoners on the prison baseball team. Who break out of prison to help their friend and former inmate stop a crook from defrauding people, one being the friend's mother.
This is a routine depression era comedy, but it is the two actors were portray the main baseball player prisoner and his friend that are of interest, rather than the story.
Spencer Tracy portrayed "Saint Louis", the baseball player. Previously Tracy had only appeared in three short subjects and this was his first motion picture.
Humphrey Bogart portrayed "Steve Jordon", the paroled friend whose mother is the victim of fraud. Bogart had only appeared in two short subjects and this was also his first motion picture.
This was also the only motion picture the two actors appeared in together.
Ward Bond portrayed the uncredited role of "The Inmate Socked By Saint Lewis".
Four film roles later, the actor found himself in the role of an uncredited "Court Police Officer", in John Ford's, 1931 comedy, "The Brat". The feature starred silent film comedian Sally O'Neil, born Virginia Louise Concepta Noonan, who was on her way out with the advent of sound and having a strong "Joisey" accent. The story has a novelist bringing home a wild chorus girl to study, as the inspiration for his next novel, and she turns his snobbish family around.
Above left is Ward Bond speaking to Sally O'Neil.
Another four motion picture's later, found Ward Bond still portraying an "Uncredited Cop". The motion picture had been director John Ford's version of the Sinclair Lewis novel, "Arrow Smith", starring Ronald Coleman and Helen Hayes.
Thirteen, non-John Ford motion pictures followed. Ward Bond's, uncredited roles were adding up with those films. They included portraying the now familiar, "Cop", twice, and of course, a "Football player", also twice. Within these forgotten films, for the first time was another typecasting character of this period in Bond's career, as a crook's "Henchman", which he also portrayed twice.
John Ford's, "AIR MAIL", was released on November 3, 1932, and was a story about an air mail service located in the desert at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Ward Bond portrayed the uncredited role of "Joe Barnes", the brother of Gloria Stuart's "Ruth Barnes", director James Whale's 1932, "The Old Dark House", and 1933's, "The Invisible Man", and director James Cameron's, 1997, "Titanic". "Air Mail" opens with "Joe" taking off, but he misjudges, and his plane crashes into the mountain killing him.
"Air Mail" was immediately followed by John Ford's, boxing drama, "Flesh", released on December 8, 1932, and starring Wallace Beery, Ricardo Cortez, and Karen Morley.
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Above left to right, the uncredited Waldek Zbyszko portraying the "Polish Boxing Champion", producer and director John Ford, and Wallace Beery portraying "Polakai".
Below, Ward Bond in the uncredited role of "Muscles Manning", and under Beery on the fight scene lobby card.
Both 1933 and 1934 went by without Ward Bond appearing under the direction of John Ford. Among his films during those two years were director William A. "Wild Bill" Wellman's, 1933, "Wild Boys of the Road", director Frank Capra's, 1934, "It Happened One Night".
Along with director Lewis Seiler's, 1934, "Frontier Marshall", based upon Stuart Lake's biographical novel about "Wyatt Earp". This was Bond's first of three motion pictures based upon the Lake novel. He portrays the drunken "Ben Muchison", who shoots up the saloon. Which causes
George O'Brien's "Michael Wyatt" stopping him by shooting the gun out of Bond's hand. "Wyatt" becomes the new town Marshall of Tombstone, Arizona, making friends with gambling gunfighter, "Doc Warren", portrayed by the forgotten Alan Edwards.
On May 8, 1935, John Ford, won 4-Academy Awards out of 6-nominations, for "The Informer" which had premiered in San Francisco. The film was nominated for "Best Production", today called "Best Picture". John Ford won "Best Director", and John Ford Stock Company member, Victor McLaglen, won "Best Actor'. Ward Bond was in the cast of "The Informer", but my reader would probably never find him. As his uncredited role is just called "Man". Also in the cast was John's older brother, Francis Ford, portraying "Judge Flynn". My article is "FRANCIS FORD, Not John Ford: The Forgotten Older Ford Brother" at:
On April 28, 1936, Ward Bond married Doris Sellars Childs, the two would divorce in 1944. I could not locate a specific photo of the couple, or more information about her.
Although Ward Bond appeared in 48, 1936 through 1937 motion pictures. Not one was directed by John Ford, and 23 of those roles were so small they had been uncredited. In fact, Ford only directed 5-movies during those same two-years, and two the following year, 1938, without the participation of Bond.
Then came 1939 - - -
John Ford had just made and released "Stagecoach", which premiered in Los Angeles, on February 2, 1939. Ward Bond wasn't in it, but the motion picture co-starred two of his college football buddies.
John Wayne portrayed the "Ringo Kid", and Andy Devine portrayed "Buck, the Stagecoach driver". John's brother had the uncredited role of "Army Sergeant Billy Pickett". John Ford was nominated for the Academy Award for "Best Director" and the picture for "Best Production", but didn't win either. However, Thomas Mitchell won "Best Supporting Actor". My article is "Comparing John Ford's 'Stagecoach' to the 1966 and 1986 Remakes" kicking up dust to Lordsburg, at:
While, Ward Bond was still doing uncredited roles. Such as a"Police Officer", in director Rowland V. Lee's, 1939, "Son of Frankenstein", but don't waste your time trying to find him. Along with an unnamed role, described simply, as a "Bit Part", in Cecil B. DeMile's, "Union Pacific", and then, there was the uncredited role, of "Sailor Sam - a Westler", in Peter Lorre's, "Mr. Moto in Danger Island".
However, 1939, also brought Ward Bond back with director John Ford, and two roles in two major feature films.
YOUNG MR. LINCOLN premiering in Springfield, Illinois, on May 30, 1939
While filming "Young Mr. Licoln", producer Darryl F. Zanuck and director John Ford were in a power struggle for control of the production. According to reporting, Ford hid unwanted takes from Zanuck, out of fear that the producer would demand they be used.
The screenplay was by Lamar Trotti, the screenplays for John Ford's, 1934, "Judge Priest", and
1935's, "Steamboat Round the Bend", both starring Will Rodgers. For other director's, Trotti wrote 1942's, "The Ox-Bow Incident", and 1943's, "Guadalcanal Diary".
The screenplay was loosely based upon the murder trial of William "Duff" Armstrong. He was accused of the murder, on August 29, 1857, of James Preston Metzker, who was killed by several blows to his head. Abraham Lincoln heard of the upcoming trial, and contacted William's mother, to defend him pro bono, because the defendant's late father, Jack Armstrong, was a friend of Abe's from law school.
The trial hinged on the testimony of Charles Allen, who claimed he witnessed the murder standing 150- feet from the participants by moon light. Lincoln using the tactic of judicial notice, was able to introduce evidence from an almanac, that "the moonlight on the night of the murder could not have provided enough light for Allen to see anything at 150 feet".
Henry Fonda portrayed "Abraham Lincoln". Fonda had just been seen portraying "Thomas Watson", in 1939, "The Story of Alexander Graham Bell". The actor would follow this feature with the next two John Ford directed motion picture's I will be mentioning.
For this article, I will be skipping the other ten credited actors, and go to Ward Bond, the final and 12th-fully credited actor in the motion picture. He portrayed the fictional "John Palmer Cass", the fictional version of Charles Allen. The screenplay, instead of one accused murderer, gave the audience two brothers, "Matt Clay", portrayed by Richard Cromwell, and "Adam Clay", portrayed by Eddie Quillan.
In the screenplay, "Cass" claimed he saw the murder at 100-yards, twice the distance from the actual trial's, 150-feet.
Above left to right, Ward Bond portraying "John Palmer Cass", Francis Ford portraying "Sam Boone", Jim Mason portraying "an unnamed juror", and Henry Fonda portraying "Abraham Lincoln".
Before his next feature film directed by John Ford, Ward Bond appeared in his second version. of Stuart Lake's novel also called "Frontier Marshall", in 1939, starring Randolph Scott portraying "Wyatt Earp", and Cesar Romero portraying "Doc Holiday". In this film, Ward Bond portrayed "The Town Marshall"
While, director John Ford followed "Young Mr. Lincoln" directly with:
DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK that premiered in the Mohawk Valley, at Albany, Amsterdam, Gloversville, Schenectady, and Utica, New York, on November 2, 1939
The screenplay was based upon the historical novel, based upon actual events and people, by Walter D. Edmonds, author of "Chad Hanna".
The actual screenplay was written by Lamar Trotti, and Sonya Levien, 1939's, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", and 1951's, "Quo Vadis".
William Faulkner contributed to the screenplay without credit.
Claudette Colbert portrayed "Magdelana aka: Lana". Colbert had just been seen co-starring with Jimmy Stewart, in 1939's, "It's a Wonderful World". She followed this motion picture co-starring with Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Hedy Lamarr in 1940', "Boom Town".
Henry Fonda portrayed "Gilbert Martin".
Ward Bond, at 12th-credited-billing, had a major role, portraying "Adam Hartman". This might have been John Ford's direct film after "Young Mr. Lincoln", it was not for Bond. Besides the "Wyatt Earp" film, he had the uncredited role of the "Third Thug on Train", in the John Garfield, Priscilla Lane, 1939, "Dust Be My Destiny". He would follow this motion picture with 1939's, "Heaven with a Barbed Wire", with 7th-billing, portraying "Hunk".
The time is July 1776, the American Revolutionary War has recently broken out, and the residents of the Mohawk Valley have formed a militia to fight the British and their Seneca, Native American, allies. The story follows a husband and wife, and their neighbors through the entire war until news is received in the settlement, that "General Cornwallis" has surrendered to "General George Washington".
Above left to right, Jessie Ralph portraying "Mrs. Weaver, Ward Bond portraying "Adam", holding Claudette Colbert portraying "Lana", and Henry Fonda portraying "Gilbert".
Above left to right, Russell Simpson portraying "Dr. Petry", Edna May Olivier portraying "Mrs. McKlennar", Ward Bond, Claudette Colbert, and Henry Fonda.
Near the end of the year with full credit, Ward Bond portrayed "Tom - Yankee Captain", in "Gone with the Wind".
Above, Clark Gable portraying "Rhett Butler", Ward Bond portraying "Tom", and Olivia de Havilland portraying "Melanie Hamilton".
For director John Ford, his next feature film directly followed "Drums Along the Mohawk", but for actor Ward Bond, it was his second after 1939's, "Gone with the Wind". When you think of actor Henry Fonda, this next motion picture contains a defining role in his career, for Ward Bond, it was one of his stereotyped, but fully credited role's.
THE GRAPES OF WRATH premiered in New York City, on January 24, 1940
As the above motion picture poster yells out, the screenplay was based upon John Steinbeck's, 1939 novel. The novelist was an accomplished screenplay writer, but did not write this screenplay. My article is "John Steinbeck Motion Picture Screenplay Writer" and may be read at:
This screenplay though, was written by the outstanding, Nunnally Johnson. Among his work are 1934's, "The House of Rothschild", 1936's, "The Prisoner of Shark Island", 1942's, "Roxie Hart (which the musical "Chicago" would be based upon), 1951's, "The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel", and, 1957's, "The Three Faces of Eve".
John Ford won the "Best Director Academy Award".
My article on the novel, the motion picture, the song, is "John Steinbeck, John Ford, Henry Fonda, Woody Guthrie: 'Tom Joad" found at:
Henry Fonda portrayed John Steinbeck's anti-depression everyman, "Tom Joad". Fonda would be nominated for the "Best Actor Academy Award".
Jane Darrow portrayed "Ma Joad", and won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award.
John Carradine portrayed the "Reverend Casey". Carradine, a trained Shakespearian actor, is more remembered and known for his horror movies. However, in 1939 alone, he was the gambler "Hatfield", in John Ford's "Stagecoach", "Bob Ford" in the Tyrone Power, and Henry Fonda, "Jesse James", portrayed the butler, "Barryman", in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "The Hound of the Baskervilles", that first united Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, and he was once again directed by John Ford, as "Caldwell", in "Drums Along the Mohawk".
The "Joad Family", like hundreds of farmer's are evicted and leave the dustbowl of Oklahoma with the ex-preacher, the "Reverend Casey". Their goal is the "Promised Land of California". As they travel West along "Route 66", at a stop they meet a motorcycle police officer. Something they haven't experienced on their journey, is the kindness of the officer. He recognizes their dreams, but tells them the realities of the camps in California. They thank him, but continue on their journey as other families during the "Great Depression" were doing.
Below, Ward Bond portraying the "Motorcycle Officer". By this small role, Ward Bond had a legitimate claim to a membership in "The John Ford Stock Company". For a complete look at the screenplay for "The Grapes of Wrath", please read my above second article.
Just before this film, Ward Bond had appeared in his second Cesar Romero "The Cisco Kid" movie,
1939's, "Cisco Kid and the Lady", portraying the fully credited role of "Walton". His first appearance, also with full credit, was portraying the "Accused Rustler", in 1939''s, "The Return of the Cisco Kid". Eight movies later, found the actor under the direction of John Ford, and reunited once more with John Wayne, and his name for the first time, was on the theater's poster.
THE LONG VOYAGE HOME premiered in New York City on October 8, 1940
The screenplay was adapted from four-one-act works by American playwright Eugene Gladstone O'Neill, 1916's, "Bound East for Cardiff", 1917's, "In the Zone", 1917's, "The Long Voyage Home", and 1918's, "Moon of the Caribbees".
The actual adaptation and screenplay was by Dudley Nichols. For John Ford, by this time, Nichols had written 1934's, "The Lost Patrol" and "Judge Priest", in 1935, "The Informer", and "Steamboat Round the Bend", 1936's, "Mary of Scotland", 1937's, "The Hurricane", and 1939's, "Stagecoach". He was the favorite screenplay writer for the director and his name will appear again.
