utgard14 Marshal James Stewart and cavalry lieutenant Richard Widmark go searching for white captives of Comanches. OK western is not among Ford's or Stewart's bests. It's watchable and enjoyable enough for western fans, however. Stewart offers the best performance in the film. His character is cynical and mercenary. Widmark is fine. Woody Strode plays a militant young Comanche warrior named Stone Calf. There are several similarities with Ford's masterpiece The Searchers. There's the plot, of course, about two men going after white people held by Comanches. The Comanche leader in the Searchers is played by Henry Brandon, who also plays a Comanche leader here. John Qualen, Olive Carey, and Harry Carey, Jr. appear in both films, although with significantly bigger parts in The Searchers. Ken Curtis plays a very similar comic relief character in this film as he did in The Searchers and even has a comedic fight over a woman as he did in that film. Obviously this movie is nowhere near the level of The Searchers. This is an OK western but nothing extraordinary. The Searchers is one of the greatest films ever made. Sadly, all of this just serves to remind you that you're watching a movie that really could have been directed by anybody. Ford only did this for the payday and hated it by all accounts. He reportedly took his frustrations out on the cast and crew, particularly Jimmy Stewart. Ford would make only one more great film in his career after this, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

Jeff (actionrating.com) Skip it – Steer clear of this so-called "western." After watching it, I was literally embarrassed for Jimmy Stewart. He probably accepted the role because this movie was directed by John Ford, but this is easily Ford's worst movie. Not to mention just an all around bad western. It has absolutely no action. It attempts to be humorous but fails at that as well. Perhaps this film about white children kidnapped by Comanches was considered profound back when it was originally made. But if that was the case, it has aged horribly. Ford is not known for having heavy action scenes, but usually he can at least weave a great tale. This one has neither. Don't waste your precious time with this one. 0.5 out of 5 action rating.

davidjanuzbrown Is this best of Stewart, Widmark or Ford? No it is not. But this is still an excellent film, and there are two big reasons. First, is the character of Elena de la Madriaga (Linda Cristal). She is a person who has a tremendous amount of honor, decency and faith. As First Lt. Jim Gary (Widmark) pointed out when there were people asking "Why she did not kill herself?" and he said "Her faith." Quite often you see Mexicans (Portrayed as peasants and other people basically inferior), and in this case, Elena is not (Despite being Stone Calf's (Woody Strode) woman, she never forgot who she was and where she came from). In addition, you have an interesting performance by Shirley Jones (Marty Purcell). I really think of the scene (Spoilers)where her brother (Who was kidnapped by the Comanchee) kills a woman, and remembered the music box and said "Mine" before he was hung, and the horror on her face, when he was hung. The other reason to watch is Stewart. Although this is NOT his best film (He makes anything that is NOT "No Time For Comedy" or a musical worth watching). People who reviewed this film are obviously not big Stewart films, because they would have known his character( Marshal Guthrie McCabe (Also known as "Old Gus)) is not the only time he played a less than honorable character. "The Far Country" (Jeff Webster) & "The Naked Spur" (Glyn McLyntock) are two that come to mind where he is not an outright bad guy, but not too nice either. If anyone sees the "Naked Spur" they will remember a bounty scene involving Janet Leigh, they will not soon forget. What you see is a man who in the beginning, plays on the desperation of others (Trying to get loved ones back from the Indians at any price), and who changes to such a degree that Jim says to his former employer Belle Aragon (Annelle Hayes), that "Old Gus finally found something he wants more than money." (Elena). The only reasons I did not give this film a 10/10 are Andy Devine's character (Sgt. Darius P. Posey) who was absolutely cringe worthy when he knocked people in the river with his stomach, and the outcome of the relationship between Jim and Marty. Although they will be married, Jim will not sacrifice the Army for Marty (Keep in mind, she blamed herself for her brother's kidnapping in the first place, then saw him hanged, so she needed a major change of scenery), like Gus did for Elena. So I give it 9/10.

doug-balch This film has a reputation as a mediocre John Ford film. This is in part due to the story that Ford only made the movie for money and later made disparaging remarks about the film. Assuming this is true, consider two things: one, artists aren't always the best judges of their own work and two, Ford was always a cantankerous old cuss who blew a lot of smoke at the media. I thought this was a very, very good movie, although it is not without serious flaws. Here are some positives: Two great performances by James Stewart and Richard Widmark, who play "frenemies". The extended comedic banter between the two reminded me of the interplay between John Wayne and Kirk Douglas in "The War Wagon". There something comforting about watching two old pros at the top of their game. The famous extended "two shot" by the riverbank deserves its reputation. The comic relief in the movie is so pronounced that at times during the first half you start to wonder if it isn't an outright comedy. Andy Devine does the heavy lifting, but with solid contributions from Stewart, Widmark and the other supporting cast members. Stewart's character, Guthrie McCabe, is well drawn. He's a stereotyped "super scout" on the one hand, but a cynical, greedy, drunk on the other. The romantic lead, Shirley Jones, is a fully developed character, not just a gratuitous babe. She has a haunted past, due to her guilt over her kidnapped brother, and the plot resolves her conflict. I love John Ford because he rarely neglects my three favorite Western themes of Civil War, Mexican and Indian references. Nice extra touch here having a non-stereotyped Mexican character, Elena de la Madriaga, who is an aristocrat turned Indian captive. Always nice to see the familiar members of the Ford troupe, including Harry Carey Jr. and his mother, Ken Curtis and others. One of my favorite supporting actors, John McEntire, also puts in an appearance. Setting of the story moves nicely from place to place. Relatively little violence, with only one death by gunshot and a pretty horrific lynching.There are a number of negative aspects to this movie that kept it from being better: The first third of the movie is great, as the characters of Gery and McCabe are introduced and they travel together to Fort Grant. It begins to go downhill when they reach the fort and it is revealed that the movie will be about the retrieval of white captives from the Commanches. It makes the movie feel like a retread of "The Searchers", especially since it seems like half the cast of that movie is in this one. Things get worse when they reach the Commanche camp, when we discover Henry Brandon virtually reprising his role of Scar in "The Searchers". If that's not bad enough, the plot becomes infested with holes and implausibilities, which I expect in an Anthony Mann movie, not a John Ford movie. I've listed a few of them at the end of the review. As it concludes, it degenerates into an uninspired and preachy"Civil Rights" Western, complete with an actual lynching. There are serious age differences in the romantic interests. Widmark's 45 years old and Shirley Jone's character is barely out of high school. I'm not sure Stewart's girl Elena is that much older, but at least she's been broken in by Stone Calf. Disappointing location shooting. I don't recall seeing so many sound stage scenes in a Ford Western. And when they go on location, little effort is made to have panoramic Western backdrops. Lack of a well defined, prominent heavy hurts the movie dramatically. Woody Strode's Stone Calf is under characterized. Plot holes: Why don't they bring back the old woman and the young girl hostages from the Commanche camp? The father said he didn't mind if she had Indian children. I know she doesn't want to go, but neither did the teenage boy and they took him. Why does McCabe stay behind to confront Stone Calf? Why doesn't Stone Calf bring some warriors with him to retrieve his wife? We were told that Stone Calf believes that magic protects him from bullets, but couldn't he have made a more credible charge into into McCabe's camp? His wife grieves for Stone Calf's death enough to conduct an Indian burial ceremony, but two days later wants to marry the guy who killed him. I could go on.......