Red River (1948)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Directors:

Howard Hawks
Arthur Rosson (co-director)

Writers:

Borden Chase (screenplay) and
Charles Schnee (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 August 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Action | Adventure

Tagline:

Greatest Spectacle Ever!

Plot:

Dunson is driving his cattle to Red River when his adopted son, Matthew, turns against him.

Plot Keywords:

Cattle | Kansas | Cattle Drive | Texas | Deserter

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lane Chandler	...	Colonel (uncredited)
Davison Clark	...	Mr. Meeker (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	...	Dunston Rider (uncredited)
Paul Fierro	...	Fernandez (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Rider with Mr. Melville (uncredited)
Pierce Lyden	...	Colonel's Trail Boss (uncredited)
John Merton	...	Settler (uncredited)
Ivan Parry	...	Bunk Kenneally (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Gambler (uncredited)
William Self	...	Sutter - Wounded Wrangler (uncredited)
Glenn Strange	...	Naylor (uncredited)
Tom Tyler	...	The Quitter (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Laredo (uncredited)
Shelley Winters	...	Dance Hall Girl in Wagon Train (uncredited)

Directed by
Howard Hawks
Arthur Rosson		(co-director)

Writing credits
Borden Chase		(screenplay) and
Charles Schnee		(screenplay)
Borden Chase		(The Saturday Evening Post story)

Produced by
Howard Hawks	....	producer
Charles K. Feldman	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Russell Harlan		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Christian Nyby

Art Direction by
John Datu		(as John Datu Arensma)

Makeup Department
Lee Greenway	....	makeup artist
Dotha Hippe	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Norman A. Cook	....	production manager (as Norman Cook)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William McGarry	....	assistant director
Arthur Siteman	....	assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Sound Department
Richard DeWeese	....	sound
Larry Gannon	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Donald Steward	....	special effects
Allen Q. Thompson	....	special photographic effects (as Allan Thompson)

Stunts
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ben Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Kennedy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Danny Sands	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas Thompson	....	grip (uncredited)

Music Department
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	musical director
Vinton Vernon	....	music recorder
Lucien Cailliet	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Jester Hairston	....	choral director (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Howard Hawks	....	presenter
Sid Davis	....	stand-in: John Wayne (uncredited)
Bobbie Sierks	....	script clerk (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Charles K. Feldman Group (uncredited)
• Monterey Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists Corporation (1948) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1948) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1948) (Canada) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1948) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1948) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1951) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The River Is Red (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound 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:U

Filming Locations:

Elgin, Arizona, USA

Company:

Charles K. Feldman Group

Trivia:

During production, many members of the cast and crew caught illnesses and injuries. Howard Hawks was hospitalized for several days after being stung by a centipede. John Wayne caught a severe cold. Joanne Dru suffered from influenza.

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.

Quotes:

[Groot loses his false teeth to Quo in a poker game]
Groot Nadine: Now wait a minute, Quo. You really ain't gonna take a man's only set of teeth, are you?
Quo: Uh huh.
Groot Nadine: Yeah, but I gotta use 'em for eating!
Quo: Come grub, you get 'em.
Groot Nadine: What are you gonna do with 'em.
Quo: My name now Two Jaw Quo.
Groot Nadine: Two Jaw Quo. That's what I get for playing with an injun.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock? (2006)

Soundtrack:

Settle Down

A much neglected Classic western!

I was the "first kid on the block" to purchase a VCR, way back in the late 60's...the RCA VBT200...no timer, no remote, no nothing! Paid $1200.00 for it (Canadian funds!)and ALL my friends told me I was nuts. I TRIED to tell them that, eventually, everybody would own a VCR but was shouted down. In any case, Red River was the first movie I taped and, deleting commercial breaks, I was ecstatic to have a Hollywood movie on hand to watch whenever the urge arose. And WHAT A MOVIE!!! I agree with earlier comments re John Wayne...who usually just played John Wayne. In THIS one, and "The Searchers", however, the director got one helluva performance out of the Duke. Also, the second movie performance by the tragical Montgomery Clift...so "pretty" in the Mohammed Ali sense that I virtually fell in love with him myself, even though I was a "straight" teenaged boy. From the opening credits, with that almost Wagnerian music by Dmitri Tiomkin, this movie (shot in 1946 and held 'til 1948 for release...I forget why)should be compulsory viewing for the brain-dead Hollywood moguls of today. Actually, there are no "moguls" left...they're all bottom-line money men who wouldn't know a good movie if they saw one..."Let's check the demographics, guys, and fill those multiple screen outlets with brain-dead teens (not really their fault as products of our so called progressive p.c. education system)and make a TON of money!" My age is showing...back to the movie. If you haven't seen it, be prepared for a LONG sojourn. This isn't brain candy...it's an allegorical treatise on the impetuousness of youth vs. the inflexible values of pioneer stock. In the end, BOTH are told to cut themselves some slack, by the "gun-totin" Joanne Dru. In summary, a Great Western, and to get back to the Duke, an amazing performance by a 39 year old made up to look like a 60 year old...and he pulled it off! The respect/fear combo of his hired trailhands is almost Shakespearian, and a tribute to the screenwriter/s and director Howard Hawks. If you've never seen it...do yourself a big favour and rent this little classic!