John Wayne portrayed "Ole Olsen". Wayne had just appeared in a forgotten drama set in Oregon during the Second World War, 1940's, "Three Faces West". He followed this motion picture co-starring with Marlene Dietrich in 1940's, "Seven Sinners".
Barry Fitzgerald portrayed "Cocky". Fitzgerald had just appeared with Victor McLaglen in 1939's, "Full Confession", and followed this feature co-starring with Burgess Meredith, in 1940's, "San Francisco Docks".
Thomas Mitchell portrayed "Driscoll aka: Dris". Mitchell had just co-starred with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Rita Hayworth, in the 1940, Dark Comedy, "Angels Over Broadway". He would follow this feature with the film-noir, 1941's, "Flight to Destiny".
Ian Hunter portrayed "Smitty". Hunter was born in South Africa, and his career prior to this motion picture included portraying "Dr. Watson", in 1932's, "The Sign of the Four", "Theseus-Duke of Athens", in the 1932, William Shakespeare film, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and "King Richard the Lion-Heart", in 1939's, "The Adventures of Robin Hood". Also in 1939, he was another English king, "King Edward IV", in the "Tower of London". After this motion picture, Ian Hunter would play "Dr. Layton", in the 1941 production of Robert Lewis Stevenson's, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", starring Spencer Tracy.
Ward Bond portrayed "Yank". Bond had just been seen as another uncredited "Police Officer", in 1940's, "City for Conquest". He followed this movie with the credited role of "Townley"in director Michael Curtiz's, 1940, story about abolitionist "John Brown", "Santa Fe Trail".
John Qualen portrayed "Axel". Qualen had been "Muley" in Ford's, 1940, "The Grapes of Wrath" and had just been seen in 1940's, "Knute Rockne All American", and followed this movie with the 1940 musical "Youth Will Be Saved".
Mildred Natwick portrayed "Freda". This was Natwick's first motion picture, she had been appearing on the Broadway stage since October 1929.
Wilrid Larson billed asWilfred Larson, portrayed "The Captain". He had just been seen in the British Second World War motion picture, 1940's, "Pastor Hall". Larson followed this feature film with another British drama, 1940's, "It Happened to One Man".
Above right, Wilfred Larson with Douglas Walton portraying "The Second Mate".
Joe Sawyer billed as Joseph Sawyer, portrayed "Davis". Sawyer would be recognizable to fans of 1950's science fiction as one of the telephone linemen in 1953's, 3-D, "It Came from Outer Space". From 1954 through 1959, the actor portrayed "Cavalry Sergeant Biff O'Hara", on televisions "The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin".
Above, Joe Swayer with John Qualen
Arthur Shields, Barry Fitzgerald's brother, portrayed "Donkeyman". Shields had just been seen in 1939's, "Drums Along the Mohawk", and would follow this motion picture with Judy Garland's, 1940, "Little Nellie Kelly".
The Basic Screenplay:
The Second World War is in progress, and the British Tramp Steamer, SS Glencarin, is to leave the West Indies and heads across the U-boat patrolled Atlantic Ocean for its homeport in England.
The above still is an excellent example of the work of cinematographer Gregg Toland, who also filmed John Ford's, 1940, "The Grapes of Wrath", and would film Orson Welles', 1941, "Citizen Kane". My article is "GREGG TOLAND: Painting Pictures with a Cinematographer's Movie Camera" at:
The motley crew of the SS Glencarin are a fun loving, and hard drinking group. The story revolves around two members of the crew. "Ole Olsen" was a Swedish ex-farmer who went to sea, and has not seen his family in over ten-years. The other is "Smitty", who is described by Eugene O'Neill and in the screenplay, by his actions, as a "Lord Jim" type of character.
"Lord Jim" was a character created by Polish-British novelist, Joseph Conrad. Who with other crew members, abandons a sinking passenger ship and becomes hounded in his mind by his action. It is thought that Conrad based his novel upon the SS Jeddah incident on July 17, 1880. The ship sprung a leak and the ship's officers and crew abandoned 778 men, 147 women, and 67 children, all Muslims going to Mecca. The officers and crew were picked up and claimed the passengers attacked members of the engineering crew for being non-Muslims. Unfortunately for them, a French ship found the SS Jeddah and rescued its passengers, leading to a maritime inquiry.
One night in the West Indies, the crew is ordered confined to the ship by the captain. "Driscoll" arranges for women to come on-board to entertain the crew without the captain's knowledge.
However, things get out of hand and turn into a drunken brawl which brings the ship's captain. He orders the women taken off the Glencarin and they do not receive their promised pay for services from "Dris".
The next day the ship sails to pick up their cargo to take to England, but when the crew discovers it's explosives, a small mutiny starts, but is put down by the captain and the ship now continues it voyage.
The ship is caught in a violent storm, and on deck is "Yank", with waves rising above his head. One of the strong waves knocks "Yank" down and he is brought down below decks to his bunk. The following linked movie clip, from "Turner Classic Movies", is of "Yank's" death scene and Ward Bond shows the power of the motion picture.
Later, because of his aloofness and seeming to be overly secretive action. The crew starts to suspect that "Smitty" is a German spy.
The suspicious crew next moves on "The Nazi Spy". They put a gag over "Smitty's" mouth and search his bunk and locker.
The crew finds a small metal box in "Smitty's" bunk and the truth about who "Smitty" really is comes out. There are letters from his wife, they reveal he was an alcoholic, and was dishonorably discharged from the British navy. He's released, but now "Smitty" doesn't trust anyone.
The ship enters the war zone, where ships have been attacked and sunk by German U-boats. Instead of an attack from the expected ocean depths, from the sky above comes a German plane that attacks the SS Glencarin. In that attack "Smitty" is killed and finds a form of peace from the life he was hiding from.
"The Long Voyage Home" seems to end as the tramp streamer has reached port in England and the crew has concluded their contract to sail upon her, but the crew wants to find a way to get "Ole" back to Sweden. However, first there is the offer of a good time to be had with women and drinking at a bar. What they don't know, is that they have been lured there by an agent of another ship looking for a crew.
The agent wants "Ole Olsen" for the Amindra and he drugs the Swede's drink. Next, the agent's confederates Shanghai "Ole" and take him onboard the Amindra.
"Driscoll" and the rest of the drunken crew are able to rescue "Ole", but "Dris" is knocked out and overlooked on the Amindra. The next morning, now kinda of sober, the old crew of the SS Clencarin sign on for another voyage. A newspaper headline states that the Amindra was torpedoed and sunk with all hands by a German U-boat.
"The Long Voyage Home" is an excellent, mostly overlooked, motion picture from John Ford.
Director John Ford had made one motion picture based upon American writer John Steinbeck, another by American playwright, Eugene O'Neill, and now turned to another American novelist, Erskine Caldwell, for the feature film that came immediately after "The Long Voyage Home".
TOBACCO ROAD premiered in New York City on February 20, 1941
John Ford was drawn to the Erskine Caldwell novel, because, like John Steinbeck's work, the story was set during the Great Depression, and had vivid characters, and situations. The novel is set in Georgia, the title road was once part of a large productive plantation. Over the years things became bad for the sharecroppers, and with the Great Depression, most finally lost what they owned to the banks, and joined the migration toward California. This is the story of one family, whose stubborn head wants to keep what was passed to him, and dreams of bringing the farm back to its glory for his next generation.
The main screenplay writer was once again Nunnally Johnson. He had just co-written the screenplay for director Henry King's, 1940, "Chad Hanna", that starred Henry Fonda, Dorothy Lamour, and Linda Darnell. Johnson would follow this feature film with the previously mention screwball comedy, 1942's, "Roxie Hart", starring Ginger Rodgers, Adolph Menjou, and George Montgomery.
The problem facing John Ford and Nunnally Johnson was Joseph Breen of the "Hays Office Censors". Who claimed that the office was protecting the morality of the American movie goer. The novel was typical Erskine Caldwell, which meant sex, attacks on the government over social issues, and attacks on racism.
According to the "Notes" about the motion picture on the "Turner Classic Movie" website:
In discussing a November 6, 1940 temporary script submitted by the studio, Breen warned that "many religious folk throughout the nation May be offended by the religious aspects." Breen advised the studio to "secure the counsel of an intelligent Protestant clergyman as to the likely reception of the picture, as now drafted, among church-going folks generally,"
An article written by Frederick C. Othman, for the December 15, 1940 issue of, "The St. Petersburg'sTimes", had the following from director John Ford:
We have no dirt in the picture. We've eliminated the horrible details and what we've got left is a nice dramatic story. It's a tear-jerker, with some comedy relief. What we're aiming at is to have the customers sympathize with our people and not feel disgusted.
Charley Grapewin portrayed Erskine Caldwell's, "Jeeter Lester". The character actor had portrayed "Grandpa" in Ford's, "The Grapes of Wrath". He was currently being seen as "Inspector Queen", in the Ralph Bellamy series of "Ellery Queen" mysteries.
Majorie Rambeau portrayed "Sister Bessie". Rambeau been nominated for the "Best Supporting Actress Academy Award", for the role of "Mamie Adams", in 1940's, "Primrose Path", starring Ginger Rodgers and Joel McCrea.
Gene Tierney portrayed "Ellie May". Tierney had just co-starred in 1940's, "Hudson's Bay", her second on-screen appearance, with Paul Muni and Laird Gregar. She would follow this motion picture with "Belle Starr The Bandit Queen", portraying the title outlaw. Her co-stars were Randolph Scott and Dana Andrews.
William Tracy portrayed "Dude Lester, seen below with Majorie Rambeau. Lester had just been in the cast of the Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery, 1941, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith". The actor was next seen in the Jane Withers and Jackie Cooper's, 1941, "His First Beau".
Dana Andrews portrayed "Captain Tim". This was only his 5th on-screen appearance. His first was in Cesar Romero's, 1940, "Lucky Cisco Kid". Dana Andrews was just in the Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan, 1940, "The Westerner" and followed this feature with "Belle Starr".
Above, Charley Grapewin with Dana Andrews
Ward Bond portrayed "Lov Bensey". He would follow this motion picture with 5th-billing, in the John Wayne and Frances Dee, crime film noir, 1941, "A Man Betrayed".
Many people do not like the motion picture, especially if they have read the novel, or saw the Broadway play by Jack Kirkland. Which kept the Erskine Caldwell story intact, because unlike the American motion picture industry. Playwright's and stage producers did not have censorship and Joseph Breen, with the ability to change every word in a screenplay. "The Hays Office" was created in 1934, with the so-called, "Motion Picture Production Code", that studios had to follow. Breen was backed by "The Catholic League of Decency", and other strong religious groups.
Jack Kirkland's play opened on December 4, 1933, with Henry Hull portraying "Jeeter", Ruth Hunter portraying "Ellie May", and Dean Jagger portraying "Lov Bensey". In the play, as in the novel, you find "Lov's" wife "Pearl", portrayed by Reneice Rehan. "Pearl" is the 12-years-old daughter of "Jeeter". For obvious reasons the character was removed in the Nunnally Johnson screenplay. Instead, the screenplay has "Lov" romancing "Ellie May Lester". Who in the novel and play is 18-years-old. Gene Tierney had just turned 20, when she shot the motion picture.
In the novel, not the movie, "Ellie May", has a deformed lip. The preacher, "Sister Bessie", also has a deformity, but not in the screenplay. "Sister Bessie", in the novel and play is married to "Ellie May's", 16-years-old brother, "Dude", but the older woman in the motion picture just wants to marry "Dude".
Kirkland's play keeps the tragic ending of Caldwell's novel. "Jeeter" wanting to clear more land for planting, sets fire to a crop of broom stage, and with his wife, "Ada", portrayed in the play by
Margaret Wycherly, go to bed, but a spark from the fire lands on their house and the two burn to death.
In the motion picture, "Ada" was portrayed by Elizabeth Patterson, but she and "Jetter" end the screenplay still attempting to survive being poor sharecroppers. Given a chance to keep their property by the monetary help against the bank, by the son of the lands original owner, "Captain Tom".
Above, left to right, Gene Tierney, Ward Bond, Charley Grapewin, William Tracy, and Elizabeth Patterson
Ward Bond would appear in 22-motion pictures before he was again directed by John Ford. During this same time period, 1941 into 1945, Ford only directed 9-motion pictures.
The main reasons for this lapse, happened on December 7, 1941, with the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. John Ford became "Naval Reserve Commander John Ford", the head of a special "Office of Strategic Services (the future "Central Intelligence Agency)", top secret photographic unit. In Ford's unit was "Navy Lieutenant Gregg Toland". On September 14, 1942, John Ford's short, "The Battle of Midway" was released to the American movie theater goer. The combat footage was actually shot by Ford with a hand-held camera during the attack. Another piece of propaganda for the American public was Ford and Toland's docudrama, "December 7th", released in 1943. that used real and created footage of the Pearl Harbor attack.
While many of his fellow actor's were enlisting in the military, Ward Bond could not. Bond was 38-years-old when the attack came and his age would disqualify him. However, the main reason Wardell "Ward" Edwin Bond could not serve, was he suffered from epilepsy.
"Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer" acquired the rights to a novel written by journalist William Lindsay White and wanted John Ford to direct. Ford refused repeatedly, because of his work in the O.S.S. photographic unit. However, fate came into play during the preparations for the "Normandy Invasion". When the director met Navy Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley, the main subject of the novelization about the exploits of "Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three". Who took Army General Douglas MacArthur and his family off of the Phillipine Island of Corregidor.
