MovieChat Forums > Fort Apache (1948) Discussion > Yorke technically didn't lie

Yorke technically didn't lie

posted 9 years ago by crood
5 replies | jump to latest

While he's certainly obfuscating the truth and maintaining the legend of Thursday, nothing he said was actually a lie if interpreted a certain way:

Thursday did die gallantly in battle and won honor for his regiment. The fact that it was stupid was simply omitted.

When he said, "Correct in every detail.", it was in response to the reporter's description of the painting of "Thurday's Charge". It can be interpreted that he was saying the reporter's description of the painting was correct, not that the painting was correct.

Thursday's discipline and legend did lead to more pride in the regiment and the assignment , making the men better in order to live up to the reputation.

[–] marckymarc71 9 years ago

Well York may not have lied to the reporters, but he sure as hell must've lied when he made his initial report on what really happened at the "Last Stand".

"Who's running this airline?!"

[–] magolding 9 years ago

see my thread "Collingwood's Disaster" in which I suggest that York did not totally blame Thursday for the disaster since he may have believed that he and Collingwood and other officers of the regiment shared much of the blame.

Thus his report may have been factual and neutral in tone so that military officers could see the blunders of Thursday, Collingwood, York, and the rest while the public could think of Thursday and his men as heroes.

Thus York could have saved the reputation and "honor" (honor in the public eye if not in reality) of the regiment.

The downside of that lie or slanted reporting would be that Thursday's treachery and betray of Cochise and his people would be downplayed and thus they would loose some of the sympathy they deserved,which might have made the difference in preventing the campaign against Geronimo in the epilogue. So some may say "To Hell With Honor", the title of a book about the Little Big Horn.

[–] Blueghost 8 years ago

Yeah, that's kind of how I saw it. Save face, but give the straight facts to those who really need to know, and give the gussied account to the press.

[–] Jerrers (49) 3 years ago

Five years late, but…… Maybe when John Ford directed The Man who shot Liberty Valance he harked back to this scene. You’ll recall that “Pilgrim” (James Stewart) asked the newspaper man if he was going to print the real story. The reporter said “No. This is the West, Sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend”

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

of course he lied.