What It's About:

Gil Martin (Fonda) and Lana Borst (Colbert) get married in Albany in the pivotal year of 1776, and move to Gil’s remote farm in the Mohawk Valley. Lana, used to city life, must adjust to a rustic existence, but worse trials are yet to come. Soon Indian attacks and the onset of the Revolutionary War threaten all they’ve built, but Gil is determined to fight to restore security and peace to the land he loves.

Why I Love It:

Director Ford's first color film, Oscar nominated for its cinematography, is beautiful to behold, as it depicts the incredibly perilous plight of early Americans in revolutionary days. Both Fonda and Colbert shine, as does Edna May Oliver as the crusty-but-kindly widow who takes in the young couple after their house burns down in an Indian attack. (Ms. Oliver, who very nearly steals the picture right from under its youthful stars, also received a nod from the Academy for her work here.) Don’t miss this grand, rousing adventure, done the John Ford way.