Rio Grande

Description

In the John Ford (THE QUIET MAN) classic, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara (First of five films together) are embroiled in an epic battle with the Apaches and each other. Wayne leads his Cavalry troops to the Rio Grande to fight a warring tribe. His toughest battle lies ahead when his unorthodox plan to outwit the elusive Apaches leads to a possible court-martial. Locked in a bloody war, he must fight not only to save his family, but also to redeem his honor. This was the third and final of the John Wayne/John Ford Cavalry films, which started with Fort Apache and was followed by She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. The great supporting cast includes Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Victor McLaglen and Chill Wills. Review: A great director,a great cast, a great movie - Every one who knows the making of this movie knows it was made as part of the deal John ford made in order to get funding for The Quiet Man. That is true. That is also irrelevant. Whatever reason Mr Ford had for making a movie, he had an even greater reason for not wanting his name associated with a mediocre, slipshod production. He asked for and got a good budget and it shows in every phase of the movie. The contract called for black and white film, but the camera work is state of the art and Mr Ford made full use of the wonderful contrast that black and white film is famous for. The plot is tight and every scene in the movie proceeds as a logical developement of what went before. The acting is presented by one of the best cast in western movie history. The stunt work is phenomenal. Pay particular attention to the Roman riding scene. That scene alone is worth the price of a ticket. This scene introduces Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jr, who along with Claude Jarman Jr nearly steal the show as a trio of friends drawn together because they all came from the Old South And let's not forget the music by the Sons Of The Pioneers. Most people mist up to hear "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen", if only for its relevance to the plot, but there are two other songs worth mentioning. One was an old Irish ballad suggested by Maureen O'Hara. American viewers might not understand why all the Irish actors were shedding tears. The reason is that the song is an allegory. The old lady cutting nettles was Ireland, forced into bitter poverty and famine by the English Occupation, and the bold Fenian boys were Irish patriots who fought and died trying to end the Occupation. The song is sung from the viewpoint, after many years, of the last survivor. The other song was Oh-oh San Antone, which was written by Dale Evans, known to all as the wife of Roy Rogers, the former lead singer of the Sons Of The Pioneers. It's interesting to note that it's the only song in the movie that isn't sung by the Sons Of The Pioneers. It's sung by Claude Jarman Jr., Harry Carey Jr., and Ben Johnson. That is the only modern song in the movie, but it fits because it's just the kind of song that might be sung by a bunch of good friends sitting around playing cards on a summer evening. The movie also worth watching because it's the first time John Wayne appeared on screen with Maureen O'Hara. They struck sparks every time the came together and this time was no exception. Much is made of the famous "cavalry Trilogy". In my opinion, this is the best of the three. To be fair, I must admit that part of that opinion may be the result having watched Fort Apache so many times on television that I have forgotten the effect of watching it for the first time. It's kind of like having eaten Crepe Suzette so many times that it ends up tasting like just another pancake with a fancy syrup. You forget what a great dish it really is. She Wears A Yellow ribbon is pretty good, but the ending seems kind of contrived. It looks like the studio bosses didn't care for having John Wayne just riding off into the West and forced Mr Ford to add a piece that allowed him to rejoin the Army and ride off with the cavalry into history. Everyone who loves westerns, everyone who admires John Wayne, Maureen Ohara fans, John Ford fans, or anyone who loves action movies will enjoy this movie. PS. Why "cavalry trilogy"? Mr ford and Mr Wayne made four cavalry movies. Was Quadrology so hard for semiliterate people (like most movie critics) to say that they quietly dropped "The Horse Soldiers" into limbo. Or was it snobbery because John Waynes character in that movie was not a career Officer? Or was it because the action took place in the South rather than the West? Anyone from Virginia to Texas can tell you that the Confederate Army was at least a hundred times more dangerous than any Indian tribe that ever existed. Never mind. Any John Wayne fan will want all four, whether you call it a trilogy plus another good movie, or just part Of the John Ford - John Wayne series of outstandingly good westerns. Review: JOHN WAYNE AND MAUREEN O'HARA TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME! ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES! - If you are a John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara fan, you will love this old black and white western! In this movie you will see John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, star in a movie together for the FIRST TIME, and the awesome chemistry between them, is simply magic! I thought that John Wayne was very handsome in this movie, and I just loved his mustache, and of course as always, Maureen is very beautiful! This movie is about a man named Lt.Col.Yorke (John Wayne) of the U.S. Calvary, who fought in the Civil War, along with alot of his men; and now they are constantly fighting Apache Indians who sometimes manages to crossover the Rio Grande River, were the Lt.Col. and his men are not allowed to go by direct orders. During all this, the Lt.Col. finds out that his son failed at West Point, and that his son has also enlisted in the U.S. Calvary; and that his son who the Lt.Col. has not seen in 15 years, has been assigned to his post under his command! During the Civil War, the Lt.Col. who was only a Captain at the time, was given direct orders to burn down the Bridesdale Plantation, which was his wife's home. He was a Yankee and she was a Southern Bell! Very reluctley, but bound by his command, and honor and duty as a soldier, the Lt.Col. burned down the Bridesdale Plantation. This caused him and his wife whom he loved very much to separate, and he lost his chance to be a father to his son! But all that changes when his lovely wife finds out where their son is! This movie has a lot great stars in it, like a young Ben Johnson, and a young Harry Carey Jr, and also Chill Wills, and Victor McLaglen! Victor McLaglen in this movie is simply awesome,and outstanding! Some of my favorite scenes in the movie is when (Maureen O'Hara) the Lt. Col.'s wife, arrives in a covered wagon sitting beside a soldier who is driving the covered wagon to the Fort, watch what the soldier who is sitting beside her does while chewing his tobacco, when he finds out who's wife she is! FOR SOME REASON TO ME THIS SCENE IS PRICELESS! And I just loved all the scenes that Victor McLaglen was in, especially the soldier's fight scene, and I just loved Ben Johnson, the awesome hero! I did not know this, but soldiers used to sing songs while in the army to help ease all the lonely and sad times, and the horror of war and death that they have to deal with and face constantly, in this movie you will see and hear some of the types of songs that they liked to sing back so long ago! (For the fans of GUNSMOKE, you will see Festus, when he was young and handsome, and he had a beautiful singing voice!) I loved all of these wonderful songs, and the soldiers had such beautiful singing voices! If you like westerns and John Wayne, and romance, and soldiers, then you will love this movie!