1
S eventy years ago, as he prepared to retire from the U.S. Army, Capt. Nathan Brittles agreed to lead one last mission to stop a pending Indian attack in Monument Valley, along the Arizona-Utah border. Wait. The Army wasn’t still fighting Indians in 1949. Except on the silver screen. That’s exactly where Capt. Brittles – aka, John Wayne – was conducting his mission against Cheyenne, Arapaho and Kiowa warriors. Wayne is the star of “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” the John Ford-direct- ed classic released in October of 1949. The film was the second of three Ford movies, all starring John Wayne and all filmed at least partly in southeastern Utah, that became known as Ford’s cavalry trilogy. The other two were “Fort Apache,” co-starring Henry Fonda and Shirley Temple, released in 1948; and “Rio Grande,” from 1950, featuring Maureen O’Hara. Although his films depict fictional characters and events, military historian Jeffrey C. Prater has argued that “John Ford’s cavalry trilogy does accurately portray the frontier army in the West of the 1870s. Without apology, John Ford printed his own cavalry legend that brooks no rival.” Prater is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who now lives in Sheridan, Wyo- ming, where he has a historical consulting business. He ana- lyzed the three films of the tril- ogy in 1989 as a master’s thesis for the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Prater’s analysis, and those of others, indicates that Ford’s cavalry trilogy, and his use of the landscapes of the South- west, are themselves now part of our history. Ford, who was born John Feeney Jr. in Maine in 1895, became a successful movie director beginning in the silent-film era. He won four Oscars for best director during his long career, but none for his cavalry trilogy. “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” won an Oscar for best color cinematography. Ford was also strongly patri- otic. He served as a lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve starting in 1934, then as a documentary filmmaker for the military during World War II. His documentaries about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway won Academy Awards, and he was awarded a Purple Heart for shrapnel injuries he received while filming at Midway. After the war, Ford wanted to direct movies that featured the common soldier, but he believed that public fatigue over World War II required his movies to be set in a different time. And he knew the perfect location for these films: Monu- ment Valley. “His love affair with Monu- ment Valley created another myth of the frontier,” Prater wrote. “Striking buttes and table-top mesas came to repre- sent the West of the imagina- tion.” Ford directed his first movie in Monument Valley before the war. “Stagecoach,” released in 1939, launched John Wayne from B-movie cowboy actor to A-level Hollywood star. Ford wasn’t the first direc- tor to use Monument Valley as a backdrop. But, acting on Harry Goulding’s advice, Ford decided to make “Stagecoach” there. Goulding was the owner of Goulding’s Trading Post on the Navajo Reservation. He was All contents copyright © 2019 The Daily Sentinel. All republication rights are reserved. Material in this publication may not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Pick 3 Midday Sunday: 5, 5, 6 Evening Sunday: 3, 8, 6 Cash 5 Sunday: 15, 18, 20, 24 and 32 For information, go to www.coloradolottery.com. CIRCULATION Subscription and delivery questions: .................. 242-1919 or (800) 332-5833 How to reach us: 242-5050. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Circulation phones are open 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on weekends. ADVERTISING Retail advertising ........................ 256-4289 Classified advertising .................. 242-1313 NEWSROOM Managing editor ............... 256-4252 City desk ........................... 256-4213 Features and entertainment ...... 256-4224 Sports....................................... 256-4203 Commentary ............................. 256-4236 BOB SILBERNAGEL FIRST DRAFT 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2018 John Ford, Monument Valley helped define Western mythology friends with many Navajos and introduced Ford to them. Ford developed long-term friendships with a number of Navajos, and he hired many more as extras in his films, in which they represented members of a variety of Indian tribes. With Ford and other di- rectors, local Navajos played everything from Apache, Chey- enne and Kiowa Indians to Mexican Federales. Sometimes they even wore Army uniforms to be cavalry troopers. Only rarely did they get cast as their own people, such as Navajo scouts in “Rio Grande.” Likewise, Monument Valley and its surroundings had to stand in for various locations in the West. In “Stagecoach” it was southern Arizona and New Mexico. In “Fort Apache,” Monument Valley represents the region near the Army’s real Fort Apache, in east-cen- tral Arizona. For “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” however, the exact location of the fictional Fort Starke is unclear. Based on a number of clues in the movie and events that it depicts – supposedly in the immediate aftermath of the 1876 Custer debacle – Prater suggests Fort Laramie in Wyoming as a plau- sible model for Fort Starke. As for the third film in the trilogy, “Rio Grande,” the action depicted appears based on events that actually oc- curred near Fort Clark, on the Texas-New Mexico border, and in Mexico. Most of the outdoor filming on “Rio Grande” was conduct- ed near Moab, Utah, rather than in Monument Valley. Although his depictions of Indians wouldn’t pass muster today, Ford displayed sensi- tivity to Natives and a nuance about them that few other directors of the time could match, Prater said. In the first two films of the trilogy, John Wayne’s char- acter is friends with Indian leaders and attempts to work with them to prevent violence. But he remains a loyal soldier, and he carries out questionable orders even when he disagrees. Ford’s last Western film, “Cheyenne