She Wore a Yellow Ribbon was released in 1949 and revolves around Cavalry Captain Nathan Brittles and his mission to stop a breakout from a reservation by the Arapaho and Cheyenne. His mission, however, is complicated when he is forced to spend part of the journey with his commanding officer’s wife and niece (Joanne Dru, Mildred Natwick). Director John Ford was uncertain about who should play the lead role but confirmed Wayne after seeing his performance in Red River. The budget was $1.6 million, which was pretty steep for the time, and is the second film in Ford’s Cavalry trilogy (the others being Fort Apache and Rio Grande). The film won the Academy Award for best Cinematography in 1950 and was nominated by the Writers Guild of America as 1950’s Best Written American Western.