The middle leg of the John Ford/John Wayne "Cavalry Trilogy" - following Fort Apache (1948) and preceding Rio Grande (1950) - gives Wayne the opportunity to prove his talents as an actor, and he doesn't disappoint. His sentimental performance lends the film an emotional center lacking in other of Ford's mythic Western struggles; the role remains one of the highlights of The Duke's career. Ford reportedly said he didn't know that Wayne could act until he saw him in Howard Hawks's Red River (1948). She Wore a Yellow Ribbon also features exceptional, Academy Award-winning camerawork by Winton Hoch, the cinematographer responsible for some of Ford's best-looking pictures.