John Ford's Masterpiece of the Frontier!
Owen Thursday sees his new posting to the desolate Fort Apache as a chance to claim the military honour which he believes is rightfully his. Arrogant, obsessed with military form and ultimately self-destructive, he attempts to destroy the Apache chief Cochise after luring him across the border from Mexico, against the advice of his subordinates.
Fort Apache (1948) is a western film directed by John Ford, released on May 21, 1948 with a runtime of 2h 8m. It stars John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple and Pedro Armendáriz. Viewers rate it 7.0 out of 10 across 425 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Fort Apache before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Fort Apache.
Trailer
Clip
Clip
John Wayne
as Capt. Kirby York
Henry Fonda
as Lt. Col. Owen Thursday
Shirley Temple
as Philadelphia Thursday
Pedro Armendáriz
as Sgt. Beaufort
Ward Bond
as Sgt. Maj. Michael O'Rourke
George O'Brien
as Capt. Sam Collingwood
Victor McLaglen
as Sgt. Festus Mulcahy
Anna Lee
as Mrs. Emily Collingwood
Irene Rich
as Mrs. Mary O'Rourke
Dick Foran
as Sgt. Quincannon
Guy Kibbee
as Capt. Dr. Wilkens
Grant Withers
as Silas Meacham
Directed by John Ford, written by Frank S. Nugent and James Warner Bellah, produced by Merian C. Cooper.
Average viewer score of 7.0/10 from 425 ratings.
Any questions? Fort Apache is the first film of what came to be known as John Ford's US Cavalry trilogy. Just like the other two, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon & Rio Grande, this is also based on a short story by James Warner Bellah. Originally intended to be shot in colour, it was however filmed in black and white with Ford still making spectacular use of the Monument Valley location. The story primarily deals with…
Reviewed on May 29, 2019
Certainly, I think, the best of the John Ford US cavalry trilogies this one. Henry Fonda is cracking as the honourable, but out of his depth, by-the-book colonel sent to run a ramshackle army post just as the Apache are on the rise again. He replaces the far more practically experienced John Wayne and soon it all gets a bit sticky. John Agar and Shirley Temple provide an amiable romantic sub-plot as the very green…
Reviewed on July 9, 2022
1964
1966
1965
1993
1954
1990
1955
2024
1999
1975
1995
1964
1994
1990
2024
1962
1994
1967
1977
2003
1943
1966
1995
1939
2025
2005
1954
2004
1952
2003
1968
1963
1964
1946
1948
2014
1969
1962
1952
1936
Fort Apache (1948) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of Fort Apache (1948) includes John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, Pedro Armendáriz and Ward Bond. The film was directed by John Ford. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Fort Apache was released on May 21, 1948 and runs for 2h 8m.
Fort Apache (1948) holds an average rating of 7.0 out of 10 from 425 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy western films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Fort Apache trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
