Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) Reviews

I think this movie is a classic and one that few know or remember. I am from the area where this all took place and is a great one. I would however love to see a remake of this wonderfully historical time..
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I saw this movie on "Million Dollar Movie" on WOR-TV in New York when I was about 8 years old. I liked it then, and I like it better each time I see it. This is a must see for someone interested in Revolutionary War history in the Northeast.
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Great location color photography, wonderful characters ,and a vivid portrayal of a time in American history many citizens know little or nothing about. Most folks have no idea that Indian battlles galore happened in good old New York state. A true classic.
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I love classic films. I love Henry Fonda and like Claudette Colbert, and I really appreciate John Ford's work. I am even fond of historical pictures. But this film was just awful. It was boring and cheesy and corny. The end even tries to get a patriotic note in there. I've never seen Fonda so naive and then unconvincing when he becomes world-weary. Two stars, though, for the fabulously entertaining supporting cast, especially Edna May Oliver as the gruff old widow with the heart of gold; she steals every scene!
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Convincing panoramic vistas of colonial upstate New York, period costumes, sets and props, and John Ford's directorial genius lend authenticity and (some relative credibility) to this Revolutionary War era historical novel. If you have an attention span that extends beyond a minute or two, you will thoroughly enjoy the dramatic action sequences, as well as the perfectly timed comic relief delivered throughout the movie by the excellent supporting cast, which includes many "genuine Indians" (indigenous Native Americans). The chase scene (on foot, no less!) with a young and seemingly undernourished Henry Fonda being tracked by a trio of very fit "heathen savages" serves as a template for understated cinematographic excitement. Keep an "eye out" for a very sinister John Carradine (real life father of David from TV's "Kung Fu" series and the "Kill Bill" movies, and Robert of TV's "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" series and the "Revenge of the Nerds" movies.
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