William H. Clothier‘s framings of John Ford‘s The Horse Soldiers (’59) are so visually pleasing…so wonderfully balanced and lighted, not to mention staged and edited to a fare-thee-well. First-rate filmmaking from an old-time era when 1.66 was still a celebrated aspect ratio.
The attack of the children’s army sequence is pure pleasure. There’s a moment when Sgt. Major Kirby (Judson Pratt) is about to take a shot at the approaching Jefferson Military Academy Reverend (Basil Ruysdael, who was 81 at the time), and Colonel John Marlowe (John Wayne) stops him at the last second. I love the “are you kidding?” look that Wayne gives Pratt — no anger, just mild irritation.
The Horse Soldiers viewer is never unaware that he/she is watching a John Ford/John Wayne film, but the feeling of comfort and assurance is sublime.