With this Ford film, we’ll continue the themes from rugged wilderness and racism as discussed in my coverage of THE SEARCHERS, into similar territory in SERGEANT RUTLEDGE. We will take a closer look at the ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ of the U.S. Cavalry history, but with the suspense of a courtroom drama. For discussion of this film’s story, it’s important to note the historical relevance of Black … Continue reading A Western Rarity: SERGEANT RUTLEDGE (1960)
John Ford’s THREE GODFATHERS (1948) (The following is my handout from the John Ford course I taught in the winter semester of 2023.) It’s no longer the holiday season. You might have too much holiday fatigue to appreciate the oft debated topic of just what prequalifies a film to be a “Christmas movie.” For example, you may or may not agree that DIE HARD (1983) … Continue reading THREE GODFATHERS- Is It a Christmas Movie?
Francis Benjamin Johnson was born in Foreacre, Oklahoma on June 13, 1918. Born of Irish, Osage and Cherokee Indigenous ancestry, and the son of ranchers Ollie Susan and Ben Johnson, Jr. Oklahoma-born Ben Johnson was a true cowboy and horse wrangler that first made his way into Hollywood via providing horses to Howard Hughes for THE OUTLAW (1943). He realized he could make more money … Continue reading BEN JOHNSON, a Real Reel Cowboy
Outspoken & Freckled 