The Navy Department became involved and director John Ford, was billed as "Directed by John Ford, Captain, U.S.N.R.".
THEY WERE EXPENDABLE premiered in London, England, on December 7, 1945
The screenplay was by Frank Wead, Navy Commander, Retired. Ford would do a biographical film on "Spig" Wead, which I will mention later in this article.
Robert Montgomery, billed as Robert Montgomery, Commander U.S.N.R., portrayed "Navy Lieutenant John Brickley" the fictional version of Navy Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley, MotorTorpedo Boat Squadron Three. His last motion picture was 1941's, "Unfinished Business", co-starring with Irene Dunne and Preston Foster. Prior to December 7th, Montgomery was driving ambulances for the British until the Dunkirk Evacuation, on May 26, 1940. On December 8, 1941, the actor enlisted in the Navy and was present for the Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944.
John Wayne portrayed "Navy Lieutenant J.G. 'Rusty' Ryan", the fictional version of "Executive Officer, Navy Lieutenant Robert Kelly, Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three". Wayne used two reasons not to serve in the military after the United States enter the Second World War. One was his age, he was 34-years old, the other was a "3-A, family deferment" classification. John Ford would forever ride Wayne over using the family deferment to avoid even serving as a reservist.
Between December 7, 1941 and this motion picture, John Wayne appeared in 14-motion pictures.
Donna Reed portrayed the fictional "Navy Nurse Lieutenant Sandy Davyss". She had just been in the 1945 version of Oscar Wilde's, "The Picture of Dorian Gray". Reed followed this motion picture co-starring with Tom Drake, in the 1946 romantic comedy, "Faithful in My Fashion".
Jack Holt portrayed "Army Brigadier General Martin". Holt was prevented from serving in the military during the First World War, because of "chronic foot problems", frostbite, that he had acquired in Alaska. However, on January 28, 1943, with the Rank of Captain, he reported for duty in the Army Quartermaster Corps. Prior to his service, Holt portrayed "The Commodore", in producer Val Lewton, and director Jacques Tourneur's, classic horror film, 1942's, "The Cat People".
Above left to right, John Wayne, Robert Montgomery, and Jack Holt.
Ward Bond portrayed "Chief Boatswain Mate 'Boats' Mulcahey". Bond had last been seen in the 1945, Western,"Dakota", with 4th-billing, starring John Wayne, Vera Ralston, and Walter Brennan. He followed this motion picture with 5th-billing in another Western, 1946's, "Canyon Passage", starring Dana Andrews, Brian Donlevy, and Susan Hayward.
The Basic Screenplay:
The story opens at Cavite Naval Base in the Philippines, it is the first day of December 1945, and "Lieutenant John Brickley" puts on a display of the versatility of his "Motor Torpedo Boats" for the base commander, "Admiral Blackwell", portrayed by Charles Trowbidge. However, the Admiral is unimpressed by the "PT Boats", which he believes have no place should the United States Navy ever go into combat. This riles "Brick's" executive officer, "Rusty Ryan", who wants to transfer to a destroyer and possible combat duty, if the United States would become involved in the European conflict.
On the day "Rusty" prepares to give "Brick" his formal transfer request, news reaches Cavite, that the Imperial Japanese Navy has bombed the Army-Navy base at Pearl Harbor. "Rusty" drops his request and "Brick's" squadron takes on a war stance, but the Admiral only assigns them to mail and messenger runs among the islands.
Besides Ward Bond, are "Marshall Thompson" portraying 6th-billed, "Navy Ensign 'Snake' Gardner", Leon Ames", portraying "Army Major James Morton", Cameron Mitchell portraying "Navy Ensign George Cross", Jeff York portraying "Navy Ensign Tony Aiken", Philip Ahn portraying a "Navy Orderly", and future motion picture producer, Blake Edwards, portraying a "PT Boat Crewman".
While, running messages, "Rusty" injures his hand, but doesn't think much of it and fails to let "Brick" know its seriousness. After the base is attacked, the Admiral finally realizes the need for the "Motor Torpedo Boats", and he assigns them a mission to sink a Japanese cruiser shelling American troops.
Above left to right, is Murray Alper, portraying "Torpedo Mate First Class 'Slug' Mahan", John Wayne, Robert Montgomery, and Ward Bond, planning the attack on the destroyer.
However, "Brick" discovers that "Rusty's" has blood poisoning and assigns another boat to the attack and orders his Executive Officer to the hospital. This leads to a very short romantic group of sequences with "Navy Nurse Lieutenant Sandy Davyss" and 3rd-billed Donna Reed appears and disappears in this war drama.
Above left to right, Robert Montgomery, Donna Reed, Philip Ahn, and John Wayne.
The screenplay now turns to the "PT Crews" in combat, and the light-hearted completion between the Navy Chief's of the different squadrons, claiming they have the best one.
Then there's the recreation of the assignment to Corregidor to take "The General", portrayed by Robert Barrat, and family to safety.
The climax comes at a makeshift airport, partly after "Brick" and "Rusty" are ordered back to the United States to train new "Motor Torpedo Boat" crews and await the plane. "Rusty" wants to stay, but "Brick" reminds him of how important the training of new "PT Boat" crews will be to the war effort. Next, "Rusty" sees an army patient from the hospital, "Ohio", portrayed by Louis Jean Heydt. The two wonder what happened to "Sandy", as she was working on Bataan in the hospital and didn't get off the island. This scene was used by Nunnally Johnson and John Ford to remind their audiences of the "Bataan Death March" of the American military by the Japanese army.
The other members of "Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three", will remain on the island, and join with the ragtag army members to fight as guerrillas against the Japanese. "Brick" and "Rusty" wish them well and put "Boats" in charge.
When the plane lands, "Rusty" attempts to give his valuable seat to "Army Major James Morton", but is ordered by "Brick" back on board the plane and "Morton" gets off the plane to face his fate on the now Japanese held island. The picture ends with the plane taking off with "Brick", "Rusty", and "Ensign's Gardner", and "Cross" on board, and as it fly's away, cuts to:
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Above center, Captain John Ford, United States Navy, Reserve, and his film crew.
There are many motion pictures made about the Gunfight that took place at the O. K. Corral between Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and the Clanton's and the McLaury's. I've mentioned two already. One of these motion pictures was made by John Ford and that is the next movie I want to look at and the third for
Ward Bond. My article is "The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral' as Reinvented By Hollywood" found at:
MY DARLING CLEMENTINE premiered in San Francisco on October 16, 1946
The screenplay was also based upon Stuart Lake's, 1931, biographical novel, "Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshall". Which in itself, was based upon Lake's interviews with Earp.
The actual screenplay took three writers to put it together.
The first was using Sam Hellman's screenplay for "20th Century Fox's", 1939, "Frontier Marshall". Which, in turn, was based upon the 1934, "Fox Film Corporation" screenplay, before their merger with "20th Century Films".
Samuel G. Engel was a "B" Drama and Western writer, and had three of Cesar Romero's, "Cisco Kid", movies to this credit. While, Winston Miller had eight B" Westerns, some for Gene Autry, to his credit prior to this screenplay. Like the first two films, this isn't really what happened, but it does make great "Hollywood".
Henry Fonda portrayed "Wyatt Earp". Fonda had just co-starred with Maureen O'Hara and Thomas Mitchell, in 1943's, "The Immortal Sergeant", and followed this motion picture co-starring with Vincent Price in the film noir, 1947's, 'The Long Night'.
Linda Darnell portrayed "Chihuahua". Darnell had just co-starred with Rex Harrison and Irene Dunne, in 1946's, "Anna and the King of Siam", and followed this motion picture with 1947's, "Forever Amber", co-starring with Cornel Wilde and Richard Greene.
Victor Mature portrayed "Doc Holiday". Mature had just co-starred with Lucile Ball in the 1942, slapstick comedy, "Seven Days Leave'. My article is "Victor Mature: 'One Million B.C' to 'The Big Circus' - - - The Leading Man As A Character Actor" to be read at:
Walter Brennan portrayed "Old Man Clanton". Walter Brennan had just been seen with Linda Darnell, in Jerome Kern's, 1946, "Centennial Summer". He followed this motion picture, co-starring with John Garfield and Geraldine Fitzgerald, in the 1946, film noir, "Nobody Live Forever".
Tim Holt portrayed "Virgil Earp". Holt had a very successful series of "B" Westerns for "RKO Pictures", but is best known for director Orson Welles's, "The Magnificent Ambersons", John Huston's, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", and the cult 1957 science fiction, "The Monster That Challenged the World". My article is "TIM HOLT: Directors John Ford, Orson Welles, John Huston and a Prehistoric Snail" at:
Cathy Downs portrayed "Clementine Carter". Downs should have become an "A" List star, but something happened and she ended up in cult 1950's science fiction movies. These include 1956's, "The She Creature", and 1957's, "The Amazing Colossal Man". My article is "CATHY DOWNS the Hollywood Rabitt Hole into 1950's Low-Budget Science Fiction" found at:
Ward Bond portrayed "Morgan Earp". Bond would follow this feature film with director Frank Capra's, classic 1946, "It's a Wonderful Life", starring James Stewart and Donna Reed.
Above left to right, John Ford's "Earp Brothers", Ward Bond, Henry Fonda, and Tim Holt
John Ireland portrayed "Billy Clanton". Ireland appeared in two motion pictures about the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral". His second appearance was as "Johnny Ringo", in director John Sturges's, 1956, the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral", starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. My article is "John Ireland: Westerns, Film-Noirs, A Little McCarthyism and a Few Affairs" to tantalize my reader at:
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John Ford's Version of the Gunfight at the O. K. Corral:
The screenplay is set in 1892, but the actual Tombstone, Arizona, gunfight took place in 1891. The "Earp" brothers are bedding down their cattle herd outside of Tombstone as "Old Man Clanton", his sons, and some cowhands approach the brothers. "Clanton" offers to buy the herd without the unnamed "Earp" brothers having to take them to the stockyards. They thanked him for the offer, but tell the "Old Man Clanton" that they'll wait, and watch the others ride off.
It should be noted that "Old Man Clanton" had died before the real events of the gunfight took place.
The three older Earp brothers go into town and leave the youngest, "James", portrayed by Don Garner, with the herd. In town the three discover how out of control Tombstone is without a Town Marshall.
This is further confirmed when "Indian Charlie", portrayed by actor Charles Stevens, whose mother was Mexican and his father a White Arizona Sheriff, is shooting up a saloon and nobody will stop him until "Wyatt" does. "Wyatt" is offered the Marshall's job, but turns it down.The three return to the their camp to find the cattle gone and "James" murdered.
Having a feeling as to who is behind the murder. "Wyatt" returns to town and accepts the Marshall job. While standing in the saloon,"Old Man Clanton" and his son "Ike", portrayed by Grant Withers, walk in with another.
"Old Man Clanton" says he sorry about the brother's death and loss of their herd. He then adds that he expects the brothers will be leaving Tombstone now. Fonda replies no, and adds he's taken the Town Marshall job. Walter Brennan then says he didn't catch the other's name. To which Henry Fonda replies:
EARP! WYATT EARP!"Doc Holliday" is coming and "Wyatt" is warned that he killed the last town Marshall. The two confront each other at the saloon's bar, after the gunfighter and gambler first arrives.
The citizens of Tombstone are surprised when the two gunfighters become friends and partners in the saloon's poker games.
Then the first problem for the two men comes up as "Chihuahua", "Holliday's" girlfriend, tries to make "Doc" jealous over "Wyatt", not realizing the two are friends. She helps a cheating gambler in a poker game and "Wyatt" runs him out of town. Next, "Wyatt" warns "Chihuahua", over this incident, that he will do the same to her, if she repeats what she just did. "Chihuahua" runs to "Doc Holliday" to do something about how "Wyatt Earp" is treating her, but, again, that doesn't work, making her angrier.
What "Doc" doesn't know is that "Chihuahua" is two timing him with "Billy Clanton". Meanwhile, "Old Man Clanton" is stirring up trouble for the "Earp's" and the townspeople.
Above, the man that John Ireland is looking at, is actor Francis Ford portraying "Dad-the Old Soldier".
"Clementine Carter" arrives, she is looking for the Boston Surgeon she loves, who is dying from tuberculous, "Doctor John Henry Holliday". As in many films "Doc Holliday" is portrayed as a medical doctor and surgeon, but in reality he was a "Dentist".
"Holliday" now leaves Tombstone for Tucson to get away from "Clementine" and his past. Two things start to happen. The first is "Wyatt" and "Clementine' are getting closer to each other. The second is "Chihuahua" gets into a verbal fight with "Clementine", and after breaking it up. "Wyatt" discovers "Chihuahua" is wearing a silver cross that belonged to "James". When questioned, the angry girl says "Doc" gave it to her ,and "Wyatt Earp" rides to Tucson after "Doc Holliday".
The two meet, and "Holliday" forces a shoot-out with "Earp". "Doc's" pistol is shot out of his hand, and when the two men cool down. They ride back to Tombstone to confront "Chihuahua".
There she reveals it was "Billy Clanton" that actually gave her the cross. Suddenly, "Billy" shoots her through an open window, and "Wyatt" shoots "Billy". "Wyatt" tells his brother, "Virgil", to go after "Billy Clanton". While, "Surgeon Doctor John Henry Holliday" has to operate on "Chihuahua".
While everyone waits to see if the girl survives the surgery. "Virgil Earp" is pursuing "Billy Clanton" to the "Clanton Ranch", where "Billy" dies from ":Wyatt's" earlier shot. As "Virgil" leaves, he is shot in the back by "Old Man Clanton", and killed. The "Clanton's" ride into town, dump "Wyatt" and "Morgan's" brother's body in the street, and "Old Man Clanton" yells to the Earp's, that they'll be waiting at the "O.K. Corral".
