Drums Along the Mohawk

A frontiersman (Henry Fonda) and his new bride (Claudette Colbert) settle in upstate New York only to face hostile Indians and the Revolutionary War.

Drums Along the Mohawk is a well-produced and well-photographed adventure-drama from director John Ford.

The film gets off to a shaky start, with Claudette Colbert’s character going off the rails and into some annoying hysterics, but Fonda’s soon slapping her straight and the film gets back on track. Things really pick up when Edna May Oliver shows up, as her Oscar-nominated performance is the highlight of the film.

Aside from Oliver, Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert are fine as the leads, especially after the aforementioned slapping. Ford alumnus Ward Bond and John Carradine also have memorable turns.

For his first color effort, Ford turns in a luscious Technicolor feast for the eyes, with rich hues and crisp contrasts. The period costumes, woodland locales, and even the interior props all benefit from the oversaturated color depth, lending the film a storybook quality that offsets the lack of any “lived in” feel.

Though it drags in spots, with a 103-minute running time that’s about 10 minutes or so too long, compared to other Revolutionary War films, Drums Along the Mohawk stands out as one of the best.