Barnes & Noble

Based on a bestselling (but, alas, totally forgotten) novel by Walter D. Edmonds, this historical drama of Colonial America has an epic feel thanks to the sweep of its narrative and the opulent production, including glorious cinematography employing the old Technicolor process. The story of pioneering farmers in New York’s Mohawk Valley during the Revolutionary War, Drums stars Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert as a newly married couple determined to build a home and family despite the dangers posed by nature’s hardships, hostile Indians, and British agitators. When their first house is burned, the young couple finds refuge with other settlers, and a militia springs up to meet the challenge of marauding Indians in league with Tory loyalists. Director John Ford (The Grapes of Wrath) seamlessly blends romance, adventure, and comedy in this expertly made spectacular, which ranked among 1939’s top-grossing movies. In addition to Fonda and Colbert it features many members of the legendary filmmaker’s “stock company,” including John Carradine, Ward Bond, Arthur Shields, and {|Russell Simpson|}. Adding immeasurable value to the proceedings is veteran character actress Edna May Oliver; playing yet another horse-faced spinster, she steals practically every scene she’s in. Stirring and evocative, Drums Along the Mohawk brings a fascinating period of American history to vibrantly colorful life. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

John Ford directed this outdoor adventure set in the American Colonial period. Gilbert and Lana Martin (Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert) are a young couple trying to make a home in New York State's Mohawk Valley, but repeated attacks by Indians drive them, along with other settlers in the valley, into a nearby fort, where they watch helplessly as the natives lay waste to their farms and cabins. A spinster with a large farm, Sarah McKlennar (Edna May Oliver), comes to their rescue when she hires Gilbert to work as a field hand and gives the Martins a place to stay. The rugged life of the farm and frontier doesn't always sit well with Lana, who was raised in wealthy and comfortable circumstances; in time she develops a thicker skin and learns to love their new life in the Mohawk Valley, especially after giving birth to their first son. Gilbert joins the militia, who must do battle both with the local Indian tribes and the British soldiers who are provoking them to battle. Gilbert returns wounded, and as he recuperates, a healthy crop rises in the fields, but their satisfaction is short lived when the Indians once again hit the warpath. 1939 was a stellar year for John Ford; along with this highly successful adventure tale, which was nominated for three Academy Awards, Ford also released the ground-breaking western Stagecoach. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 024543172833
• Source: 20TH CENTURY FOX
• Region Code: 1
• Time: 1:44:00
• Sales Rank: 7,888

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Western Collection
• The John Ford at Fox Collection
• Essential John Ford

Features:

DVD MENU