"Clementine" tells "Wyatt" that "Chihuahua" has died. Now "Doc" joins the two brothers, for John Ford's version of the famous gunfight.
Note, in this version the sign does not indicate this is the "O.K." Corral". Which in actuality was located at the end of an alley in Tombstone with an entrance sign reading, "O. K. Corral".
The gunfight is all over the place, as in many Westerns, but in John Ford's world, the good guys stand tall as bullets fly.
When the guns become silent, most of the "Clanton" group are dead, along with "Doc Holiday", and "Wyatt" arrests a shocked "Old Man Clanton".
Reality check: "Doc Holliday" did not die during the gunfight and ended his life in a sanitarium for tuberculosis in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, on November 8, 1887. He was just 36 years old.
Ford's version ends with "Wyatt" and "Morgan" resigning as Town Marshal's. "Morgan" leaves heading west ,and "Wyatt" says good-bye to the new school teacher, "Clementine Carter", and rides off into the sunset.
Reality check:
The actual gunfight lasted approximately 30 seconds. The two groups were about 11 feet apart, and the real "Clanton's and McLaury's" only had pistols with their rifles still on their horses tied up in the corral. While the "Earp's" and "Doc Holliday" had shotguns.
After appearing in the previously mentioned Frank Capra motion picture, followed by producer and director Cecil B. DeMille's, 1947, "Unconquered", starring Gary Cooper and Paulette Goddard, Ward Bond was back under the direction of John Ford,
THE FUGITIVE premiered on November 11, 1947 in Baltimore, Maryland
This was the first of several motion pictures co-produced by John Ford and his friend, Merian C. Cooper. Should my reader not recognize the other's name. I am sure they know his 1933 adventure motion picture, "King Kong". The reverse would happen in 1949, when Ford was the junior co-producer for Cooper's, "Mighty Joe Young". My article is "MERIAN C. COOPER: BEFORE 'KING KONG' TO 'CINERAMA", in which my reader discovers the real "Carl Denham" at:
The screenplay was based upon a 1940 novel by British author Graham Grene, entitled "The Power and the Glory". Among Greene's other works are 1943's, "The Ministry of Fear", 1949's, "The Third Man", 1955's, "The Quiet American", and 1969's, "Travels with My Aunt".
Once more, the screenplay was written by Nunnally Johnson.
Henry Fonda portrayed "A Fugitive Priest". Fonda had just been seen in the previously mentioned,, "The Long Night". He would follow this motion picture with the 3rd co-star billing, after Joan Crawford and Dana Andrews, in 1947's, "Daisy Kenyon".
Dolores Del Rio portrayed "Maria Dolores, an Indian Woman". The Mexican actress was appearing in films made in Mexico, at this time, when Ford cast Del Rio in this role.
Pedro Armendariz portrayed "A Lieutenant of Police". Mexican actor Armendariz had just been seen in director Emilion Fernandez's, 1947, "La Perla (The Pearl)", with a screenplay by American John Steinbeck. Ferandez was the uncredited co-producer for this motion picture.
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J. Carrol Naish portrayed "A Police Informer". Naish was just in the cast of the 1947 musical "Carnival in Costa Rica", and followed this motion picture with Ingrid Bergman's, 1948, "Joan of Arc".
Leo Carrilo portrayed "A Chief of Police". The Los Angeles born actor was just in the 1945 musical, "Mexicana", and followed this feature film with his first portrayal of the "Cisco Kid's" sidekick, "Pancho", in 1947's, "The Valiant Hombre". A role the character actor would repeat on the television series "The Cisco Kid", 1950 through 1956. Portraying the "Cisco Kid", in both the motion picture and television series, was Romanian born, Duncan Renaldo.
Ward Bond portrayed "James Cavalry (Calvert on some sites) aka: El Gringo". Bond would follow this motion picture with the first of John Ford's, "Cavalry Trilogy".
Robert Armstrong portrayed "A Sergeant of Police". Armstrong had been in the forgotten crime thriller, 1947, "Exposed", and followed this film with the Western, 1948's, "The Return of the Bad Men". My article is "ROBERT ARMSTRONG: It Wasn't All 'The Eighth Wonder of the World', His Brat, or Joe" at:
This was a very odd role for Henry Fonda, and goes against the character's the public wanted to see the actor in. It wouldn't be until Italian director Sergio Leone's, 1968's, "Once Upon a Time in the West", that the actor would take another role against type, becoming an emotionless Western gunfighter and gang leader. In that role, Henry Fonda shocked the audience, by calmly, killing a ten-year-old boy with his pistol.
Graham Greene's story is about an unnamed Latin American country that has outlawed religion and a Catholic priest who is haunted as the fugitive of the film's title. The opening narration is:
The following photoplay is timeless. The story is a true story. It's also a very old story that was first told in the Bible. It is timeless and topical, and is still being played in many parts of the world. This picture was entirely made in our neighboring Republic, Mexico, at the kind invitation of the Mexican government and of the Mexican motion picture industry. It's locale is fictional. It is merely a small state a thousand miles north or south of the Equator - who knows.
There are two stories that blend together:
The first is about "James Calvary", who becomes referred to as, "El Gringo". He arrives in the port city of Puerto Grande, in that unnamed Latin America country, wanted for murder in the United States, and carrying a sachel full of stolen money. Next, the audience sees him disappearing into the crowds of Puerto Grande.
The second story is about a Catholic priest, first dressed in rags, who is found my an Indian Women named "Maria", and tells her that he was once the village spiritual leader. He promises to baptize her illegitimate baby and all the babies born in the village. However, he is being pursued by the police. The Police Lieutenant, who is pursuing the priest, is also the father of the women's baby.
As I said, the two stories blend, as the priest and "El Gringo" become fugitive friends. A native man also appears, but is he friend or foe? The police now arrive, and the American holds them off with gun fire, but is shot by them, while "Maria" and the priest escape.
Shortly afterwards, the native man reappears to the priest and "Maria". He has news that "El Gringo" is dying and is asking for the last rites. It is of course a trap, and this man is being paid to give up the priest.
The screenplay clearly becomes a New Testament allegory, with the Catholic priest being offered his freedom by the Police Lieutenant, IF he denounces his religion. The priest does not, and is executed by a firing squad. While, afterwards, the Police Lieutenant now questions his own faith as compared to that of the priest.
Immediately upon completion of "The Fugitive", director John Ford returned to more familiar territory with what became known as "Part One" of his "Cavalry Trilogy". Although he did not set out to create one.
FORT APACHE premiered in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 27, 1948
The first two motions pictures of the "Trilogy" were co-produced by John Ford and Merian C. Cooper.
The screenplay was based upon the short story "Massacre", by James Warner Bellah. I like the tag line on the following cover:
Swashbuckling Cavalry - HELLBENT for DEATH!
The actual screenplay was written by Frank S. Nugent. This was Nugent's first screenplay for John Ford, and he would write six-more.
The following cast list is taken directly from the above poster as stated.
In Bold Print:
John Wayne portrayed "Captain Kirby York". He would play the same role in the third entry to the trilogy, 1950's, "Rio Grande". Wayne had just been seen in 1947's, "Tycoon", and would follow this motion picture with director Howard Hawks's classic Western, 1948's, "Red River".
Shirley Temple portrayed "Philadelphia 'Phil' Thursday". At this time, still considered "America's Sweetheart", she had just shocked people by starring in the 1947, drama, "That Hagen Girl". Which was about a young woman who may be the illegitimate daughter of her mother. Shirley was attempting to prove she wasn't that same little girl of her earlier movies and it backfired on her. She followed "Fort Apache", by co-starring to expected type, with Clifton Webb, in his next comedy entry in the "Belvedere" series, 1949's, "Mr. Belvedere Goes to College".
Pedro Armendariz portrayed "Sergent Beaufort". Armendariz had just been seen in the English language version of 1947's, "La Perla", 1948's, "The Pearl". He followed this motion picture with 1948's, "En la Hacienda de a Flor".
In Small Print:
Ward Bond portrayed "Sergeant Major Michael O'Rourke". Bond followed this motion picture with an uncredited role in the forgotten drama, 1948's, "Sins of the Fathers". This was Ward Bond's only film in the cavalry trilogy.
George O'Brien portrayed "Captain Sam Collingwood". I've mentioned the actor before and he was just seen in the cast of the 1947, musical, "My Wild Irish Rose", and wouldn't follow this motion picture on screen, until the second entry in John Ford's trilogy, 1949's, "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon".
Victor McLaglen portrayed "Sergeant Festus Mulcahy". McLaglen just had 4th-billing in the Rex Harrison and Maureen O'Hara, 1947, "The Foxes of Harrow". The actor followed this motion picture with the second entry of John Ford's trilogy.
Anna Lee portrayed "Mrs. Emily Collingwood". Among her films were 1937's, "King Solomon's Mines", co-starring with Sir Cedric Hardwicke, John Ford's, 1941, "How Green was My Valley", producer Val Lewton's, 1946, "Bedlam", starring Boris Karloff. Anna Lee, just had first billing in 1947's, "High Conquest", about climbing the Matterhorn, co-starring with Gilbert Roland
Irene Rich portrayed "Mrs. Mary O'Rourke". Irene Rich's first motion picture was in 1918, and there would be only one more film in her career after "Fort Apache", and a 1949 television appearance.
Above the ladies of "Fort Apache", left to right are Irene Rich, Anna Lee, and Shirley Temple
Dick Foran portrayed "Sergeant Quincannon". Foran started out as a band singer and became a singing cowboy in motion pictures. Fans of "Universal Pictures" horror will recognize the actor from both 1940's, "The Mummy's Hand", and, 1942's, "The Mummy's Tomb", portraying "Steve Banning". Prior to those films, he was in 1936's, "The Petrified Forest, starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart.
Guy Kibbee portrayed "Captain, Doctor Wilkens". Solid character doctor Kibbee moved from stage acting, that he started at 13-years-old, to motion pictures in 1929. This was the actor 111th out of 117 on-screen appearances in a variety of comedy, dramatic, and musical roles.
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Grant Withers portrayed "Silas Meacham". Withers started on-screen in 1925, and among his films is the excellent and overlooked 1945, "The Vampire's Ghost", written by the "Queen of Space Opera", Leigh Brackett.
Mae Marsh portrayed an "Unnamed Officer's Wife". My reader may not know her name, but Mae Marsh had some interesting film's prior to this feature. She was "Flora Cameron - Pet Sister", in
D. W. Griffth's, 1915, "A Birth of a Nation", and was "The Dear One", in "Griffith's", 1916, "Intolerance". As part of the "John Ford Stock Company", Mae Marsh was in 1939's, "Drums Along the Mohawk", 1940, "The Grapes of Wrath", 1941's, "Tobacco Road", 1941's, "How Green was My Valley", and 1946's, "My Darling Clementine".
Above, left to right, Mae Marsh, unidentified actor, Irene Rich, and Ward Bond
Introducing:
John Agar portraying "2nd Lieutenant Michael Shannon O'Rourke". It appeared to everyone that Shirley Temple had found her "Prince Charming" in John Agar. They were married after filming this motion picture, but real life isn't a fairy tale. The would divorce and the actor, who seemed to be heading to stardom, found himself cut by the major studios. My article is "John Agar His Fall That Led to Science Fiction Cult Status" found at:
The Following is revised from my article, "John Wayne in John Ford's CAVALRY TRILOGY: 'Fort Apache', 1948, 'She Wore A Yellow Ribbon', 1949, and 'Rio Grande', 1950": for reading at:
No actual date for this story is given, but we know two facts:
First, that James Warner Bellah's short story, that he later turned into a novel, was based upon the events at the "Little" and "Big Horn" rivers, aka: "Custer's Last Stand", led by Sioux War Chief, "Crazy Horse", in June 1876, and, the overshadowed, "Fetterman Fight", led by Sioux War Chief, "Red Cloud", ten-years earlier in December 1866, both taking place in the Montana Territory.
Second, we know that Frank Nugent's "Fort Apache's" screenplay changed "Crazy Horse", or is it supposed to be "Sitting Bull", into the Apache War Chief, "Cochise", portrayed by Miguel Inclan, moving the setting from Montana to Arizona. So, instead of the Sioux, we have the Chokonen Band of the Chiricahua Apaches. They were located in "The Dragon Mountains" in Southern Arizona.
However, John Ford photographed in his favorite area, "Monument Valley", which is located partly in Utah, and party in Northern Arizona.
The picture opens with "Captain Kirby York" expected to take command of Fort Apache. After the previous commanding officer leaves. However, the Department of the Army gives the command to "Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday". Who has been assigned the post for some unmentioned act that affected his possible promotion. "Thursday" arrives with a "Chip on his Shoulder" and his daughter "Philadelphia".
The picture opens with "Captain Kirby York" expected to take command of Fort Apache. After the previous commanding officer leaves. However, the Department of the Army gives the command to "Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday". Who has been assigned the post for some unmentioned act that affected his possible promotion. "Thursday" arrives with a "Chip on his Shoulder" and his daughter "Philadelphia".
The subplot revolves around the love of "Philadelphia" to West Point Graduate "Lieutenant Michael Shannon O'Rourke". He was able to go to the "Point", because during the Civil War. His father, "Sergeant Major Michael O'Rourke", received "The Congressional Medal of Honor", while serving in the "Irish Brigade".
It is "Thursday's" animosity toward the Apaches and "Cochise" that the story centers around. He takes the side of the corrupt Indian Agent "Silas Meacham".
