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| Rio Grande
Year: 1950
Classification: Regisseure - Ford, John
Directed:
- John Ford
Actors/Actresses:
- John Wayne
- Maureen O'Hara
- Maureen O Hara
Last of the "U.S. Cavalry" Trilogy
I'd say 4-1/2 stars. Why? I watched the "trilogy" one after the other and by now a bit of surrealism had taken over. That's to director John Ford's advantage. (Ever notice there aren't many closeups in this movie?) Of the 3, this has the slightest story, but let's not quibble; John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, Ben Johnson are all here in their inimitable glory. As is Monument Valley. Thanks, folks.
Not the best in the cavalry trilogy...
But that doesn't mean this still isn't a fine movie, it merely can't hold a candle to Fort Apache and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. But how can anyone complain when you have the brilliant John Ford, supported by the Duke, Maureen O'Hara and some of Ford's stock company? Ford's direction, as always, is stellar and the stunning Moab, Utah backdrop is as spellbinding as his usual Monument Valley setting. The chemistry between the Duke and Maureen O'Hara is palpable. My favorite scene is when they dine together in Yorke's tent and O'Hara spies his army cot and gives a rueful look (a portent of things to come!) Victor McLaglen, a regular of the Ford stock company, adds greatly to the comedic scenes. What would the cavalry trilogy be without the memorable character sculpted by McLa
The weakness of the movie are some superfluous singing scenes which are totally unnecessary and interrupt the flow of the movie. Claude Jarmin is actually quite effective as Wayne's son and his scenes with O'Hara are especially edifying. A bit of trivia: Ben Johnson does all the stunt riding on his own: pay particular attention to the scene where he rides two horses standing up.
"Rio Grande"
This film marks the first of five films that John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara made together. Once John Ford got a somewhat reluctant Republic mogul Herbert Yates to agree to produce his long-time dream "The Quiet Man" - Yates added a "condition." That condition was that the same team, Maureen O'Hara, Duke Wayne, do a western film first, to make up for the money he anticipated 'losing' on "The Quiet Man."
Yates must have had to eat a lot of crow because not only was "Rio Grande" a box office success, but "The Quiet Man" went on to become an all-time classic masterpiece. "Rio Grande" is an exceptionally wonderful film, and I feel is equal to "The Quiet Man" in it's own genre (Calvalry/western). It is romantic, sensitive, full of action, and everything you would expect from hero John Wayne...and his lovely lady, Maureen O'Hara - plus a happy ending.
This is a subject close to my heart because I maintain a website on Ms. O'Hara and have interviewed her, as well as many of her peers, including Harry Carey, Jr., Anna Lee and John Agar. The chemistry of O'Hara and Wayne in itself is an interesting study and long underrated by Hollywood historians....
Buy Rio Grande at Amazon.com
Buy posters at Allposters.com
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