One of the best written westerns and an Oscar winner for cinematography, this John Ford western, some 10 years after Stagecoach, shows a different side of Wayne.
It is the middle film in John Ford's (and actor John Wayne's) U.S. Cavalry trilogy, which includes Fort Apache (1948) & Rio Grande (1950. It is the best of the three as we see Wayne, just short of retirement, trying to mature a couple of Lieutenant's to take his place.
Comic relief is provided by Victor McLaglen, as Top Sergeant Quincannon, especially where he single-handedly whips eight men between drinks. His presence can certainly light up a movie.
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