Which John Ford film features John Wayne as Captain Nathan Brittles?

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon features John Wayne as Captain Nathan Brittles.

Released in 1949, the film was directed by John Ford and set in August 1876, shortly after the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Brittles is an aging U.S. Cavalry officer preparing for retirement while trying to manage tensions at Fort Starke and prevent renewed conflict with Native American groups.

The film is the second entry in Ford’s Cavalry Trilogy, following Fort Apache (1948) and preceding Rio Grande (1950). A common mix-up is confusing Wayne’s role here with his character in the other two films: he plays Captain Kirby York in Fort Apache and Lieutenant Colonel Kirby Yorke in Rio Grande.

Filmed in Technicolor around Monument Valley, the movie became known for its sweeping landscapes and Frederic Remington-inspired visual style. Cinematographer Winton C. Hoch won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, making the film one of Ford’s most visually celebrated westerns.