(John Ford, US 1948, 128 min., 35mm)
The first in John Ford’s revered Cavalry Trilogy, Fort Apache sees Shirley Temple joining the director’s ever-growing stable of characters. Hollywood heavyweights and regular Ford contributors Henry Fonda and John Wayne offer strong performances as two Civil War veterans at odds over the command of their cavalry post. Not to be outdone, Temple turns in a strikingly mature role as the daughter of Fonda’s rigid, status-obsessed Colonel Thursday. Themes of honor, honesty, and valor play out amid the brilliant backdrop of Monument Valley, Ford’s most common shooting location. A sweeping period drama, Fort Apache ranks as one of Ford’s finest efforts.
Upcoming Events in this Series
Film Screenings | The Grapes of Wrath
Henry Fonda for President A confluence of talents all contributing some of their finest work makes The Grapes of Wrath one of the greatest epics in American cinema: the novel by John Steinbeck, the direction of John Ford, the acting of Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, and John Carradine, and the black-and-white mastery of cinematographer Gregg Toland.
Film Screenings | The Lady Eve (35mm)
Henry Fonda for President Aboard a cruise ship leaving the Amazon, woman-shy snake expert Charles Pike (Henry Fonda) finds himself the chosen prey of a father-daughter card shark team. Everything is driven astray however, when the daughter, Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck), falls head-over-heels in love with the sucker.
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Henry Fonda for President
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12 Films on Screen In a land where actors can become presidents, we can imagine an America led by Fonda, reflecting his ancestors’ immigration to North America and his own work ethic, as represented by the films he made