Hondo (1953)

A dispatch rider (John Wayne) for the U.S. Cavalry arrives at the desolate ranch of a woman (Geraldine Page) and her son (Lee Aaker) who have been deserted by her husband (Leo Gordon). Apaches angry over the betrayal of the white man who have broken the treaty between the Apache nation and white settlers are on the warpath. But the woman, who lives in the middle of hostile Apache territory, refuses to leave. Based on the short story THE GIFT OF COCHISE by the western writer Louis L'Amour and directed by John Farrow (THE BIG CLOCK). Although filmed in 3D, the film is rather introspective for a western. Oh, there are gunfights and Indian attacks but the focus on the film is the relationship between the loner scout and the lonely wife. The pairing of the iconic movie cowboy (Wayne) and the great stage actress (Page in an Oscar nominated performance) may seen strange but their scenes together are beautifully played out with each complementing the other. The film may not have the luster of Wayne's Ford and Hawks westerns but this is one of his best oaters. With Ward Bond, Michael Pate, James Arness and Rodolfo Acosta.