Drums Along the Mohawk

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Cast & Crew

Claudette Colbert
'Lana' Magdelana

Henry Fonda
Gilbert Martin

John Carradine
Caldwell

Edna May Oliver
Mrs. McKlennar

Eddie Collins
Christian Reall

Dorris Bowdon
Mary Reall

Jessie Ralph
Mrs. Weaver

Arthur Shields
Reverend Rosenkrantz

Robert Lowery
John Weaver

Roger Imhof
Gen. Nicholas Herkimer

John Ford
Director

Raymond Griffith
Associate Producer

Lamar Trotti
Screenwriter

Sonya Levien
Screenwriter

Darryl F. Zanuck
Producer

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Critic Reviews for Drums Along the Mohawk

Audience Reviews for Drums Along the Mohawk

• Sep 06, 2010

  I love John Ford and the The Quiet Man might very well be my favourite movie but this flick is plain and simple a horrible, dull and very racists piece of crap. Claudette Colbert makes for a cute lead with Bambi eyes but her role is very one-dimensional and limited to the faithful wife of the American Soldier. Henry Fonda is colourless and bland. What upsets me the most is the ridiculous portrayl of the First Nations and black people, they are either ravaging monsters and blabbering idiots. To make things worse, at the very end of the movie, to the sound of the national anthem everybody pledges allegiance to the flag, including the idiot Indian and servant black woman ! Of course, this being John Ford's first colour film, there are some lovely scenes of great cinematic beauty to be seen in this movie (inspired by Gone with the Wind it seems) but that does not excuse the lack of story and the blatant racism. Utter Rubbish. HX
  Henrik S Super Reviewer
• May 31, 2010

  full of stereotypes, especially the description of indians as ape-like barbarians or christianity-converted dim-witts. i watched it just because i was curious how claudette colbert looks in color movies, and her costumes are sorta plain without the genius touch of paramout's travis banton, not doing colbert justice. henry fonda feels lacklusterly awkward with his un-becoming pig-tail. the reason i could be able to abscent-mindedly finish viewing it is its striking photography of inland wilderness, and how soothingly wide the blue sky is rendered along with limitlessly grand pastures, cliffy hills and the massive forests of tall pines(who knows what kind of tree is that..)..it manifests the aloof charm of primitive inland america despite the people in it weren't (portrayed) half as charming as its breath-taking landscapes. i would certainly watch it again to doze off while gazing at those striking views of celluloid nature.
  Veronique K Super Reviewer
• May 16, 2009

  I?ve always had a love hate relationship with John Ford, love the filmmaking hate the politics. One of the most notable periods of Fords career was the period from 1939 to 1940 when he released four movies, three of them classics. The classics were Stagecoach, Young Mr. Lincoln, and The Grapes of Wrath, then there was Drums Along the Mohawk which is said to be quite good, but not up to the level of the other three in the winning streak. I felt compelled to check it out, and I?m probably going to concur with popular opinion. This was Ford?s first color film, and it has that really beautiful look of other late-thirties color flicks. I also liked that the film was a look at the American Revolution?s western front fighting against Native Americans allied with the British, not a section of history that?s examined very often. Aside from those two interesting aspects, the film is mostly lacking. The characters were boring, and the film?s view of Native Americans seemed unsavory even by Western standards.
  MJS M Super Reviewer
• Feb 17, 2009

  Admittedly not Ford's best, not even his best in 1939 but Drums Along the Mohawk is still one of the better movies about the American Revolution and it contains some of Ford's most beautiful compositions.
  Bob S Super Reviewer

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