John Wayne's 'feud' on She Wore a Yellow Ribbon set led to 'iconic' movie scene

Having taken a leading role in the first installment of John Ford's famed Cavalry trilogy with 1948's Fort Apache, John Wayne stepped back into the saddle for the director's next offering , She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, just a year later. The production was no modest affair, boasting a budget of $1.6 million and securing its spot as one of the priciest Westerns up until that point in Tinseltown's annals.

Drawing its title from the well-known military tune, the film reunited the dynamic duo of John Ford and Wayne amidst the striking backdrop of Monument Valley on the border between Arizona and Utah. This week marks the monumental 75th anniversary of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, which saw Wayne take on the character of Cavalry Captain Nathan Brittles, embarking on his final mission before hanging up his boots.

Within the narrative, Captain Brittles is tasked with defusing the tension among the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians in the aftermath of Custer's Last Stand, or the Battle of Little Bighorn, dating back to 1876, reports the Express . Brittles also shoulders the responsibility of ensuring the safe passage of his superior's wife and niece, though his plans hit a snag. Confronted with perilous obstacles, he ultimately seeks dialogue with a Native American chief in a bid to avert an all-out conflict.

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John Wayne "The Duke"s official Instagram page paid homage to this iconic film with a post.

Interestingly enough, of all the characters Wayne embodied, Brittles stood out as his most cherished, despite initial reservations from Ford after considering his performance in Red River. Upon wrapping up production, Ford gifted Wayne a cake with an inscription stating, "You're an actor now".

Western movie enthusiasts will recall one of the film's most unforgettable scenes, which occurred during a real-life thunderstorm. This scene was reportedly the result of a dispute between Ford and his cinematographer Winton Hoch.

Hoch, who drew inspiration for much of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon's imagery from Frederic Remington's cowboy paintings and sculptures, bagged the Best Cinematography Oscar for the film in 1950. However, this achievement came with its own set of challenges when the weather took a turn for the worse during filming in Monument Valley.

Ford and the Director of Photography (DP) had been at odds throughout the production, but their disagreement allegedly peaked while capturing what ironically turned out to be the film's best scene. They were shooting a sequence of cavalry riding through the desert when an actual thunderstorm loomed on the horizon.

As the story goes, Hoch began packing up his cameras to shield them from the rain, but Ford instructed him to continue filming. The DP was not pleased, arguing that there wasn't sufficient natural light for filming.

His greater concern, however, was that the cameras could potentially act as lightning rods, endangering the crew. Despite these concerns, the director insisted that filming proceed amidst the thunderstorm, with rain drenching both cast and crew.

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Following the incident, Hoch reportedly lodged a complaint against Ford with the American Society of Cinematographers. However, an eyewitness has contested the severity of their disagreement on that day.

Harry Carey Jr, famed for his role as Lieutenant Flint Cohill in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, recalled the incident on set with a different lens. He recounted how director John Ford seized the moment to film against an impending storm, despite concerns from cinematographer Winton C Hoch

Hoch reportedly expressed his doubts to Ford, saying: "It's awfully dark, Jack. I'll shoot it. I just can't promise anything." Ford's response was decisive: "Winnie, open her up [the camera lens] and let's go for it. If it doesn't turn out, I'll take the rap." The DP relented and responded: "Fair enough, Jack."

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