Autumn,” is an ele- gy for Indians in their disputes with the U.S. government. Ford’s had great supporting actors he used in many of his movies. Cowboy stuntman Ben Johnson and Hollywood native Harry Carey Jr. had roles in “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” and “Rio Grande.” Pugna- cious Scottish actor Victor McLaglen played a humorous, hard-drinking, hard-fighting sergeant in all three trilogy films. Additionally, Ford made a significant effort to depict CAROL HIGHSMITH/Special to the Sentinel An iconic view of Monument Valley as it appears today. SPECIAL TO THE SENTINEL Ford acknowledged that he tried to copy some of Frederic Remington’s style in “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.” Remington painted “A Cavalry Charge on the Southern Plains” in 1907. the 1870s frontier Army as accurately as possible. Prater examined the uniforms, horse tack and weapons used in the films in great detail, and found them generally appropriate for the period. However, Ford often used uniforms or weapons that weren’t exactly correct for the ostensible dates depicted in the films. Bugle calls used in the films are almost universally cor- rect for the time and action depicted, according to Prater. And many of the songs in the movies, including “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” were tunes that were popular in the 1870s and sometimes were sung by cavalry troops while marching. Ford was also a fan of West- ern artists Charles Russell and Frederic Remington. When discussing “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” he once said, “I tried to copy the Remington style there – you can’t copy him one hundred percent – but at least I tried to get in his colour and movement, and I think I succeeded partly.” In his attempt to capture that style, “She Wore a Yellow Rib- bon” was the only movie of his cavalry trilogy filmed in color. One of Ford’s most import- ant accomplishments was to provide a realistic depiction of day-to-day life at frontier Army posts – from tedious drills on horseback and daily chores, to post dances and other celebra- tions, Prater said. For Capt. Nathan Brittles, the prospect of life not on such an Army post is as fearsome as any Indian attack. So, when he rides off into the sunset-col- ored Monument Valley in civilian clothes, Ford makes it one of the most poignant mo- ments of the film. Fortunately for Brittles and movie fans, the story doesn’t end there. ■ Sources: “John Ford’s Cav- alry Trilogy: Myth or Reality?” by Jeffrey C. Prater; telephone interview with Jeffrey C. Prater; “Where God Put the West: A Moab-Monument Valley Movie History,” by Bette L. Stanton; movies “Fort Apache,” “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” and “Rio Grande”; www.imdb.com. Bob Silbernagel’s email is [email protected]. Promotional poster for “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” the second of Ford’s three back-to-back cavalry films. Director John Ford as he appeared shortly before he began work on his three films that became known as his Cavalry Trilogy. 32205-1 TM 1-855-980-4322 Promo code N7017 *Prices are per person based on double occupancy plus $ 299 taxes & fees. Single supplement and seasonal surcharges may apply. Add-on airfare available. Offers apply to new bookings only, made by 12/31/19. Other terms and conditions may apply. Ask your Travel Consultant for details. Experience a 10-day trip through the heart of ancient Greece. Start with 3 days in Athens, where you will enjoy visits to the Parthenon, the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum, and more, after meeting your fellow travelers at a welcome dinner. Then it’s on to 2 of the most popular Greek islands—Mykonos, famous for its windmills, whitewashed buildings and domed churches; and Santorini, named by numerous publications as the world’s top island. Return to Athens by ferry for your final night in Greece. 10 days, departs March - September 2020 GREECE & HER ISLANDS Athens • Mykonos • Santorini FROM $ 1,549 * $ 1,299 * GRAND ALASKAN CRUISE & TOUR Enjoy 7 nights aboard Holland America Line’s ms Westerdam and 4 nights on land. You’ll cruise the Gulf of Alaska and the Inside Passage—a sea lane teeming with marine wildlife, where you’ll pass glaciers, mountains, and lush forests, with stops in Ketchikan, Skagway, and Glacier Bay. On land, you’ll go deep into Denali National Park, tour Anchorage, and see the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. 12 days, departs May - September 2020 Seattle • Vancouver • Ketchikan • Juneau • Skagway • Glacier Bay • Anchorage • Denali • and more FREE ONBOARD CREDIT BOOK YOUR VACATION NOW FROM $ 1,549 * $ 1,299 * 32187-1 ASK HOW TO GET THE AMAZING iPhone ® 11 ON US WHEN YOU SWITCH TO AT&T Skip the line and get your new phone today! Call now. 877-593-8218 Contact sales rep for details. © 2019 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the Globe logo are registered trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. NRO SF T 1019 3589 E The Daily Sentinel (ISSN 1445-8962) Printed editions published Wednesday thru Sunday, electronic editions published every morning at 734 S. Seventh Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501. Periodical Postage paid at Grand Junction, CO. Carrier home delivery prices: 13 weeks - $65.00, 26 weeks - $130.00, 52 weeks - $260.00. Weekend delivery packages: Wednesday thru Sunday - $244.40, Friday thru Sunday - $197.60, Saturday & Sunday - $163.80, Sunday only - $163.80. Weekend Delivery includes the following date in 2019: Nov. 28. Single Copy: $1.00 daily and $2.00 Sunday. Mail (USPS): $30.00 per week, $1,560 per year. “POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Sentinel, 734 S. Seventh Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501.” 6000-1 ENJOY YOUR FAVORITE RADIO STATION ALL DAY AT WORK! ALL STATION WEBSITES HAVE A “LISTEN LIVE” LINK THAT WILL TAKE YOU RIGHT TO THE STREAMING PAGE. 1015THEJUNKYARD.COM 1073THEOUTLAW.COM 1047LAJEFA.COM WESTERN COLORADO’S OUTLAW COUNTRY The Outlaw THEBEAT943.COM 30755-1 The Daily Sentinel • Monday, November 4, 2019 3A
