Rio Grande (1950)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

James Kevin McGuinness (screenplay)
James Warner Bellah (Saturday Evening Post story)

Release Date:

15 November 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

THE BREATHTAKING SAGA OF THE UNITED STATES CAVALRY! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Rio Grande takes place after the Civil War when the Union turned their attention towards the Apaches...

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Cult Western | Beautiful Woman | Reveille | Cavalry

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

John Wayne	...	Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke
Maureen O'Hara	...	Mrs. Kathleen Yorke
Ben Johnson	...	Trooper Travis Tyree
Claude Jarman Jr.	...	Trooper Jefferson 'Jeff' Yorke
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Trooper Daniel 'Sandy' Boone
Chill Wills	...	Dr. Wilkins (regimental surgeon)
J. Carrol Naish	...	Lt. Gen. Philip Sheridan
Victor McLaglen	...	Sgt. Maj. Timothy Quincannon
Grant Withers	...	U.S. Deputy Marshal
Sons of the Pioneers	...	Regimental Musicians
Peter Ortiz	...	Capt. St. Jacques
Steve Pendleton	...	Capt. Prescott
Karolyn Grimes	...	Margaret Mary
Alberto Morin	...	Lieutenant
Stan Jones	...	Sergeant
Fred Kennedy	...	Trooper Heinze
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ken Curtis	...	Donnelly (regimental singer) (uncredited)
Tommy Doss	...	Regimental singer (uncredited)
Hugh Farr	...	Regimental singer (uncredited)
Karl Farr	...	Regimental singer (uncredited)
Shug Fisher	...	Regimental singer / Bugler (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Lee Morgan	...	(uncredited)
Jack Pennick	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Lloyd Perryman	...	Regimental singer (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	...	Officer / Indian who fires arrow into Col. York's chest (uncredited)
Barlow Simpson	...	Indian chief (uncredited)
Patrick Wayne	...	Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
John Ford

Writing credits
James Kevin McGuinness		(screenplay)
James Warner Bellah		(Saturday Evening Post story)

Produced by
Merian C. Cooper	....	producer (uncredited)
John Ford	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Victor Young

Cinematography by
Bert Glennon		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jack Murray

Art Direction by
Frank Hotaling

Set Decoration by
John McCarthy Jr.
Charles S. Thompson		(as Charles Thompson)

Costume Design by
Adele Palmer

Makeup Department
Peggy Gray	....	hair stylist
Bob Mark	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wingate Smith	....	assistant director
Cliff Lyons	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Dudley Holmes	....	properties (as R. Dudley Holmes)

Sound Department
Earl Crain Sr.	....	sound
Howard Wilson	....	sound

Special Effects by
Howard Lydecker	....	special effects
Theodore Lydecker	....	special effects

Stunts
Jerry Brown	....	stunts (uncredited)
Everett Creach	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Hudkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Kennedy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank McGrath	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Barlow Simpson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Norm Taylor	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Terry Wilson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack N. Young	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Archie Stout	....	photography: second unit

Editorial Department
Barbara Ford	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Norm Taylor	....	driver: cavalry wagon (uncredited)

Other crew
D.R.O. Hatswell	....	uniforms (as D.R. Overall Hatswell)
Philip Kieffer	....	technical advisor (as Major Philip H. Kieffer U.S.A. Ret.)
Herbert J. Yates	....	presenter
Sid Davis	....	stand-in: John Wayne (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Argosy Pictures

Distributors

• Republic Pictures (I) (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Republic Pictures (I) (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2000) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (video)
• Gold Western (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Gloria (1951) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Artisan Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Maple Pictures (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (UK) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI) (optical effects)

Also Known As:

John Ford and Merian C. Cooper's Rio Grande (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)
Rio Bravo (USA) (working title)
Rio Bravo, Rio Grande Command (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:Approved (PCA #14822) | New Zealand:G | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 (1959) | Sweden:15 | UK:U | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Colorado River, Moab, Utah, USA

Company:

Argosy Pictures

Trivia:

John Wayne wore a smaller hairpiece than usual to make his character look slightly older.

Goofs:

Continuity: On the covered wagon carrying Kathleen Yorke during the Indian attack, when the driver falls off the canvas behind Mrs Yorke is wide open. Later when another trooper jumps on to drive the wagon the canvas is closed tightly.

Quotes:

Gen. Philip Sheridan: I'm going to issue you an order and give it to you personally. I want you to cross the Rio Grande, hit the Apache and burn him out. I'm tired of hit-and-run. I'm sick of diplomatic hide-and-seek.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Daria: Camp Fear (#5.4)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Yellow Stripes

A very classic Western

One of the best Westerns of all time. One is rivited to the TV screen from the moment this fine film starts till its finished.

You have many memorable characters in this movie--like Sgt Maj Quincannon (Victor McLaglen) Tyree (Ben Johnson) etc.

Everything is classic about this film. The Colonels own son enlisting in the US Cavalry, the soldiers fight scenes, the Indians capturing a wagon-load of children, Tyree being charged for murder of a Yankee Cavalryman--escaping w/ some help from SgtMaj Quincannon, to the finale fight at a chapel in an Indian held town.

Favorite line: "You'll Get Busted for this Quincannon!!!"