Rio Bravo (1959)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

Jules Furthman (screenplay) and
Leigh Brackett (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

4 April 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

and Dean and Ricky sing, too! "Rio Bravo" "My Rifle, My Pony and Me" "Cindy"

Plot:

A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a cripple, a drunk, and a young gunfighter...

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Sheriff | Gunslinger | Texas | Jail

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Tue. July 14	8:00 PM	AMC
Wed. July 15	3:00 PM	AMC

Cast

John Wayne	...	Sheriff John T. Chance
Dean Martin	...	Dude ('Borachón')
Ricky Nelson	...	Colorado Ryan
Angie Dickinson	...	Feathers
Walter Brennan	...	Stumpy
Ward Bond	...	Pat Wheeler
John Russell	...	Nathan Burdette
Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez	...	Carlos Robante (as Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez)
Estelita Rodriguez	...	Consuela Robante
Claude Akins	...	Joe Burdette
Malcolm Atterbury	...	Jake (stage driver)
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Harold (scenes deleted)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sheb Wooley	...	Cowboy (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:G | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | West Germany:12 (nf) | USA:Approved (certificate #19034) | South Korea:15 (2007) | Finland:K-16 | France:U (re-release) | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | UK:U (original rating) (cut)

Filming Locations:

Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Company:

Armada Productions

Trivia:

The song "My Rifle, My Pony and Me" was originally used as the theme for Red River (1948), another John Wayne western. The original title was "Settle Down".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Chance goes into Feathers' room after learning she was standing guard outside his room all night, Angie Dickinson's hair is alternately frayed and neatly styled.

Quotes:

[first lines]
John T. Chance: Joe, you're under arrest.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in True Romance (1993)

Soundtrack:

Cindy

Brilliant cast in brilliant western

What a brilliant western! I was caught in my couch for more than two hours as John Wayne (Sheriff John T. Chance), Dean Martin (Dude), Ricky Nelson (Colorado) and Walter Brennan (Stumpy) try to keep a crook in jail for a week until the US Marshall arrives in town. The bad guy in question has contacts (his brother) and they will do what they can to set him free.

Dean Martin was second to none playing a deputy with drinking problems. He had a lot talent. John Wayne wasn't that bad either. Undoubtly something special about him, although I can't put my finger exactly on what it might be. Personally I don't think he's a great actor, but there is this special cool around him.

Anyway, if you haven't seen this movie I urge you to do. It takes a while for it to sort of take off but it's worth waiting for. Great acting and an interesting plot. It has everything a great western should have. Recommended!