Which John Ford film stars Tyrone Power as West Point figure Marty Maher?

Tyrone Power stars as West Point figure Marty Maher in John Ford’s *The Long Gray Line* (1955).

The film dramatizes the life of Martin “Marty” Maher, an Irish immigrant whose long career at the United States Military Academy took him from dining-service work to roles as a soldier, athletic instructor, and beloved mentor to generations of cadets. Power plays Maher opposite Maureen O’Hara as Mary O’Donnell, Maher’s wife and fellow Irish immigrant.

Ford based the picture on Maher’s autobiography, *Bringing Up the Brass*, written with Nardi Reeder Campion. The title refers to the continuing community of West Point cadets and graduates. The film combines sentimental family drama, military tradition, campus history, and a fictionalized account of Maher’s relationships with future American military leaders.

The movie is not a strictly accurate biography. It changes details involving Maher’s family, retirement, wife’s death, and encounters with historical figures. That blend of fact and invention is why the film should be understood as a biographical drama rather than a documentary. Many scenes were filmed at West Point, including views of the Hudson River.