Two Rode Together (1961, U.S.A.)

This film is the first pairing of legendary Western director John Ford with star Jimmy Stewart.  Two Rode Together is a suspenseful story of two lawmen who invade Comanche Indian Territory to rescue the white captives of the tribe.

As in all of his seven previous Westerns, Jimmy Stewart rode his lucky horse and wore his lucky, sweat-stained Stetson.  However this was unlike earlier Westerns with happy endings from the settler’s point of view.  Instead Two Rode Together shows hostages confronted by the savagery of “civilized” society.  Stewart stars as a U.S. Marshal assigned to trade guns for hostages with the same fearsome Comanche.  Cynical and corrupt, the character was a striking departure from Stewart’s usual roles as a stalwart do-gooder.