John Ford has been criticized for his portrayals of Native Americans. It is a strange comment, in "Fort Apache", Ford treats Native Americans with respect and "Cochise" is seen as a strong, fair leader of his people. It is "Owen Thursday's" blindness to the words of "Captain Kirby", and others that causes the climatic battle. Although he knows "Meacham" has been cheating the Apache's. "Lieutenant Colonel Thursday" lets his own prejudices toward inferior non-whites take hold.
When the picture reaches its climax, "Lieutenant Colonel Thursday" orders his entire command out of "Fort Apache" to track down "Cochise" and his band.
"Thursday's" action plays into "Cochise's" plan for an ambush. One that reflects what happened to George Armstrong Custer. In Ford's film, this is also caused by "Thursday's" search for GLORY to redeem himself with his superiors.
"Cochise's" warrior's were played by members of the Navajo tribes in Utah. There was a great documented friendship between Ford and his Native American actors.
The revised Battle of the Little and Big Horn Rivers!
Prior to the actual charge, "Captain York", attempts to get "Lieutenant Colonel Thursday" to return to the fort. "York" next warns "Thursday", he's taking his command into a trap on "Cochise's" terms of battle. Instead of listening to his Second in Command, the more familiar man with Apache tactics, "Owen Thursday" relieves "York'. He orders him to exchange places with "Captain Collingwood". "Captain York" is now at the head of the relief column. Probably thinking of his daughter, "Philadelphia", "Thursday" orders "Lieutenant O'Rourke" to stay with the relief column. Confirmation that he knows what his Second in Command has told him is the truth.
What follows is John Ford re-staging "Custer's Last Stand".
Except for most of the troops of "Captain York's" relief column. "Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday's" command is wiped out by "Cochise", in a battle that should never have been.
John Ford now goes to destroying the myth of "Custer", by giving his viewer the myth of "Thursday".
Cut to a group of reporters talking to the now "Lieutenant Colonel Kirby York" in his office. They are introduced to "Philadelphia" and her husband, "Lieutenant O'Rourke". One reporter asks if "York" has seen the "Famous Painting" of "Thursday's Heroic Charge"? "Kirby" who considers "Owen" a poor tactician that wasted lives. Lies by saying the painting is completely accurate. Another direct reference to a painting made right after the Little Big Horn, glorifying George Armstrong Custer.
After the previously mentioned movie, "Sins of the Fathers", Ward Bond appeared in another three feature films including Ingrid Bergman's, 1948, "Joan of Arc", just prior to:
3 GODFATHERS premiering in Washington, D.C. on November 25, 1948
Mention the "3 Godfathers", and most people would think of the motion picture by John Ford. That is, without knowing that the first version was in 1916, the second in 1919, and there was a possible 1921 version, a definite 1929 with sound from director William Wyler, a 1936 version, and finally John Ford's. The varied actors in the three roles include, Harry Carey, Sr., twice, possibly Hoot Gibson, and possibly Francis Ford in 1921. Then there's Charles Bickford, and Raymond Hatton, in 1929, and Chester Morris, and Walter Brennan, in 1936.
Whichever version you're looking at, they all have the common denominator of the 1913, novella, "The Three Godfathers", by Peter B. Kyne, first published in "The Saturday Evening Post". My article is "The Three Godfathers': A Christmas Allegory Interpreted By John Ford, William Wyler, Richard Boleslawski and Edward Le Saint" at:
This feature film immediately followed "Fort Apache" for director John Ford.
The screenplay was written by two writers, Frank S. Nugent, followed "Fort Apache" on this entry. While, Lawrence Stallings had just written the previously mentioned, 1948, "On Our Merry Way", and would follow this feature with the second film in John Ford's trilogy, along with Frank Nugent.
The following is revised from my above linked article.
The Main Cast:
John Wayne portrayed "Robert Marmaduke Sangster Hightower". Wayne followed this picture with 1948's "Wake of the Red Witch".
Pedro Armendariz portrayed "Pedro Roca Fuerte aka: Pete". Just before this motion picture he co-starred in, 1948's, "Maclovia", with Mexican actress, Maria Felix. Armendariz would follow this motion picture with 1949's, "Tulsa", co-starring with Susan Hayward and Robert Preston.
In a motion picture dedicated to the memory of his father was:
Harry Carey, Jr. as "William Kearney aka: The Abilene Kid". His father, Harry Carey, Sr. had starred in the original 1916 version of the novel, and the 1919 version. Harry Carey, Jr. had just been seen in the 1948 Western, "Blood on the Moon" starring Robert Mitchum, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Robert Preston. Carey, Jr. wrote an excellent autobiography "Company of Heroes: My Life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company".
I want to point out five members, of varying degree, from "The John Ford Stock Company", as seen in this motion picture.
Ward Bond portrayed "Pearly 'Buck' Sweet". Bond followed this picture with a singing cowboy "B" Western, 1950's, "Singing Guns". What makes that forgotten Western interesting is that the leading role was portrayed by popular trumpeter, radio, and big band leader, Vaughn Monroe.
Mae Marsh portrayed "Mrs. Pearly Sweet". Prior to the feature, Marsh was in the Olivia de Havilland, psychological drama, 1948's, "The Snake Pit". She followed this picture with 1949's, "A Letter to Three Wives".
Mildred Natwick portrayed "The Mother". Prior to this feature, Natwick was in the Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson, 1948, "The Kissing Bandit". She would follow this film with the second picture in John Ford's, trilogy.
Jane Darwell portrayed "Miss Florie". She had just appeared in 1948's, "Train to Alcatraz", directed by Philip Ford, Francis Ford's son. Darwell followed this motion picture with the Western, 1949's, "Red Canyon", starring Ann Blyth, Howard Duff, and George Brent.
Ben Johnson portrayed "Posse Man #1". Johnson brought horses from his family ranch to Ford and was a horse wrangler on the set of 1948's, "Fort Apache". According to Harry Carey, Jr., in his book, when a wagon with three actors in it was being filmed. Something spooked the horses and the wagon became an unplanned runaway with three frightened actors. Johnson ran to his tied up horse, untied the horse, jumped into the saddle, and saved the three actors. Ben Johnson was hired on the spot as an actor by Ford. Who had kept the camera running and the entire rescue is in the motion picture. Not to forget that Ben Johnson co-starred with Terry Moore and Robert Armstrong in the Merian C. Cooper and John Ford produced, 1949, "Mighty Joe Young". My article is "Ben Johnson: Roping a 12 Foot Gorilla", and may be read at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/06/ben-johnson-roping-12-foot-gorilla.html
The Screenplay:
Three cattle rustlers, "Bob Hightower", "Pete", and "The Abilene Kid", ride into Welcome, Arizona.
They have a pleasant conversation with "Sheriff Buck Sweet" and his wife. She asks if they've seen her niece and her husband on the trail, as they're coming from New Jerusalem, but the three answer no.
The three men continue to interact with the locals of Welcome. Arizona.
Next, "Bob", "Pete" and "The Abilene Kid", proceed to rob the bank and during the shoot out the "Kid" is hit, his horse falls, and all the stolen money is left on the street. The three head into the desert pursued by "Sheriff Sweet" and his posse.
Above, Hank Worden portraying "Deputy Curly", and Ward Bond
"Sweet" was able to shoot a hole in the three men's water bag, before his posse turns back to the train depot. While, the unknowing three robbers, also head for the train depot to get water from the tank for the engines.
However, the three stop, after seeing "Sweet" is posting guards, and turn back toward the desert.
The three fugitives decide to go to granite tanks, a waterhole in the desert, but a sand storm comes up and they lose their horses.
When they finally get to the waterhole, it has been dynamited, and there's a covered wagon with a woman in labor in it. She tells the three that her husband attempted to open the blocked well to get water by dynamiting it. Later, he disappeared into the desert, chasing the wagons thirsty horses that had gotten away from him
"Pete" helps with the delivery of the baby boy, that the mother names "Robert William Pedro Hightower". While "Bob" and "The Kid" get water out of nearby cacti. Before dying, the mother extracts a promise from the three men to protect her son, and names them his "Three Godfathers". After she passes away, the three bury her with "The Kid" attempting to remember bible verses.
"Pete" helps with the delivery of the baby boy, that the mother names "Robert William Pedro Hightower". While "Bob" and "The Kid" get water out of nearby cacti. Before dying, the mother extracts a promise from the three men to protect her son, and names them his "Three Godfathers". After she passes away, the three bury her with "The Kid" attempting to remember bible verses.
Looking through the woman and her husband's things, "Pete" finds the family bible and offers it to "Bob", who slaps it away. "The Kid" believes a higher power has guided the three to the covered wagon, comparing the baby to the "Baby Jesus", and the three of them to the biblical "Three Wise Men".
"The Three Godfathers" with the baby, now head for the town of "New Jerusalem", located over the salt flats and a mountain. While, the still pursuing Sheriff and the posse arrive at the covered wagon. "Sweet" recognizing the ownership of the property, believes the three men killed his wife's niece, and sets out for revenge.
The three robbers reach the salt flats, but from his wound and exhaustion, "The Kid" collapses and dies.
The three robbers reach the salt flats, but from his wound and exhaustion, "The Kid" collapses and dies.
Now, "Bob" and "Pete" head out together.
The two men cross the salt flats, but "Pete" breaks his leg. "Pete" asks "Bob" to leave him his pistol:
against coyotes!
As "Bob", carrying the baby walks on toward the mountain, a shot rings out. Next, staggering through a ravine, "Bob" finally collapses, but the ghosts, seen in "Bob's" delirium, of his two friends convince him to carry on.
As if by some miracle, "Bob" finds a donkey and her colt, and with them enters New Jerusalem with the baby on the donkey. "Bob" stumbles into a cantina, and gets a drink for himself and milk for the baby.
"Sheriff Sweet" arrives, as "Bob" finally collapses from exhaustion. "Bob" is jailed back in Welcome, Arizona, but because of his and the other two men's rescue of the baby. The town supports him, especially, "Sheriff Sweet" and his wife. After they hear his story which fits with what the posse saw on its way to New Jerusalem.
While "Bob" awaits the verdict of his trial. He is invited to eat at the Sheriff's house.
When the judge had asked "Bob", if he would permanently give up his custody of "Robert William Pedro Hightower"? He had refused, because of his promise to the baby's mother. The judge was happy to hear that and sentenced "Bob" to the minimal sentence of one-year and a day. "Bob" gives his "Godchild" to the "Sweets" for temporary custody, after hearing the verdict.
As "Bob" leaves for prison, the entire town of Welcome, Arizona, gives him a rousing farewell.
WAGON MASTER premiered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on April 19, 1950
The screenplay was written by Frank Nugent, he had written 1949's, "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon",
and Patrick Ford. Who with his father is credited for the original story. John Ford wanted a change of Utah scenery and did not film in "Monument Valley", but moved his cast and crew to the town of
Mohab, and filmed a little way from it in "Professor Valley".
Ben Johnson portrayed "Travis Blue". Johnson had just been seen in the previously mentioned, 1949, "Mighty Joe Young". He would follow this motion picture with the third and final entry in John Ford's cavalry trilogy, 1950's, "Rio Grande".
Joanne Dru portrayed "Sandy". She had just been seen in 1949's, "All the King's Men", and the second entry in John Ford's cavalry trilogy. "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon". This feature was followed by the film noir, 1950's, "711 Ocean Drive", co-starring with Edmond O'Brien.
Harry Carey, Jr. portrayed "Sandy Owens". The actor had portrayed "Second Lieutenant Ross Pennell" in 1949's, "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon", and "Trooper Daniel 'Sandy' Boone", in the final entry of Ford's cavalry trilogy, 1950's, "Rio Grande". Harry Carey, Jr. is best remembered by my generation as "Councilor Bill Burnett", in the several "Spin and Marty" mini-series programs on Walt Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club".
Ward Bond portrayed. "Elder Wiggs". Bond was just seen with 8th-billing, in the Bing Crosby and Coleen Gray, 1950, "Riding High". He followed this motion picture by portraying corrupt "Inspector Charles Weber", in the 1950, crime drama, "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye", starring James Cagney and Barbara Payton.
Charles Kemper portrayed "Uncle Shiloh Clegg". He had just been seen in the slapstick comedy, musical, western, 1950's, "A Ticket to Tomahawk", starring Dan Daily, Anne Baxter, and Rory Calhoun. Kemper followed this picture with the film noir, 1950's, "Where Danger Lives", starring Robert Mitchum, Faith Domergue, and Claude Rains.
James Arness portrayed "Floyd Clegg". This was the actor's 5th-role, and two of them had been uncredited. Another 7- forgotten roles followed, including the science fiction, 1951's, "Two Lost Worlds", billed under the correct spelling of his last name as James Aurness, before he was "The Thing from Another World", also in 1951. It would be another 12-roles, before another cult science fiction role in 1954's, "THEM!" Followed by 6-more motion pictures, before Arness became "Marshall Matt Dillon" on television's "Gunsmoke", for 635-times.
Above left, Charles Kemper, and right, James Arness
From the "John Ford Stock Company", also look for Alan Mowbray portraying "Dr. A. Locksley Hall", Jane Darwell portraying "Sister Ledyard", Francis Ford portraying "Mr. Peachtree", and Ruth Clifford portraying "Fleuretty Phyffe", and Russell Simpson portraying "Adam Perkins".
The Basic Screenplay:
"Wagon Master" has a prologue, prior to the opening titles, in which the audience meets the "Glegg Family" of robbers and killers. The titles start, and the "Clegg's" are apparently forgotten as the main storyline about a wagon train begins.
