She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is a 1949 Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne. The academy award winning film was the second of Ford's Cavalry trilogy films (the other two being Fort Apache (1948) and Rio Grande (1950)). With a budget of $1.6 million, the color film was one of the most expensive Westerns made up to that time. It was a major hit for RKO.
The film was shot on location in Monument Valley utilizing large areas of the Navajo reservation along the Arizona-Utah state border. Cinematographer Winton Hoch won an academy award for Best Color Cinematography in 1949. Ford and Hoch based much of the film's imagery on the paintings and sculptures of Frederic Remington.
The film takes its name from the popular US military song, "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is used to keep marching cadence.
Famous quotes containing the words wore, yellow and/or ribbon:
“Ilsa: That was the day the Germans marched into Paris.
Rick: Not an easy day to forget.
Ilsa: No.
Rick: I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue.”
—Julius J. Epstein (1909–1952)
“By the North Gate, the wind blows full of sand,
Lonely from the beginning of time until now!
Trees fall, the grass goes yellow with autumn.”
—Li Po (701–762)
“I’ll tell you how the Sun rose--
A Ribbon at a time--”
—Emily Dickinson (1831–1886)