Rio Grande (1950)

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  • RIO GRANDE


    DIRECTED BY JOHN FORD
    PRODUCED BY JOHN FORD and MERIAN C. COOPER
    ARGOSY PRODUCTION
    REPUBLIC PICTURES


    INFORMATION FROM IMDb


    Plot Summary
    Rio Grande takes place after the Civil War when the Union
    turned their attention towards the Apaches.
    Union officer Kirby Yorke is in charge of an outpost on the Rio Grande
    in which he is in charge of training of new recruits one of which
    is his son whom he hasn't seen in 15 years.
    He whips him into shape to take on the Apaches
    but not before his mother shows up to take him out of there.
    The decision to leave is left up to Trooper Yorke who decides to stay and fight.
    Through it all Kirby and Kathleen though separated for years fall back into love
    and decide that it's time to give it another try.
    But Yorke faces his toughest battle when his unorthodox plan
    to outwit the elusive Apaches leads to possible court- martial.
    Locked in a bloody Indian war, he must fight to redeem his honor
    and save the love and lives of his broken family
    Summary written by Christopher D. Ryan


    Full 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
    Peter Ortiz .... Capt. St. Jacques
    Steve Pendleton .... Capt. Prescott
    Karolyn Grimes .... Margaret Mary
    Alberto Morin .... Lieutenant
    Stan Jones .... Sergeant
    Fred Kennedy .... Trooper Heinze


    Sons of the Pioneers .... Regimental Musicians (as Sons of the Pioneers)
    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)


    Writing Credits
    James Warner Bellah story Mission With No Record
    James Kevin McGuinness screenplay


    Original Music
    Victor Young


    Cinematography
    Bert Glennon


    Original Music
    Dale Evans (song "Aha, San Antone")
    Stan Jones (songs "My Gal is Purple", "Footsore Cavalry" and "Yellow Stripes")
    Tex Owens (song "Cattle Call")
    Victor Young

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


    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)


    Other crew
    Dale Evans .... lyricist: "Aha, San Antone"
    D.R.O. Hatswell .... uniforms (as D.R. Overall Hatswell)
    Stan Jones .... lyricist: "My Gal is Purple", "Footsore Cavalry" and "Yellow Stripes"
    Philip Kieffer .... technical advisor (as Major Philip H. Kieffer)
    Archie Stout .... camera operator: second unit
    Herbert J. Yates .... presenter
    Barbara Ford .... assistant editor (uncredited)
    Norm Taylor .... driver: cavalry wagon (uncredited)


    Trivia
    Two stunt men drowned while filming a river crossing sequence.


    John Ford recycled the stampeding of the pony herd sound effect from She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) for the rescue charge.


    In order to get approval for a film he very much wanted to make, The Quiet Man (1952), John Ford had to agree to Herbert J. Yates, head of Republic Pictures, to make this film, starring both John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Republic believed that "The Quiet Man" would tank at the box office and thought a western would recoup that film's expected losses.


    Ben Johnson (Tyree) and Victor McLaglen (Quincannon) had the same character names in both this film and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949). The oddity is in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"--released before this one-- they were older soldiers with higher ranks than in this film.


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


    First of five movies that paired John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.


    John Wayne's first film with Maureen O'Hara. They starred together five times and would become known as one of Hollywood's greatest on-screen couples.


    Film debut of Patrick Wayne.


    Goofs
    * Continuity: Col. York's saber & scabbard disappear from his saddle when he gets shot by an arrow.


    * Continuity: When Tyree steals Colonel York's horse, he rides off bareback, carrying a saddle only. Later, his horse is saddled complete with blanket.


    * Continuity: After hearing his son's name in the new arrivals' role call, Col. York comes out to speak to the troops. When he does, he puts his hat on twice.


    * 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.


    * Crew or equipment visible: During the Indian attack on the wagon train, Kathleen Yorke is in the driver's seat of a wagon by herself. There is another person visible in the back of the wagon who has the reins and is driving the wagon.


    * Anachronisms: When the regimental singers are serenading Kathleen Yorke and General Sheridan outside Colonel Yorke's tent there are several lanterns hanging from the top of the opening. The lantern on the right side of the tent post clearly has an electric light bulb in it.


    * Continuity: After the wagon train is rescued, Sandy Boone remains behind with Mrs. Yorke as the command rides off in pursuit of the captured children. Later, he is present with the troops to be picked by Tyree to sneak into the Mexican village.


    * Revealing mistakes: When Lt. Col. Yorke checks his son's height on the tent, you can see previous marks from another take.


    * Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Recall is sounded after the children are rescued you hear the call blown, then it stops. The horn is still being blown after the call stops.


    * Continuity: When Quincannon is addressing the recruits about horsemanship, Sandy takes his hand out of his pocket and removes the hay straw from his mouth. When the camera angle changes to behind Sandy, he has his thumb looped through his suspenders and the straw is back in his mouth. When it changes to the front view of Sandy, his hand is back in his pocket.


    * Continuity: While the guests are entering the grandstand, one of the troopers being honored is missing (Indian scout). He shows up in the next scene as the last man in line.


    * Continuity: For most of the movie, the troopers are carrying trapdoor carbines, including the escort for the women and children. Of the three troopers who entered the church, Boone and Yorke had been a part of the escort however, Tyree escaped from the fort without any weapons. The rest of the troop and the skirmishers are now carrying Winchester rifles when they charge the village.


    * Revealing mistakes: When the Indian who shoots Lt. Col. York (John Wayne) with an arrow in the village is aiming at the Colonel from a window, the arrow clearly has no sharp tip on it at all, it's simply a rounded blunt end like a practice arrow.


    * Revealing mistakes: When the Indian in the window lines up his aim to shoot John Wayne you can see there is no arrowhead on the tip.


    * Continuity: When Travis meets up with Sandy and Jeff as they escort the children, he jumps off his horse and sits on the ground just in front of it. After Sandy gives him a can of beans Travis is sitting to the side of the horse, then to the front of it, then to the side of it. It looks like half the scene was filmed in a studio with Travis beside the horse and half in the open with Travis in front of the horse.


    * Revealing mistakes: Although Tyree is supposed to have stolen Colonel Yorke's horse, it is clearly a different horse and Yorke in fact continues to ride the same horse he had before.


    * Anachronisms: The movie is set in the around 1879-1880, 15 years after General Sheridan's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley. One of the songs in the movie, "Down by the Glenside (The Bold Fenian Men)," however, was not written until 1916.


    Memorable Quotes


    Filming Locations
    Colorado River, Moab, Utah, USA
    Ida Gulch, Moab, Utah, USA
    Mexican Hat, Utah, USA
    Moab, Utah, USA
    Monument Valley, Utah, USA
    Onion Creek Narrows, Moab, Utah, USA
    Professor Valley, Moab, Utah, USA
    White's Ranch - Milepost 14 Utah Hwy 128, Moab, Utah, USA


    Watch this Clip


    [extendedmedia]

    [/extendedmedia]

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 9 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Rio Grande is a 1950 Western film It is the third installment of John Ford's "cavalry trilogy,"
    following two RKO Pictures releases: Fort Apache (1948) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949).


    John Wayne stars in all three films, as Captain Kirby York in Fort Apache,
    then as Captain of Cavalry Nathan Cutting Brittles in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,
    and finally as a promoted Lieutenant Colonel Kirby Yorke in Rio Grande
    (scripts and production billing spell the York[e]
    character's last name differently in Fort Apache and Rio Grande).


    The film is based on a short story "Mission With No Record" by James Warner Bellah,
    that appeared in The Saturday Evening Post on September 27, 1947,
    and the screenplay was written by James Kevin McGuinness.



    It's very easy to review the cavalry movies,
    because all three, are brilliant.
    Rio Grande, is considered as probably the weakest of the trio,
    mainly because it's existence, stems from the need to fund The Quiet Man
    Herbert J. Yates, boss of Republic, insisted that Ford make a commercial western,
    before he would agree, to finance the Irish picture.
    Hence the film was born, and for the first time, significantly
    we see for the first time the pairing of Duke with Maureen O'Hara.
    a combination, which would prove to be the most successful, in Duke's career.
    It was macho man, with macho woman,, and they harmonized totally in
    the 5 pictures they made.
    Their chemistry was more sexual, than he had with other actresses,
    and their attraction was plausible.


    Maureen said,

    Quote

    There was a chemistry between us, that you don't get very often, in the picture business.....
    It was there with Spencer Tracy and Ketherine Hepburn, and with William Powell and Myrna Loy.
    But I was tall and strong, and Duke was tall and strong.[/b]


    Duke once again, was cast as a reserved military man,
    as indeed he was in Fort Apache. and gave an excellent performance.
    Duke's fatherly, watchful eye, over younger lovers, was a a role,
    that would become a recurring theme, in later films.
    Duke was well supported by the Ford Stock company,Victor MacLaglen,Harry Carey Jr.,
    Ben Johnson and Grant Withers, along with the directors favourite wranglers and stuntmen.
    Two of the stuntmen tragically died, whilst making this film,
    a point that Bill and I discussed in another thread.


