John Ford

[JackFavell]

You have to take into consideration the project you are doing, and I'm afraid some technicians might favor crisp images rather than artistic quality. Let us know how it looks to you! I don't want to complain either, we're lucky to get a new version, and I appreciate all the work that went into it.

[MissGoddess]

Going back to the earlier discussion about Fort Apache and the paintings Ford may have been inspired by, there is this interesting article by William Howze, which I've added to my site (Links section):

http://cnx.org/content/m41024/latest/#e ... 4531736849

[JackFavell]

Interesting! So the Custer metaphor is really losing steam. I'd like to read up on the Fetterman massacre. I noticed another Fetterman mentioned today in Cheyenne Autumn. He seems to keep the name reserved for really vile characters.

[MissGoddess]

I'm surprised to learn these things myself; but then, my knowledge of this area of history is scanty. I guess it makes sense since Custer is one of several officers involved in controversial skirmishes at the time. His name simply became the proverbial byword for such things in much the similar way Napoleon did. Men like Bellah, LeMay and Ford would have known about the less publicized accounts.

[tinker]

I find such connections to Bellah's works really fascinating because I have never read his short stories, just seen comments about his less than generous views about Indians and always wondered what Ford's attraction was.

Thank you for the article.


dee

[MissGoddess]

Dee,
I've had the same impression, everything zeroed in on his racial stereotypes, but given the times that isn't anything new. I love Zane Grey's books and they are filled with often caricatures rather than real peopole

I'm curious to read one of Bellah's stories for myself, some of his prose wasn't bad and it looks like a lot of the characterizations were not changed much in the film. I did a quick search to see if any were available on line, but I guess I'll have to dig deeper.

[pvitari]

Two articles of interest.

The first is a profile of Ford written by his frequent screenwriter Frank Nugent (Wagon Master, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Wagon Master, The Quiet Man, The Searchers -- what a list of movies!) It appeared in the July 23, 1949 issue of the Saturday Evening Post. Here it is.









On to the next one -- >

[pvitari]

This is an article about She Wore a Yellow Ribbon which appeared in the Summer 1977 issue of Grand Illusions, the newspaper of the Emerson College Film Society. One of the newspaper's editors was Marino Amoroso, who has gone on to do dozens and dozens of documentaries about all kinds of subjects, including one about Ford and also did a joint video interview with Ben Johnson and Harry Carey, Jr. The article's author, John Gallagher, is today a very busy director, producer, writer, film scholar and teacher. His website is here: http://www.johnandrewgallagher.com/offi ... al-website

I e-mailed him to ask him if it was OK to post this and he wrote back to say he was glad I had found the article and it was fine to post it. ;) Yay! ;)

April has the big-size scans of both articles and will eventually add them to directedbyjohnford.com too. :)

[MissGoddess]

I think my website would be pretty skimpy if it weren't for all the goodies you turn up, Paula! Love it!!

[RedRiver]

If his spurs don't jingle with a ring-ding-ding
And there ain't no feather in his hat,
You can be sure that it ain't Captain Fetterman.
I bet you five dollars on that!

Do not even ask!

[JackFavell]

OK.

[tinker]

Thanks Paula. Terrific articles. I can't help wishing that some more film makers would take note of the idea of the audience not being aware of the camera


dee

[pvitari]

The Warner Archive Collection has just listed The Rising of the Moon for release on March 5.

http://shop.warnerarchive.com/product/t ... ks&from=fn

[MissGoddess]

i'll be putting in my order!

[pvitari]

Heh heh, I see you got the Rising of the Moon announcement onto directedbyjohnford.com. ;)