The audience finds a wagon train of Mormon's, being lead by "Elder Wiggs", seemingly stranded in the Western town of "Crystal City". This is because the Elder cannot find someone to lead the train through Indian country to their "Promised Land". Unlike most Mormon wagon trains, which John Ford is implying he based this one upon, that are crossing the country to Utah. Which were always heavily armed, and the members ready to defend the train. Ford twists his wagon train, by having "Elder Wiggs", leading a wagon train of pacifists, who wouldn't survive through Indian country alone.
Along comes two itinerant horse traders, that may not be as honest as some members of the train would want, named, "Travis Blue", and "Sandy Owens". "Travis" claims he has only fired a gun at "snakes", a choice of a word with a double meaning in a western, and "Sandy" has never fired a gun at any other person.
Even though it is obvious to "Elder Wiggs", that the two might have their own reasons to be moving on.
"Elder Wiggs" accepts "Travis" as his wagon train's, "WAGON MASTER", and the man in charge of the journey to the San Juan River country of southeastern Utah.
On the trail, the wagon train comes across a traveling Medicine show that is trouble. This includes a top hatted elixir-drummer named, "Dr. A. Locksley Hall", and some "coochie dancers", that include one going by the name of "Denver". Like Ford's implied Mormons that "Travis" and "Sandy" are guiding, without mentioning that name. John Ford implies that "Denver" is really a prostitute, identified by her choice of dress and dialogue, without ever using that term to get around the censors.
"Denver" and "Travis", over the remaining film, will fall in love. However, she is guarded over this being real, because of all the men she has known in the past.
The wagon train meets a group of Navajo Indians, but Ford puts a twist on things, and the Indians are friendly and not the aggressors of his other westerns.
One of the Navajo's was portrayed by Olympic Gold Medalist Jim Thorpe, below, with Jane Darwell, seen during a dance in the Navajo village.
Everything seems to be going well between the wagon train and the Navajo's. In fact one might say the whole tone of the screenplay after the opening credits has a gentle, layback tone to it. That is, until the "Clegg's" reappear, and director John Ford, writers Frank Nugent, and Patrick Ford, give the audience the most vile, inhuman characters in any John Ford motion picture made, or to be made.
Since the opening sequence, "Shiloh Clegg" is in desperate need of medical treatment from a blistering gunshot wound from the bank robbery. However, the "Clegg's" present themselves to the Wagon Train members and the Navajo as peaceful frontiersmen. Although, "Sandy" isn't buying into what the Wagon Train members religion is buying and neither is "Travis". However, "Doc Hall", is actually a medical doctor and treats "Shiloh". Then, one of the "Clegg's" rapes a young Navajo girl and their true nature is revealed. It is up to "Elder Wiggs" to punish the man, and a member of the wagon train named "Jackson", portrayed by stuntman, Charles "Chuck" Bert Hayward, horsewhips him in front of everyone.
While the Navajo accept the punishment, "Uncle Shiloh" wants revenge on the Elder. The "Clegg's" leave and the wagon train rolls out of the Navajo village. "Sandy" had wanted "Travis" and himself to take on the "Clegg's", but "Travis" feared that if they lost, the "Clegg's" would kill everyone else without a moments hesitation.
The wagon train reaches the final point of their long journey overlooking the San Juan River. When the "Clegg's" make their move against both "Jackson" and "Elder Wiggs", by brutally shooting "Jackson". However, so does "Sandy" and "Travis", and before "Shiloh" and the other "Clegg's" push the "Elder" off the cliff, gunfire erupts, and all the "Clegg" family lie dead!
Three things next happened:
First, "Sandy" and "Travis" give up their horses for the reigns of two of the wagons after everyone now comes together and makes them part of their community.
Second, "Sandy" finally gets up the nerve to kiss "Prudence Perkins", portrayed by Kathleen O'Malley
Third, "Denver" has finally broken free of her concerns, and realizes she loves "Travis".
John Ford was called back by the "Department of Defense" to make a war propaganda documentary, like only he could:
THIS IS KOREA released August 10, 1951
This was directed by Rear Admiral John Ford U.S.N.R., Ret. Who, just. before, without the military title, had released the final entry of his cavalry trilogy, 1950's, "Rio Grande".
The screenplay was by James Warner Bellah.
"This Is Korea" was a 50-minute documentary filmed in Trucolor and not in black and white that the American and Canadian public were used to seeing for this type of feature.
Three actors narrated sequences, they were:
Ward Bond, who had last been seen on the long forgotten anthology television series, "The Bigelow Theatre", in "His Brother's Keeper", May 14, 1951, co-starring with Glenn Corbett.
John Ireland, who had last been seen portraying "Confederate General William Quantrill", in the Alan Ladd, "Red Mountain", August 3, 1951.
Allan Dwan, the director of John Wayne's, 1949, "The Sands of Iwo Jima". Who followed that feature with the Western, "Belle Le Grand", on January 27, 1951, before narrating for John Ford.
Ward Bond's next feature film for John Ford was the classic:
THE QUIET MAN that premiered in London, England, on June 6, 1952
Herbert J. Yates founded "Republic Pictures", and ran it like he was God, ask John Wayne when he wanted to make "The Alamo" at the studio. I mention that power over the actor in my article "John Wayne's 'THE ALAMO': A Fan Reflects Upon Seeing the Original Roadshow Engagement" at:
In this particular case, there was Yates's hold over director John Ford.
Back in 1933, Ford read a short story, "The Quiet Man", by Irish author Maurice Walsh in "The Saturday Evening Post, and purchased the rights to it for $10, equal as of this writing to $243. By the time the motion picture was completed, in August 1951, Walsh would have received two more payments for his short story. The two payment totaled, $6, 250, equal as of this writing to $75, 840.
However, for Maurice Walsh to get those two additional payments, Herbert J. Yates needed to approve the filming of the story and his power over the studio and its employees, in this instance, John Ford, was immense.
The director approached Yates was his desire to film Walsh's short story, but the costs that would be involved was way beyond anything "Republic" had ever made. That was when the studio's owner applied pressure upon the director. Herbert J. Yates wanted John Ford to make another calvary motion picture starring John Wayne. Ford didn't want anything to do with another Western, he wanted to make "The Quiet Man". Yates simply forced Ford into agreeing to make, what became, 1950's, "Rio Grande", in exchange for making the motion picture, in Ireland, he wanted to actually make.
The screenplay was by Frank S. Nugent, between the screenplay for "Wagon Master", and this screenplay. Nugent wrote the Civil War period drama, 1950's, "Two Flags West", starring Joseph Cotton, Linda Darnell, Jeff Chandler, and Cornel Wilde.
John Wayne portrayed Irish American boxer, "Sean 'Trooper Thorn' Thornton". Wayne had just been seen in "Republic Pictures", 1951, "Flying Leathernecks", and would follow this feature film with the "Second Red Scare" drama, 1952's, "Big Jim McLain", with the actor and co-star James Arness, portraying investigators for the "House Committee on Un-American Activities" tracking down Communists within Hawaii.
Maureen O'Hara portrayed "Mary Kate Danaher". O'Hara had just seen in a period drama set in Australia, 1952's, "Kangaroo", co-starring Peter Lawford. She followed this motion picture portraying a lady pirate leader in 1952's, "Against All Flags", co-starring with Errol Flynn. The actress went from unknown to major star starting with her 3rd-motion picture, director Alfred Hitchcock's, 1939, "Jamaica Inn", with her character's love interest portrayed by Robert Newton. She would follow the Hitchcock picture with actor Charles Laughton's, 1939, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Besides, 1950's, "Rio Grande", O'Hara had appeared in director John Ford's, 1941, "How Green Was My Valley",
Barry Fitzgerald portrayed "Michaleen Oge Flynn". Fitzgerald had just been seen in Italy, portraying a priest, in the Italian comedy, 1952's, "Ha da vent ...don Calogero". He followed this motion picture portraying "Barry Flynn", in the episode, "The Man Who Struck It Rich", November 17, 1952, on the television anthology series, "Lux Video Theatre".
Ward Bond portrayed "Father Peter Lonergan". Bond was just seen in the 1951, film noir psychological drama, "On Dangerous Ground", starring Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan. He followed this motion picture, co-starring with Sterling Hayden and Joan Leslie, in the 1952 Western, "Hellgate".
Victor McLagen portrayed "Squire 'Red' Will Danaher". The actor was just seen in a 11-minute, 1951, short, "O'Mara's Chain Miracle". He followed this motion picture with the Fred MacMurray, and Vera Ralston, actually Mrs. Herbert J. Yates, 1953, "Fair Wind to Java", with the climax of the volcanic island, of "Krakatoa", blowing up, courtesy of "Republic Picture's" special effects experts the Lydecker Brothers. My article is "Howard and Theodore Lydecker: During the Rise and Fall of Republic Pictures" at:
Mildred Natwick portrayed "The Widow Sarah Tillane". Natwick had just portrayed "Mrs. Antrobus", in "The Skin of Our Teeth", December 19, 1951, on televisions "Pulitzer Prize Playhouse". She would follow this motion picture with 1952's, "Against All Flags".
John Ford wanted to see Ireland, the country the Feeney's came from, and convinced Herbert J. Yates to let him film there. Which brings up the question, if he didn't get the better of the studio owner after all, by turning "The Quiet Man" into a family affair.
In the small role of "Dan Tobin", was John's older brother Francis. In the small role of the "Reverend Cyril Playfair", was Barry Fitzgerald's brother, Arthur Shields.
Portraying children in the motion picture, all enjoying a prepaid trip to Ireland, were Melinda, Michael, Patrick, and Toni Wayne.
The Screenplay:
The story is very simple and a recreation of Ireland during the 1920's. Into the village of Inisfree, having retired from boxing in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, comes Irish American "Sean Thornton". "Sean" was born in Inisfree and has returned to purchase the family farm, become a farmer, and live quietly in the country of his birth.
"Sean" first meets the town bully, "Squire 'Red' Will Danaher" at the local pub. Where "Sean" proves his strength by embarrassing "Red" in front of the other men in the pub.
"Sean" meets and falls in love with "Mary Kate Danaher", who in turn, is in love with the Irish American, but is the sister also the sister of "Red".
Next, comes the first real problem for "Sean", "Red Danaher", also wants to buy "Sean's" family's farm. Which is currently owned by the wealthy "Widow Tillane", who has accepted "Sean's" bid for the property. As a result, seeking revenge, "Red" refuses to give his necessary consent for "Mary Kate" to marry the American and release her dowry.
"Sean" has made many friends including "Father Peter Lonergan", and the local match maker cum bookie, "Michaleen Oge Flynn".
They come up with a plan to get "Mary Kate" and "Sean" married, by tricking "Red" into thinking the "Widow Tillane" wants to marry him, but only if "Mary Kate" is no longer under his roof. "Red" buys into this, and the marriage takes place.
Learning the truth, "Red" does not give his sister her dowry. Leaving "Sean", who does not understand Irish customs, to question why that would be a problem? Which leads to a war between husband and wife over getting her dowry, because to "Mary Kate". This means until she receives the whole dowry, her marriage is invalid. "Red" is persuaded to release the furniture, because "Mary Kate" purchased the furniture herself. However, he refuses to release the monetary amount that contains his contribution to the dowry.
"Mary Kate" trays to explain the importance of the money to "Sean", and the need to confront her brother. "Sean" refuses to fight, and she believes he's a coward. However, the "Reverend Cyril Playfair", also an ex-boxer, reveals that "Sean" accidentally killed a younger married man in the ring, was charged with manslaughter, and this has haunted him ever since.
Next, "Mary Kate" confesses her involvement in the quarrel with "Sean" to "Father Peter Lonergan". He berates "Mary Kate's" for her selfishness, by not taking into consideration what might be going on with her husband, before she learned of his manslaughter charge.
That night, "Mary Kate" and her husband share their bed together. In the morning, "Mary Kate" decides to quietly leave their cottage for Dublin, hoping this will spur "Sean" to action over her dowery. This works, but not like she expected.
"Sean" takes "Mary Kate" from the train, to her surprise, starts walking the five miles back to the "Danaher" farm, picking up onlooking villagers, knowing something is about to happen.
The two confront "Red", and as the others watch and cheer him on. "Sean" demands the dowry money. "Red" refuses, and "Sean" throws "Mary Kate" at him, saying, that according to the Irish custom, no dowry, no marriage.
"Sean's" ultimatum not only shocks "Red", but "Mary Kate" as well. Her brother hands over the money and to everyone's surprise , "Mary Kate" and "Sean" burn it in the fireplace at the "Danaher" farm.
"Mary Kate" proudly starts for her and "Sean's" cottage, but "Red" takes a swing at "Sean" and misses. What the villagers wanted to see, a donnybrook between "Sean 'Trooper Thorn' Thornton", and "Squire 'Red' Will Danaher", begins.
The fight continues, the two take a mutual break at Cohn's Bar for a drink, and start fighting again, and return to Cohn's for another drink. Later, at dinner time, into the cottage walk the two drunken, now friends, to "Mary Kate's" delight.
Herbert J. Yates concern about making "The Quiet Man", was put to rest with 7-Academy Award nominations, including "Best Picture", which no other "Republic Pictures" ever had. The winning of "Best Director" for John Ford, and more to Yates's liking, a first year box office of 3.8 million dollars to a final budget of 1.75 million.
Ward Bond followed "The Quiet Man" with 8-feature films, including John Wayne's, 1953, 3-D, Western classic, "Hondo", and Joan Crawford's, 1954, Western, "Johnny Guitar", co-starring Sterling Hayden in the title role, with Mercedes McCambridge at her evil best. Bond also appeared on 3-television programs and in a short film.