    Ford shot the film, near Mohab, Utah, and to help with the budget,
    Duke halved his fee, and the film was shot in black and white.


    User Review

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 9 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Hi


    Reading the review of the film, i tink I must have watched another version or perhaps I'm splitting hairs. as I remember it Sheridan and Kirby discuss a raid into Mexico and sheridan gives Yorke a direct order telling him that on his return the court martial will consist of officers who rode down the Shenendoah with him during the war.


    At no time does he have to fight to redeem his honour or reputation.


    but as I say perhaps I'm splittig hairs.


    Regard


    Arthur

    Walk Tall - Talk Low

  • Hi all,
    Rio Grande is my favorite from the three and I'm always surprised to read that it is the weakest of the trilogy. never can agree with this. I think that the all three are very much different and it is unfair to compare them as art subjects. They can be compared only as subjects of love and attraction of audience. And I like it not only because it was the first time with Maureen, I take it in the whole with direction, storyline, dialog and casting and of course Duke at the first place. He is brilliant in that role.
    Regards,
    Senta

  • This movie was a little late in entering our collection, but worth the wait.


    Especially interesting was the commentary from Maureen O'Hara, on the DVD.


    Amazingly enough, this film is not available on DVD at Deep Discount, although they do have some movie posters.


    Amazon has the "Collector's Edition" (that is the one I have). Good special features.


    Chester :newyear:

  • Just got and watched "Rio Grande." It was great. I especially liked the music. I think it was "Sons of the Pioneers". In the film, they sing a song which I think is named "Erie Canal." Didn't Bruce Springsteend Jusst record that? I love the old Western stuff but ddon't know much about it. I know "Riders in the Sky and Chris Led Deuc(sp?) But not many others. Other suggestionsss?

  • If it's western music your looking for Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Sons of the San Joaquin, Don Edwards, Red Steagall and Waddie Mitchell are just a few.

    "Republic. I like the sound of that word"


    Davy Crockett, The Alamo

  • Hi HarryOO, welcome to the board.


    I liked Rio Grande as well but like Bill state above, if you liked Rio Grande, try Fort Apache and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. In my opinion they were much better films. I just didn't care for the pacing of Rio Grande at times compared to the other 2. Like I said, it was a good movie but I thought the other 3 were better.

    Life is hard, its even harder when your stupid!!
    -John Wayne

  • Harry00, Fort Apache will be released the beginning of next month on DVD. This will be the official release so you can see a nice version of it.

    Life is hard, its even harder when your stupid!!
    -John Wayne

  • Quote

    Originally posted by Panhandle@May 12 2006, 05:07 PM
    If it's western music your looking for Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Sons of the San Joaquin, Don Edwards, Red Steagall and Waddie Mitchell are just a few.

    [snapback]31233[/snapback]



    Although this is probably better suited for an "off topic" entry, to the above mentioned I'd throw in Michael Martin Murphy, Riders in the Sky, and Bill Barwick (who incidentally does the voice overs on the Westerns Channel. The guy with the deep voice who also sings the "Six Gun Salute" song.).
    Best,
    Colorado Bob

    "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them" It may be time worn, but it's the best life-creed I know.

  • Rio Grande is the best of the Cavelry trilogy as far as I am concerned. It has a pretty decent plot, a lot of humour (mostly Harry Carey jr.) and the romance in it is good.


    I love the duke and Maureen and think they are great on screen together and I found that their romance here was great. Not too movie like, where the girl gets away and then he has to win her back because she no longer wants the guy. That isn't the case. The fact that her character wants and needs the duke is great. The scene at the end with him coming back wounded and her holding his hand is very touching, very refreshing.


    This is also the only one of the cavelry films where the duke is the one in love with the woman. The other two have him as the older guy who watches the young bucks fight over a girl.


    I am a little disappointed that this film wasn't included in the John Wayne/John Ford box set with the other two. That would have been perfect.

    [SIZE=3]That'll Be The Day[/SIZE]

  • I liked this picture beacuse John Wayne acted just like a father wold.How he measured his and his sons hight in the tent,and how he looked in the hospital window and smilled as his son was given crotting oil.He acted human and still showed he was a leader.

  • Hi

    Phil Sheridan(J.Carroll Naish) and Kirby Yorke (John Wayne discuss the forthcoming campaign against the Apache.

    In orering him to cross the Rio Grande Yorke knows he will be subsequently court martialled but is promised that the board will consist entirely of officer who rode with him through the Shenendoah Valley during the Civil War

    Regards

    Arthur