In a certain sense,Two Rode Togetherfunctions as a remake ofThe Searchers, albeit with James Stewart in the lead role. Both classic movies were directed by John Ford, but only one is considered one of thegreatest Westerns of all time. Over the years,John Wayne and John Fordcollaborated on several memorable entries into the Western genre, withThe Searchersbeing among their most critically acclaimed collaborations.
Released in 1956,The Searchersstarred John Wayne as Ethan Edwards, an aging gunslinger who goes on a long quest to find Natalie Wood’s Debbie Woods, a long-missing white woman who had been taken by the Comanche when she was a child. To find her, he joined forces with his nephew, Jeffrey Hunter’s Martin Pawley. Interestingly, their journey - and the aftermath of Debbie’s rescue - bears more than a passing resemblance toTwo Rode Together, a movie John Ford made just five years later with James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Linda Cristal, and Shirley Jones.
How Two Rode Together’s Story Compares To The Searchers
Made Five Years Apart, The Two John Ford Movies Have A Lot In Common
Two Rode Togethersaw James Stewart step into the leading role of Guthrie McCabe, a marshal who gets roped into a search for a group of missing people captured by the Comanche. In the movie, McGabe has to team up with Jim Gary, a military officer played by Richard Widmark. As the title implies,Two Rode Togetherfocuses heavily on the dynamic between Stewart and Widmark’s characters as they travel across the countryside looking for the Comanche’s prisoners. As is the case withThe Searchers,Two Rode Togetherchronicles the search, the rescue, and the aftermath of the victims' freedom from captivity.
Character actor Henry Brandon plays the leader of the Comanche in bothThe SearchersandTwo Rode Together.
This idea is akin to whatThe Searchersdid with John Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter, but with different actors in the two roles. Both films notably paired their older, seasoned leads with significantly younger men, and used their relationships as focal points in their respective stories.
The similarities also extend to the people they’re trying to help; like Natalie Wood’s character inThe Searchers, the two people that McGabe and Gary free from the Comanche have seemingly been stripped of their prior identities, having become assimilated completely into Comanche culture.
Two Rode Together Goes Even Further With One Of The Searchers' Biggest Themes
John Ford Explores The Same Concepts In Both Films
Two Rode TogetherandThe Searchershave a lot in common thematically as well, given that both films deal heavily with racism toward the Comanche.The Searcherstakes this route through John Wayne’s character, who is blatantly racist against the Comanche throughout the story.Two Rode Togethergets across a similar message about the attitudes of white people toward the Comanche, but does it more through its supporting cast than its lead, James Stewart.
Two Rode Togetherwas the first of three movies that James Stewart made with John Ford, with all of them being Westerns. The other two wereThe Man Who Shot Liberty ValanceandCheyenne Autumn.
Additionally,Two Rode Togetherleans heavily on the question of whether someone can actually be returned to society after years with the Comanche.The 1961 film succeeds in showing the emotional consequences of the rescue, as it’s made apparent that civilization may not be ready to welcome the captives back since there’s a feeling among the townspeople that they’ve become tainted by the Comanche. The film doesn’t lay the blame for their inability to reintegrate squarely on the Comanche, as it shows that prejudice from the civilians is the main driving factor in the unrest.
Why Two Rode Together Is Worth Watching
Another Memorable Western Outing From James Stewart
Admittedly,Two Rode Togetherisn’t the best work in the filmographies of James Stewart, John Ford, or Richard Widmark. But while it may not share the reputation ofThe Searchers, its exploration of these themes help make it a worthwhile, psychological Western. Similar toThe Naked Spur,Two Rode Togetherallows James Stewart to play an extremely nuanced, morally gray character that goes against his usual “nice guy” type. This time, Stewart gets an opportunity to show how effective he can be at playing someone who’s seemingly more interested in serving his own interests than looking out for other people.
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Adding toTwo Rode Together’sappeal is the “fun” element that it adds to the formula ofThe Searchers. Due to the seriousness of the subject it was covering, it made sense forThe Searchersto be lacking in lighthearted moments, but when taking a second stab at this sort of story, John Ford clearly endeavored to instill some comedy into what would otherwise be an extremely dark and sullen adventure story. All things considered,Two Rode Togetherdoes surprisingly well in balancing humor with drama, thanks in large part to the performances delivered by its two stars.