During 1954, Ward Bond married Mary Louise Meyers, and the two remained married until his death.
Then it was back to John Ford, in a motion picture starring, once again, Maureen O'Hara, but instead of John Wayne, it was Tyrone Power.
THE LONG GREY LINE premiering in Japan on January 4, 1955
The "Hollywood Biographical" screenplay was written by Edward Hope and contains 6-major inaccuracies.
Tyrone Power portrayed "Martin "Marty" Maher. Power had just co-starred with Terry Moore and Michael Rennie in the historical drama, 1953's, "King of the Khyber Rifles", and followed this motion picture with the historical South African drama, 1955's, "Untamed", co-starring with Susan Hayward and Richard Egan.
Maureen O'Hara portrayed "Mary O'Donnell". O'Hara had just portrayed a female O.S.S. agent, in 1954's, "Malaga", co-starring with MacDonald Carey. She followed this feature film by co-starring with Anthony Quinn, in 1955's, "The Magnificent Matador".
Robert Francis portrayed the fictional "Cadet James N. Sundstrom, Jr.". Francis's first motion picture was 1954's, "The Caine Mutiny", this was his 4th and last. The 25-years-old actor died with two others in a private plane crash as it was taking off from the Burbank airport, in Los Angeles's, San Fernando Valley.
Donald Crisp portrayed "Old Martin". Among the actor's work was portraying "Ulysses S. Grant" in director D.W. Griffith's, 1915, "Birth of a Nation". He had directed Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and Mary Astor, in 1925's, "Don Q Son of Zorro", portrayed "Colonel Sebastian Moran" in the 1929, "Return of Sherlock Holmes", and for director John Ford, appeared in 1939's, "Mary of Scotland", that starred Katherine Hepburn and Fredric March, and 1941's, "How Green Was My Valley".
Above center, Donald Crisp and Tyrone Power
Ward Bond portrayed "Captain Herman A. Koehler, Master of the Sword aka: West Point's athletic's instructor". Bond followed this feature film with the next one I will be mentioning.
Above, the only still I could locate of Ward Bond evaluating Tyrone Power for his athletic training assistant.
The Fictional Screenplay:
The story opens with "Master Sergeant Marty Maher" going to the White House to appeal to "President Eisenhower", a friend from West Point, to let him remain in service beyond retirement age. In actuality Maher had retired from the army in 1928. He stayed on as an employee of West Point until 1946.
The story continues in Hollywood style, including a scene between "Marty" and his father over who's going to win a football game. "Marty" backs West Point, his father Notre Dame and they win. "Marty's" father points out that an Irishmen should always back the Irish. The game in question, not mentioned in the movie, is when Notre Dame football player, "Knute Rockne", and another player invented the forward pass.
In the screenplay, "Mary O'Donnell Maher" dies in 1946 watching a Cadet parade from her front porch. She actually passed away in 1948, but that wouldn't have worked for the heart tugging screenplay.
The screenplay does have a typical Hollywood feel good ending. "Marty" is flown back to West Point, after seeing "President Eisenhower", and teased about being AWOL. There he hears his favorite song played by the West Point band, as the cadet's pass him in review, including the ghosts of the one's that he taught and died during the Second World War.
Next came a motion picture that had a director's problem and the name apparently was John Ford.
MISTER ROBERTS premiered in Miami, Florida, on June 29, 1955
"Warner Brothers" acquired the rights to the Joshua Logan and Thomas Heggan, 1948, stage play. That was in turn, based upon the 1946 novel by Thomas Heggan. The studio's original plan was to film the motion picture in 3-D, that was dropped. It was next decided to film it in "WarnerSuperScope", using the newly developed "All Media Camera", that was dropped. In the end, they used "20th Century Fox's", "Cinemascope", but filmed in "Warner Color".
Frank S. Nugent had been hired to adopt the stage play into a screenplay. Nugent had just written the screenplay for the Robert Francis and Donna Reed Western, 1954's, "They Rode West". He would follow this feature film with the screenplay for the Clark Gable, Jane Russell, and Robert Ryan Western, 1955's, "The Tall Men".
John Ford was originally hired to direct, but developed personality problems with both Henry Fonda, who he had convinced the studio to hire instead of either Marlon Brando or William Holden, and James Cagney. Apparently in a heated argument, John Ford punched Henry Fonda in the jaw. As for James Cagney, according to author-interviewer Doug Warren and James Cagney, in the 1983, 1986 (2nd edition), "Cagney: The Authorized Biography", James Cagney said this of John Ford:
I would have kicked his brains out. He was so goddamned mean to everybody. He was truly a nasty old man.
John Ford was let go, and was replaced by Mervyn LeRoy, who reviewed all the footage shot by Ford. At some point, LeRoy was also replaced by the uncredited Joshua Logan.
Ward Bond had 6th-billing portraying "Chief Petty Officer Dowdy". Bond followed this feature film, by co-starring with director and actor Ray Milland, in the 1955 Western, "A Man Alone".
Above, Ward Bond and Henry Fonda, below, Bond with Jack Lemmon.
Ward Bond was next seen on the television anthology series, "Screen Directors Playhouse", Season One, Episode Ten, "Rookie of the Year", December 7, 1955, directed by John Ford, teleplay by
Frank S. Nugent, co-starring John Wayne, Vera Miles. A small town sports writer, Wayne, sees a young ballplayer, Patrick Wayne, who reminds him of a baseball hero, Bond. Who was banned from baseball after throwing a game. The sports writer believes he is looking at the son of that former player. The young ballplayer's girlfriend, Miles, attempts to stop the sports writer from ruining the son's career, by exposing who her boyfriend's father was.
Ward Bond next found himself in a Western, 1956's, "Dakota Incident", co-starring with Linda Darnell, Dale Robertson, and "John Lund". The forgotten Western would be overshadowed by another Western from director John Ford.
A Western that in 2008, "The American Film Institute" called, "The Greatest American Western", and the year before. The institute had placed the film at 12th, on its list of the "100 American Movies of All-Time".
THE SEARCHERS premiered in Chicago, Illinois, on May 16, 1956
There are two back stories about the source used by author and screenplay writer Alan Brown Le May to write his 1954 novel, "The Searchers".
I start with the, classic source story, that has been used by film critics and historians since the motion picture's release. It is related by authors Arthur M. Eckstein and Peter Lehman, in their, 2004, "The Searchers: Essays and Reflections on John Ford's Classic Western". This same story was also used by British producer and director John Milius, in a documentary he made about the motion picture. However, British film historian, Edward Buscome, in his 2000 work "The Searchers", for the "British Film Institute". Wrote that Milius stated the story as fact, without sighted evidence. Which many of those other film critics and historians have also just stated in the same way.
On May 19, 1836, Cynthia Ann Parker, 9-years-old, was captured by a group of Comanche, Kiowa, Caddo, and Wichita raiders during the Fort Parker massacre. As she grew up within the Comanche's, she was simulated into the tribe as one of their own. At some point, she married Peta Nocona, a Comanche chief, and father of her three children. In December 1860, while still looking for Cynthia for her father, she was located by a group of Texas Ranger's, the were led by the future 19th governor of Texas, and Confederate General, seen below, Lawrence Sullivan"Sul" Ross.
Against her will, Ross's Texas Ranger's brought the young mother, Na'ura, Comanche for "Was Found" (Cynthia Ann Parker), back to Texas and her Uncle, Isaac Parker. Who would take her to Bird's Fort, just north of present day Arlington.
Above, Cynthia Ann Parker, and her daughter, Topsannah (Prairie Flower) in 1861.
However, based upon Alan Le May's discovered notes for writing the novel. According to both the June 2007 issue of "American History Magazine", in the article, "Brit Johnson, The Real Searcher", and the April 2009 issue of "Real West Magazine". The actual source hasn't anything to do with "WHITE" Cynthia Ann Parker, but "AFRICAN-AMERICAN" searcher, Britton "Britt" Johnson. Whose story is told by the "Texas State Historical Association", below:
Obviously in the America of 1954 with the novel, and 1956 with the movie, a story about a "Negro" hero wouldn't play to the masses. So, Alan Le May changed the color of his obsessive hero and his heroine to fit Eisenhower America.
The screenplay was written by Frank S. Nugent. Nugent followed this motion picture with John Ford's comedy-drama, without Ward Bond, 1957's, "The Rising of the Moon", starring Tyrone Power, Noel Purcell, and Cyril Cusak.
John Wayne portrayed "Ethan Edwards". Wayne, and Susan Hayward, had just co-starred in producer Howard Hughes and director Dick Powell's, 1956, "The Conqueror". I look at that motion picture and the death's to the cast and crew caused by lingering radiation from Atom bomb testing as part of my article "JOHN WAYNE: Four Gutsy Role Choices" at:
Jeffrey Hunter portrayed "Martin Pawley". Hunter had just co-starred with Robert Wagner, Virginia Leith, and Joanne Woodward, in 1956's, "A Kiss Before Dying". Jeffrey Hunter, next co-starred with Robert Ryan and Virginia Mayo, in the 1956 Western, "The Proud Ones".
Vera Miles portrayed "Laurie Jorgensen". This was four-years before director Alfred Hitchcock's, 1960, "Psycho". Miles had just been seen on the television anthology series, "The 20th Century-Fox Hour", in "Man on the Ledge", December 28, 1955. She followed this motion picture co-starring with Van Johson, in the conspiracy-crime-mystery, 1956's, "23 Paces to Baker Street", and no, this is not a "Sherlock Holmes" mystery, but about a blind American writer in London.
Above, one of cinematographer Winton C. Hoch's, 1948's, "3 Godfather's", 1949's, "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon", and 1952's, "The Quiet Man", perfectly lighted and filmed shots. Vera Miles is in the foreground, and her character's second suitor, portrayed by "Sons of the Pioneer's" singer, Ken Curtis portraying "Charlie McCorry", 1950's, "Rio Grande", 1952's, "The Quiet Man", both 1955's, "The Long Grey Line", and "Mister Roberts", and "Festus", on television's "Gunsmoke", 1959 through 1975.
Ward Bond portrayed "Texas Ranger's, Reverend Captain Samuel Johnston Clayton". Bond followed this feature film with the 1956 Western, "Pillars of the Sky", co-starring Jeff Chandler and Dorothy Malone.
Natalie Wood portrayed "Debbie Edwards - Age 15". Wood was 17 when she filmed this motion picture and her 10-years-old sister, Lana, portrayed the "Younger Debbie Edwards". Natalie had last been seen on the big screen co-starring with James Dean and Sal Mino, in 1955's, "Rebel Without a Cause". She had just appeared 4-times on different television drama series before this role. After this picture, she co-starred with Edmond O'Brien and Brian Donlevy, in the 1956, film noir, "A Cry in the Night".
Harry Carey, Jr. portrayed "Brad Jorgensen". The actor had just portrayed one of the first Congressional Medal of Honor" recipients, "William Bensigner" in Walt Disney's, 1955, "The Great Locomotive Chase". My article is "The Andrews Civil War Raid: 'The Great Locomotive Chase' in Motion Pictures" at:
The Basic Screenplay:
The year is 1868, "Ethan Edwards" rides up to the West Texas house of his brother, "Aaron Edwards", portrayed by Walter Coy. "Ethan" has been gone eight-years, he left for the Civil War to fight for the Confederacy, but added fighting in Mexico in the "Second Franco-Mexican War".
The way "Ethan's" arrival is filmed is important to the last scene in the movie, bookends if you will.
Above is "Martin Pawley", "Debbie's" adopted brother, who immediately calls "Ethan", "Uncle Ethan". However, "Ethan Edwards" is a racist, "Martin" is half Native American, and "Uncle Ethan" doesn't want the half-bred to call him "Uncle". In fact he doesn't want "Martin" around him at all.
Next, the "Reverend Captain Samuel Johnston Clayton" stops by, and wants "Ethan", with his experience, to join his Texas Ranger's troop, but the other wants nothing to do with the Texas Rangers.
Above, Olive Carey portraying "Mrs. Jorgensen", Jeffrey Hunter portraying "Martin", and Vera Miles as the girl he loves, "Laurie".
Now that the main characters and their relationships have been set up, the picture gets down to the film's title.
"Reverend Captain Clayton" arrives at the "Edward's" home with "Lars Jorgensen", to inform them that cattle has been stolen at the "Jorgensen" place and other small farms and ranches. "Clayton" wants "Ethan" to join the haunt for the Comanche and this time he is sworn in, along with "Martin".
Above, left of Ward Bond is John Qualen portraying "Lars Jorgensen.
Above, Henry Brandon portraying "Comanche Chief Cicatriz (Scar)"
Returning to the "Edward's" farm, they find "Aaron", "Martha", and young "Ben", dead. While "Lucy" and "Debbie" have been taken by the Comanche's. A very brief funeral service is held and, next, the men head out after the Comanche's to rescue the sisters.
The Rangers find the Comanche camp, and "Ethan" wants a frontal attack, but "Captain Clayton" wants a stealth approach to avoid getting the sisters and perhaps other whites killed. The camp is found to be deserted and the ranger's start following the tracks, but find themselves riding into an ambush.
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Above, the Texas Ranger's leaders, Ward Bond and John Wayne. Below, Vera Miles's rivals, Ken Curtis and Jeffrey Hunter.
Above left to right, William Steele, John Qualen, Ward Bond, and Ken Curtis
After the fight with the Comanche's concludes, "Captain Clayton" is left with too few men to continue the search for the sisters.
