IMDb >
Red River (1948)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsRed River (1948) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 17 | slideshow) | Videos |
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
26 August 1948 (USA) moreTagline:
Greatest Spectacle Ever! morePlot:
Dunson is driving his cattle to Red River when his adopted son, Matthew, turns against him. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Shall we gather at the river? (From Roger Ebert's Blog. 11 June 2009, 1:11 PM, PDT)
Playing it Straight
(From AfterElton.com. 7 April 2009, 6:31 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
An enjoyable western more (116 total)Cast
(Complete credited cast)| John Wayne | ... | Thomas Dunson | |
| Montgomery Clift | ... | Matt Garth | |
| Joanne Dru | ... | Tess Millay | |
| Walter Brennan | ... | 'Groot' Nadine | |
| Coleen Gray | ... | Fen (also as Colleen Gray) | |
| Harry Carey | ... | Mr. Melville (as Harry Carey Sr.) | |
| John Ireland | ... | Cherry Valance | |
| Noah Beery Jr. | ... | Buster McGee | |
| Harry Carey Jr. | ... | Dan Latimer | |
| Chief Yowlachie | ... | Quo | |
| Paul Fix | ... | Teeler Yacey | |
| Hank Worden | ... | Simms Reeves | |
| Mickey Kuhn | ... | Matt, as a boy | |
| Ray Hyke | ... | Walt Jergens | |
| Hal Taliaferro | ... | Old Leather (as Hal Talliaferro) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
133 minCountry:
USAColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Certification:
Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | West Germany:12 (nf) | Sweden:15 (cut) | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 | Norway:16 | USA:Unrated | UK:UFun Stuff
Goofs:
Anachronisms: When they are driving the cattle and go to the aid of the wagon train, a communications mast can be seen on the hill in the background of one shot of the five horsemen. The next shot is a closer view of one rider and the mast can be seen even more clearly. moreQuotes:
Matt, as a boy: How did you know when he was gonna draw?Thomas Dunson: By watching his eyes. Remember that.
Matt, as a boy: I will.
Thomas Dunson: Get a shovel and my Bible. I'll read over him.
more
Soundtrack:
Settle Down moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (116 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Red River (1948) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| The Phantom Rider | How the West Was Won | Frontier Badmen | Stormy Trails | Western Jamboree |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Western section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |











Fourteen years ago Thomas Dunson entered Texas across Red River with two head of cattle, his trail hand, and a young boy, Matt Garth, who survived an Indian attack on a wagon train that killed Dunson's sweetheart. After years of development he is now head of a ranch and is preparing to drive his head of thousands of cattle up to Missouri for sale, despite the perils. However Dunson's brutal leadership style bucks up against the more peaceful Matt, leading to a rebellion and a splitting of the ways between Dunson and his adopted son.
With an early scene establishing both Dunson's methods (taking land by force) and the source of much of his future bitterness and rage, this film sets itself out to be a real good character piece and pretty much manages to do it. The plot sweeps across 14 years but doesn't suffer for it. The main plot device is the cattle drive, which is depicted with affection here, however the main story is the conflict between Dunson and Matt's methods and views on man management. This aspect is not given quite as much time as I had hoped and tends to be over shadowed by the scale of the cattle drive itself however this is still good.
The weakest point here is the romance which feels tacked on at the end. Not only does it feel unnecessary but it doesn't really work very well either. To make matters worse when the conflict between Dunson and Matt manifests itself physically, it is devalued by the involvement of Tess somewhat. Wayne's leading man is strong and is a good performance considering how unpopular he is as a character. Clift gives a balanced performance and stands up well alongside the Duke. The support cast is full of western favourites and does well to fill the story out with colour, comic relief from Brennan's chuck wagon driver is great fun.
Overall this is a good western that I felt didn't quite reach it's full potential as a film. It could have gone further with the battle of wills between the characters but instead the cattle drive takes the lion's share of screen time. Having said that, there is still plenty to enjoy with both the character clashes and the perils of the cattle drive itself.