Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Rio Grande’: The Fantastic Finale to John Ford’s Cavalry Trilogy

Passed | 1h 45min | Romance, Western | 1950 After I’d watched 1949’s “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” I learned that it was part of director John Ford’s “Cavalry Trilogy.” I recently watched and reviewed the first film in the series, 1948’s “Fort Apache,” and now I’ve seen 1950’s “Rio Grande.” I’m actually glad that I viewed the first and third films back-to-back, as “Rio Grande” is nearly a sequel to “Fort Apache.” In “Rio Grande,” John Wayne reprises the character of Kirby Yorke, a lieutenant colonel and commander of a cavalry regiment on the fringes of Texas, not far from the Mexican border. Local Apaches intermittently harass Texans and largely avoid capture by conveniently skipping across the border whenever the cavalry pursues them. Due to a U.S. agreement with Mexico, the cavalry is forbidden from crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico. An added ripple of complication shows up in …

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