However, the Comanche hating "Ethan Edwards" decides to go and he finds himself stuck with both "Martin", and "Lucy's" fiance, "Brad Jorgensen".
The three men ride on, and come upon a canyon leading to the Comanche camp. "Ethan" tells "Martin" and "Brad" to wait, while he checks out the canyon.
"Ethan" returns, is questioned about how long it took him, and if he saw the sisters and the Comanche camp? "Ethan" is reluctant to tell them what he saw, but it comes out. "Ethan" had buried "Lucy's" body in the canyon. Without saying the word, to avoid censorship, it is implied that she had been raped. "Brad" goes mad with rage, "Ethan" and "Martin" try to stop him, but "Brad" rides into the Comanche camp, and off screen is killed.
Now the picture truly becomes Alan Le May's novel's title.
"Ethan" and "Martin" locate more signs of the Comanche's trail. Months without results have passed, winter comes, and it makes their search impossible to track.
So, "The Searchers" return to the "Jorgensen" ranch and one of the few light hearted moments in the screenplay. "Martin" is taking a bath, when in walks "Laurie Jorgensen", the girl he wants to marry. He's very embarrassed, but she remain's him that she has brothers.
"Ethan" is given a letter from someone named "Jerem Futterman", portrayed by Peter Mamakos, who owns a trading post. "Ethan" immediately leaves for the trading post without "Martin". Reluctantly, "Laurie" tells "Martin" of the letter and its contents, provides him with a horse, and he goes after "Ethan". "Martin" catches up with the other, and the two head for the trading post. There the two learn that "Debbie" was taken by "Scar", the chief of the Nawyecka Comanche.
The screenplay switches back to "Laurie Jorgensen" receiving a letter from "Martin". That letter is at least a year old, perhaps more. "Charlie McCorry" is also at the ranch house, attempting to court her. As "Laurie" begins to read the letter, the motion picture shows what the other three are hearing - - -
First, the letter tells of "Futterman" attempting to steal "Ethan's" money, and being killed by "Ethan". Next, is a tragic-comedy sequence, as "Martin" accidentally buys a Comanche wife. She cooks for both men and has a problem understanding why "Martin" doesn't want to sleep with her. When they finally mention "Scar", "Martin's" Comanche wife, in terror, runs away. Later they find her dead among other Comanche's killed by the United States cavalry.
"Ethan" and "Martin's" search for "Debbie" now leads the two into the New Mexico Territory. With the help of "Emilio Gabriel Fernandez y Figueroa" portrayed by Antonio Moreno, the two meet with "Scar".
"Debbie", now "Scar's" wife, tells "Ethan" and "Martin" that she wants to stay with the Comanche chief.
The two start to leave, but "Debbie" comes out to see them and "Ethan" tries to shoot the "Comanche Squaw", "Martin" shields her with his body and "Ethan" is hit by a Comanche arrow as the two manage to escape. "Martin" tends to "Ethan's" wounds, but "Ethan" is infuriated that "Martin" stopped him from killing the "Comanche Squaw".
"The Searcher's" now return to the "Jorgensen" ranch, just as "Charlie McCorry's" wedding to "Laurie Jorgensen" is about to begin, presided over by "Reverend Clayton". Having not received any more letters from "Martin", "Laurie" has finally given in to "Charlie's" courting, but "Martin" will have none of this.
What follows is a fist fight to settle who gets "Laurie", and of course, "Martin" wins. The fight is immediately followed by the arrival of the right out of West Point army "Lieutenant Greenhill", portrayed by Patrick Wayne. Who has never fought the Comanches. He brings news that "Ethan's" friend, "Mose Harper", portrayed by Hank Worden, has located "Scar's" main encampment. "Reverend Captain Samuel Johnson", now organizes his Texas Rangers and with the still unproven "Lieutenant Greenhill" head out for "Scar".
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"Captain Clayton" leads his men to the location of "Scar's" encampment and "Martin" asks for time to get "Debbie" out. "Clayton" agrees, and "Martin" enters the Comanche camp and heads for "Debbie". She welcomes him, but "Scar" appears and the two have a knife fight leading to the death of the Comanche chief.
As the Texas Rangers and "Lieutenant Greenhill's" patrol attack the Comanche encampment, "Ethan" finds "Scar's" body, and in revenge, scalps him. Next, "Ethan" sees "Debbie" and on horseback goes for her, as "Martin" chases "Ethan" on foot, hoping to prevent him from killing his step-sister.
"Ethan" corners "Debbie", but instead of killing her, he picks her up, and tells his niece "Let's Go Home!"
As the movie ends, the audience sees a classic shot, reminiscent of that opening one.
John Ford immediately followed "The Searchers" with a biographical motion picture I mentioned earlier.
THE WINGS OF EAGLES premiered in New York City on January 31, 1957
The screenplay was based upon:
The Life and Writings of Commander Frank "Sig" Wead
It was written by two writers, the first was Frank Fenton. Among his screenplays are both the Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe, 1954, "River of No Return", and the same year's "Garden of Evil", starring Gary Cooper, Susan Hayward, and Richard Widmark.
William Wister Haines was an author, playwright, and screenplay writer. He wrote the novel, Broadway play, and screenplay, for 1948's, "Command Decision", that starred Clark Gabel and Walter Pidgeon.
John Wayne portrayed Frank W. "Spig" Wead. Wayne had just been seen in "The Searchers", and followed this picture with the dated, actually filmed in May 1953 by Howard Hughes, 1957, "Jet Pilot", co-starring Janet Leigh, modeling the best in 1953 bathing suits.
Dan Dailey portrayed the fictional "Jughead' Carson". Dailey had portrayed composer "Ray Henderson" in the fictional musical biography of song writers, "Buddy DeSylva (Gordon MacRae)", "Henderson", and "Lew Brown (Ernest Borgnine)", 1956's, "The Best Things in Life Are Free". Dan Dailey followed this motion picture by co-starring with Ginger Rodgers and David Niven, in the 1957 comedy, "Oh, Men! Oh, Women!"
Maureen O'Hara portrayed "Minnie 'Min' Louise Wead". O'Hara had just been seen in the 1956 comedy, "Everything But the Truth", co-starring with John Forsythe. She followed this feature film by co-starring with Sir Alec Guinness and Burl Ives, in British author Graham Greene's, 1959, dark-comedy, "Our Man in Havana".
Ward Bond portrayed fictional movie producer "John Dodge". Bond had just co-starred with Joseph Cotton, in the 1957 Western, "The Halliday Brand". He followed this feature with a war short subject, 1957's, "The Growler Story".
Above, Ward Bond doing his best imitation of director John Ford. Except in this film's inside joke, he was a "Dodge", not a "Ford".
Ken Curtis portrayed future "Navy Admiral John Dale Price", seen below. Price was the technical adviser on the motion picture. Curtis had just been seen in the 1956 drama, "Spring Reunion", and followed this feature film with an uncredited role in "Warpath", an episode on televisions "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp", October 22, 1957.
Kenneth Tobey portrayed the fictional "Army Captain Herbert Allen Hazard". Although he portrayed "Jim Bowie", in Walt Disney's, "Davy Crockett at the Alamo". Tobey is best known for three-science fiction movies, Howard Hawk's, 1951, "The Thing from Another World", and both stop-motion animator, Ray Harryhausen's, 1953, "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", and 1955's, "It Came from Beneath the Sea". The actor is one part of my article "My Neighbors Actor Barbara Luddy and Kenneth Tobey", at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/10/a-memory-of-my-neighbors-barbara-luddy.html
This is John Ford's tribute to his friend, Naval pioneer aviator, and screenplay writer, Frank W. "Spig" Wead, below. Who had passed away on November 15, 1947, at 52-years of age.
An Overview of the Screenplay:
The screenplay is episodic and deals with the period from the end of the First World War through the Second World War. This is also a homage to the development of Naval Air Power and actor Edmund Lowe, portrayed one of the few real-life persons in the screenplay, "Admiral A. Moffett", the "architect of Naval Aviation".
After the First World War, while, Army General William "Billy" Lendrum Mitchell was battling the "Department of the Army" over creating a permanent Army Air Corps. A similar situation existed in the Navy where Naval Lieutenant's "Spig" Wead, and John Dale Price were attempting to prove the value of Naval air power. The two suggests that the Navy enter the aviation racing and endurance competition, but without interest from the top brass. However, when the two push the races, by stating how many have been won in the past by the Army, the Navy enters. In the motion picture there are back and forth competition wins between "Spig" Wead and the Navy flyers against Army "Captain Hazard" and the Army flyers. This is shown, light heartedly, by each group getting into fights and drunken brawls over which military group won the latest race.
Fact:
Lieutenants Wead and Price set five world records for Class C seaplanes with a Curtiss CS-2 biplane on June 22–23, 1924 - distance (963.123 miles, 1,544.753 km), duration (13 hours, 23 minutes, 15 seconds), speed over 500 km (73.41 mph, 117.74 km/h), speed over 1,000 km (74.27 mph, 119.12 km/h) and speed over 1,500 km (74.17 mph, 118.96 km/h) - and again on July 11–12 - distance (994.19 miles, 1599.99 km) and duration (14 hours, 53 minutes, 44 seconds).
The screenplay doesn't go deep into "Spig's" married life. Maureen O'Hara, as "Min", and "Spig's" young daughters are used more as a tool to move the story to a further year in his life. Rather than looking deeper into the two's relationship. The screenplay had to be approved by Frank Wead's daughter's and they objected to several removed scenes of his drinking for example.
A kept example of Wead family life, shows "Min" starting a scrapbook about her husband, and the girl's watching their mother clipping articles about him and the air races. Then one morning, he comes home, after being gone apparently a long time, and they want to know if he's their father? Comical, but it does illustrate that "Spig" was away more than being there.
That's not to say there are no dramatic moments in this screenplay that affect "Spig's" family life. In one sequence, after he has been promoted to a fighter squadron commander. Coming downstairs at home, "Spig" falls down the steps in his house, breaks his neck, and is paralyzed. "Min" tries to console "Spig", but instead, he drives her away and turns to the fictional "Jughead" for support. It is the fictional "Jughead" that will lead "Spig" to walk again in this screenplay.
"Spig" is released, returns home to his loving wife and family, but medically discharged from the Navy.
Next, the screenplay moves to "Spig's" screenwriting and in this very small section, the audience sees Ward Bond portraying "John Dodge".
During the actual period of his screen writing, Frank Wead wrote 35-screenplays. Among "Spig's" motion picture screenplays, besides the previously mentioned 1945, "They Were Expendable", was the Ramon Novarro, 1929, story of Naval Aviation, "The Flying Fleet", with Wead billed as "Lieutenant Commander Frank Wead, U. S. N.".
That same credit was for 1931's, "Dirigible", directed by Frank Capra, and starring Jack Holt and Fay Wray. In 1947, Wead co-wrote the first motion picture about the creation of the Atom Bomb, "The Beginning, or the End", starring Brian Donley portraying "Army Major General Leslie R. Groves".
Next, "The Wings of Eagles"screenplay moves to the Second World War, and "Spig's" attempt to get recalled to combat duty. This is solved, and the screenplay skips his first assignments and moves straight to "Spig" being the "Planning Officer" for the "Commander of Air Pacific, Hawaii".
There is a major problem getting replacement parts for the combat aircraft and keeping the aircraft carriers at sea without having them come to port for repairs. It is "Spig" who comes up with the idea of small escort "jeep" carriers providing logistical support for the main carrier forces. This fact in the screenplay is confirmed in an article from the "National Air and Space Museum" of the "Smithsonian" at:
Continuing in this period of his life, "Spig" is seen in combat on board a carrier. After a long 50-hour shift, he has a heart attack. When he is well enough to be transferred off the carrier, he is honored by eight "Sideboys", a Navy tradition to either welcome, or send off dignitaries from a ship. However, in his case, all the "Sideboys" are either Admirals, or Generals, one being his old competitor, the fictional, now "General Herbert Allen Hazzard".
It wouldn't be until November 23, 1960, before an audience saw Ward Bond in his last on-screen appearance directed by John Ford. Technically this was a small-screen appearance on the television series, "Wagon Train", in Season Four, Episode Nine, "The Colter Craven Story".
Portraying the character of "Kyle Cleatus" was Ken Curtis.
The story flashes back to the Civil War with "Union Major Seth Adams". In the following scene from the episode, there is this shadowy figure on horseback portraying "General William Tecumseh Sherman". When his line are said, the voice is very familiar.
The actor in this cameo appearance of "General Sherman" is billed as "Michael Morris", but my reader knows him as John Wayne.
Besides series star Ward Bond, John Wayne, and Ken Curtis, are other members of the "John Ford Stock Company" appearing in this singular episode of "Wagon Train". They include John Carradine portraying "Park Cleatus", Anna Lee portraying "Mrs. Allyris Craven", Carleton Young portraying "Dr. Colter Craven", Mae Marsh portraying "Mrs. Jesse Grant", and Hank Worden portraying "Hank".
Below, John Ford directing Ward Bond on "Wagon Train".
On November 5, 1960, Wardell "Ward" Edwin Bond passed away.
Found on the website "IMDb" https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000955/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
Although John Ford mocked many actors mercilessly (including John Wayne), Bond probably was on the receiving end of the worst verbal punishment from the director (who counted Bond among his favorite actors). At Bond's funeral, Ford walked up to Andy Devine and said, "Now YOU'RE the biggest ass I know".
Speaking to the "biggest ass I know", for those of my readers interested in Andy Devine, my article is "ANDY DEVINE: 'Hey Wild Bill, Wait for Me" at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2019/07/andy-devine-hey-wild-bill-wait-for-me.html
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