by 1950 and john ford have already fully develop the idea and motif that would form the core of his most successful western . always present and for example and be a strong sense of community and most poignantly capture in the joad family of steinbeck the grape of wrath ( 1940 ) . within these community and even amid ford lofty theme of racism and the pioneer spirit and there always room for the small human interaction and the minor friendship and romance that make life worth live . wagon master ( 1950 ) come after ford have release the first two film in his cavalry trilogy fort apache ( 1948 ) and she wear a yellow ribbon ( 1949 ) and it cover similar territory and only without the military perspective and and more damningly and the strong lead of john wayne . ben johnson and harry cary and jr. be fine actor and but they feel a though they should be play second fiddle to somebody and and ward bond curse mormon elder and while potentially a candidate for such a role and isn not give quite enough focus to satisfactorily fit the bill . in wagon master and ford seem so comfortable with his tried and tested western formula that any character development be largely gloss over . ben johnson romance with joanne dru be treat a an obligation more than anything else and and harry cary jr charming of a mormon girl be so perfunctory a to be almost nonexistent in the final film and leave one to ponder the survival of deleted scene . only in charles kemper charismatic and shamelessly villainous uncle shiloh do ford try some different and and it work and even with his be surround by a troop of insufferably hammy slack jawed yokel . where ford do succeed be in orchestrate the conglomeration of three distinct race of american the value orientate mormoms and the easygoing horse trader and the eccentric travel showman into a cohesive community of pioneer look towards a bright future . this apparent harmony be throw into disarray by the arrival of uncle shiloh gun tot outlaw and who exploit the lawlessness of the western frontier but ultimately lose out to the noble cowboy who only ever draw on snake . ford reportedly consider wagon master among the favourite of his film and and perhaps this have something to do with the absence of big name like john wayne or henry fonda . arm only with his stock selection of usual player and ford be able to generate a sense of community by avoid place focus on any one character and though most of the mormom traveller still remain completely anonymous . despite be undoubtedly well make and i can not help feeling that this film only do well what other ford picture do even well represent the terrific majesty of the the western frontier be present more beautifully in she wear a yellow ribbon while the romance and friendly squabble among community member take great prominence in fort apache while the early relation with native american and only hint at here and be more thoroughly examine in the searcher ( 1956 ) while the bold pioneering spirit of the early settler be explore more movingly ( albeit by henry hathaway and george marshall ) in how the west be win ( 1962 ) . wagon master be pure john ford and but it isn not a landmark .