Ive always wondered why they chose her for this part, because she's supposed to be 28-30 (mentioned by JW's character) and she was actually 43 at the time (and looked much older).
I imagine John Ford cast Mildred Natwick because having worked with her in "The Long Voyage Home" (1940), he found her to be a talented and reliable actress.
As for the age business, folks aged quickly in those pioneer days.
"It's as red as the Daily Worker and twice as sore."
I think Ford chose her quite deliberately, and for good reason. With a young and beautiful actress playing the mother, the movie would tell a different (and much weaker) story. The three men would fall in love with her, and save the baby for her sake. As it is, they save the little Robert William Pedro for his own sake. The miracle is much more impressing this way.
Really good point Torsten.
shareI'd suppose she was cast because she was one of the Wayne/Ford ensemble. You'd see her in a lot of their movies. Also, if you'll look at old photos of the period, women of that era looked 20 years older than they were.
share I agree with the previous posters. First, that Mildred Natwick was part of John Ford's company actors and would appear in several of his films. Second, she was very talented and obviously worked well with her directors, so obviously Ford would want to work with her again.
A third point is her age. Child birth is very difficult for a woman, especially in the 19th century, when this film takes place. Also, this Mother is stranded in the desert with no supply of water, or even fresh food. A younger mother might have survived such an ordeal. An older woman would be more likely to succomb to death by child birth. Maybe this was why John Ford chose Mildred Natwick. An older mother overjoyed at the birth of her firstborn, but not strong enough to survive his entry into life.
Just some thoughts.
Thanks for the wings,
Spin
Spot on analysis, ljspin. Thanks for that!
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