Sergeant Rutledge (1960)

100% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
84% of users liked it
(247 ratings)

The first big budget Western to feature a black hero, this military courtroom drama from director John Ford starred his long-time stock player Woody Strode. When a cavalry commander and his daughter are discovered murdered, racism amidst the 9th Cavalry immediately leads to suspicions that Sergeant… More The first big budget Western to feature a black hero, this military courtroom drama from director John Ford starred his long-time stock player Woody Strode. When a cavalry commander and his daughter are discovered murdered, racism amidst the 9th Cavalry immediately leads to suspicions that Sergeant Braxton Rutledge (Strode), a black man, is responsible for the crime. Arrested by Lieutenant Tom Cantrell (Jeffrey Hunter), Rutledge escapes from captivity during an Indian raid but voluntarily returns to warn his fellow cavalrymen that they are about to face an ambush by hostiles, saving the detachment from certain doom. At first among those who accept Rutledge's probable guilt, Cantrell and his love interest Mary Beecher (Constance Towers) become two of the accused man's scarce defenders as he is put on trial and faces testimony from prejudiced "witnesses." ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 52 min.
Directed By: John Ford
Written By: James Warner Bellah, Willis Goldbeck
Genres: Western, Drama, Classics

In Theaters: May 18, 1960 Wide
On DVD: Jun 6, 2006
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Noted as the first major Hollywood western to feature an African-American hero.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
An astonishing film not only for its sheer visual and narrative excellence but also for its early acknowledgement of race relations in America.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Effective anti-racist western from Ford.