IMDb > Red River (1948)
Red River
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Red River (1948) More at IMDbPro »

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Red River (1948) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   9,833 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Directors:
Howard Hawks
Arthur Rosson (co-director)
Writers:
Borden Chase (screenplay) and
Charles Schnee (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Red River on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 August 1948 (USA) more
Tagline:
Greatest Spectacle Ever! more
Plot:
Dunson is driving his cattle to Red River when his adopted son, Matthew, turns against him. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(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:
Classic Western more (117 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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 (as Hank Warden)
Mickey Kuhn ... Matt, as a boy
Ray Hyke ... Walt Jergens
Hal Taliaferro ... Old Leather
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The River Is Red (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
133 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
After seeing John Wayne's performance in Red River (1948), directed by rival director Howard Hawks, John Ford is quoted as saying, "I never knew the big son of a bitch could act." more
Goofs:
Continuity: Inside the tent, during Tom and Tess's conversation, the lamp hanging between them changes positions and disappears between shots. more
Quotes:
Cherry Valance: You're fast with that gun, Matt. Awful fast. But your heart's soft. Too soft. Might get you hurt some day.
Matt Garth: Could be. I wouldn't count on it.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Australia (2008) more
Soundtrack:
Settle Down more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
26 out of 34 people found the following comment useful.
Classic Western, 30 October 2000
Author: marquis de cinema from Boston, MA

Red River(1948) is a film that gets better with age. This was the first of five Howard Hawks/John Wayne features. Red River(1948) was Howard Hawks third straight gem right after To Have & Have Not(1944) and The Big Sleep(1946). John Wayne had come a long way from his low budget Lone Star film days.

The film is considered a Western take on The Mutiny on the Bounty. The relationship between Tom Dunson and Matt Garth is deeply complex. Although they're prepared to kill each other, deep down they still respect for one another. This relationship is based on control, idealism, respect, and trust.

It takes a fascinating look at the cattle drive during the Wild West. The film shows the responsbility that went with driving cattle across country and the different road blocks that many riders were faced with. Red River(1948) shows that the cattle drives were a cowboy's main source of work. City Slickers(1991) would do a wonderful homage to this Howard Hawks classic.

Tom Dunson, Ringo Kid, and Ethan Edwards to name a few are some of the best characters played by the duke. He exhibits here that he was a great actor as well as a great Hollywood star. Its a shame that his best performances were overlooked by by many people during his lifetime(he's definitely a superior actor compared to the likes of Stallone, Arnold, and Willis combined). It was actually filmed during 1946 but was shelved for two year due to a legal battle with Howard Hughes.

Montgomery Clift stands out on his own as Matt Garth in acting next to John Wayne. Walter Brennan is excellent in the role of Tom Dunson's sidekick. Red River(1948) was one of the best film to come out of 1948. Red River(1948) contains a trademark flirtious man-woman relationship between Matt Garth and Tess that also evident in some of the director's other works...I.E., His Girl Friday(Walter & Hildy), Ball of Fire(Potts & O'Shea), To Have & Have Not(Harry & Slim), The Big Sleep(Phillip Marlowe & Vivian Sternwood), and Rio Bravo(John T. Chance & Feathers).

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