John Ford's film about racism in the United States Cavalry has got a few issues to put it mildly. The screenplay is a hodgepodge of murder mystery, western and a comment on racism in the United States. The film also has a lot of actors really chewing the scenery along with Ford's goofy humor.
Another issue is the casting of African American actor Woody Strode as Sergeant Rutledge who is accused of raping and murdering a white girl. Strode looks great but he really struggles to act.
Setting all of that aside, it's still a good film. It brings up a number of interesting points about racism in the United States and Ford frequently marshals his visual skills particularly during the court martial trial sequences to keep the film moving along.
Finally, this is a John Ford film and the majority of his films are for the most part interesting and worthwhile viewing. He was one of the old masters of film making.
James Warner Beliah and Willis Goldbeck wrote the original screenplay the film runs 111 minutes
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