Company of Heroes

About this book

When Harry Carey Sr. died in 1947 director John Ford cast Careys 26-year-old son Harry Jr. in the role of The Abilene Kid in 3 Godfathers. Ford and the elder Carey had filmed an earlier version of the story and Ford dedicated the Technicolor remake to his memory. Company of Heroes is the story of the making of that film as well as the eight subsequent Ford classics. In it Harry Carey Jr. casts a remarkably observant eye on the process of filming Westerns by one of the true masters of the form. From She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Wagonmaster to The Searchers and Cheyenne Autumn he shows the care tedium challenge and exhilaration of movie-making at its highest level. Careys portrayal of John Ford at work is the most intimate ever written. He also gives us insightful and original portraits of the men and women who were part of Fords vision of America: John Wayne Richard Widmark Henry Fonda Maureen OHara Ward Bond Victor McLaglen and Ben Johnson. Funny insightful and brutally honest Company of Heroes is a rip-roaring good read that presents the remarkable life story of Harry Carey Jr. and his many continuing fine performances.