Does anyone here have an absolute favorite scene from this movie that tops everything else in the movie?
Reason I ask is that after buying the DvD of Fort Apache, and rewatching it a few times. This gave me a chance to REALLY look at some of the scenes more carefully and to watch the expressions on the faces of the actors in said scenes.
For instance, there are two scenes that really stand out for me in this fine movie.
1) The scene after the Cavalry had showed up at Mr. Meecham's trading post/reservation, in which the four Sergeants are ordered to not only destroy the Winchester Rifles but the crate with two kegs of frontier whiskey in it. Well, the scene that this is leading up to that i'm ranting about is the very next one where you see Sergeant Mulcahy in the Guardhouse. Sergeant Major Michael O'Roarke is rip-roaring mad as he arrives at the guardhouse and calls for the prisoners to be brought outside. I love it when he yells out to the now ex-sergeants.
PRIVATE MULCAHY......PRIVATE SHATTUCK.......PRIVATE QUINCANNON...AND PRIVATE BEAUFORT!!...............
Volunteers for the Manuer pile............. I just love watching the expression on Victor McLaglen's face during these scenes.
The 2nd scene:
2) This is just after the Colonel says: "I want two troops to the north and one to the east" and John Wayne says: "That's suicide Colonel." Col: "Captain York, you are relieved of command of your troop. I have no time for cowardice and you are to be with the wagon train in safety on the hill." (Or something similar to that) What I love about these scenes and that make it really stick out is watching the Duke's facial expressions at being surprised at being relieved of his command as well as being called a coward. The Duke's acting was so good that I thought that the dialog in this scene could have been improvised a bit because the Duke's reactions to what was said went from being merely frustrated with the Colonel to showing surprise to extreme anger.
Anyway, I can't have just one favorite scene from this movie but, the two listed above are my favorites. If anyone replies, i'd like to hear what your favorite scene(s) were and why?