Two Rode Together (1961)

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Frank S. Nugent (screenplay)
Will Cook (novel)

Release Date:

26 July 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

TOGETHER...THEY RODE INTO A THOUSAND DANGERS! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

The US Army is under pressure from the desperate relatives of white prisoners of the Comanches to secure their rescue...

Plot Keywords:

Rescue | Hanged Boy | Music Box | Small Town | Native American

Awards:

1 win

Cast

James Stewart	...	Marshal Guthrie McCabe
Richard Widmark	...	First Lt. Jim Gary
Shirley Jones	...	Marty Purcell
Linda Cristal	...	Elena de la Madriaga
Andy Devine	...	Sgt. Darius P. Posey
John McIntire	...	Maj. Frazer
Paul Birch	...	Judge Edward Purcell
Willis Bouchey	...	Mr. Harry J. Wringle
Henry Brandon	...	Chief Quanah Parker
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Ortho Clegg
Olive Carey	...	Mrs. Abby Frazer
Ken Curtis	...	Greeley Clegg
Chet Douglas	...	Deputy Ward Corby
Annelle Hayes	...	Belle Aragon
David Kent	...	Running Wolf (Steve Purcell)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Spain:T | Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #19928) | Argentina:13 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Alamo Village - Highway 674, Brackettville, Texas, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

This film marked comedic actor Edward Brophy's last role as he died during the production on May 27, 1960 in Pacific Palisades, California.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Marty gets up from getting water at the creek, the knees of her trousers are wet. However, they are dry in the next shot as she and Jim are walking back to camp.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[Jesus gives Marshal Guthrie a beer]
Marshal Guthrie McCabe: Thank you, Jesus.
Jesus: Senor, the widow Gomez has delivered a son this morning - a boy.
Marshal Guthrie McCabe: Bully for the widow Gomez!
Jesus: But senor, it has been more than a year ago since Senor Antonio Gomez has been buried in the church house.
Marshal Guthrie McCabe: Well, there are some men you just can't trust to stay where you put 'em.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Golden Girls: Two Rode Together (#4.16)" (1989)

Poignant Character Study with raw emotions

James Stewart plays an amoral whore-mongering marshal who is co-opted by the cavalry to find a group of settler children who had been taken captive and raised by the Commanches. Every supporting role is perfectly cast and the emotions strike deep to the core. Stewart is surprisingly comfortable playing an archly cynical contemptible mercenary with contempt for nearly everybody and everyone. Linda Cristal is excellent as the Mexican woman who was forced to be the Chief's wife for years. All aspects of captivity and dehumanization are carefully and sincerely explored here, and the twist ending is perfection itself. This is an overlooked classic.