Rio Bravo Poster

Rio Bravo (1959)

Action | Western 
Rayting:   8.0/10 56.7K votes
Country: USA
Language: English | Spanish
Release date: 4 April 1959

A small town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a cripple, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.

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User Reviews

ragosaal 2 September 2006

I have read the user's comments about Rio Bravo. Frankly I can't understand how is it possible that most of them say this is a "Masterpiece" or "Hawk's Best" or "Great Movie" or "Still One of the Best" and a lot of similar opinions.

The story is rather interesting and could have done a great movie, but it has so many terrible flaws that turns into a B western (and that being generous). Lets see:

1) John Wayne is always John Wayne. He doesn't really act (except perhaps in his two best westerns "Stagecoach" and "The Shootist") both really good. 2) Sheriff John T. Chance looks always as if he knew the script is on his side and he'll come out well no matter what. 3) Ricky Nelson looks exactly like a comic magazine cowboy, totally out of place and surely someone told him about the happy ending too. And we also are forced to listen to his singing! 4) The movie is too long and with plenty of hard to believe sequences. 5) Most of all the final shooting that is really incredible and impossible. Wayne, Martin and Nelson engage in a shooting contest hitting small dynamite bars not only when static on the floor but moving rapidly through the air far from them. Wayne does it with a rifle (difficult enough) but Martin hits them with a six shooter without even aiming!! I can assure you also that dynamite bars don't blow off when hit by a bullet, a spark is always needed. The whole sequence is absolutely ridiculous, more proper of a "spaghetti" western and definitely sinks the film to the bottom.

My 4 points rank for Rio Bravo comes out of acceptable setting and good performances by Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan and Dean Martin (shortly after breaking his comedy partnership with Jerry Lewis). Fine music too. But that aside, nothing at all to match the great westerns of the 50's we enjoyed through the decade (High Noon, Shane, 3:10 to Yuma, Gunfight at OK Corral, The Gunfighter and so many others). In fact, I think Hawks himself realized the movie was really poor and spoiled, so he made "El Dorado" within a short period of time; though almost a remake of Rio Bravo and not a top western either El Dorado has not the terrible flaws and ridiculous sequences we saw in Rio Bravo and is a far better movie.

Don't you agree?

ma-cortes 5 January 2010

Fmovies: John Chance (John Wayne) is the marshal of a Texas border little town who imprisons gunslinger Joe (Claude Atkins) into jail for being brought to justice. But the Joe's brother is a corrupt baron land named Nathan(John Russell) . Then Chance takes on a blockade of gunfighters . He along with a cripple old(Walter Brennan ) are besieged and only helped by a drunk (Dean Martin) and a cocky youngster (Ricky Nelson)as hired hand . Meanwhile the tough Wayne falls in love with an enigmatic young (Angie Dickinson).

Action western, an agreeable love story, shoot-outs at regular intervals, and humor abounds in this magnificent film whose characters are splendidly portrayed. It packs larger-than-life characters, uproarious events and lively happenings. The Duke carries strong acting on his brawny shoulders and perfectly does. The picture is mainly lifted out by veteran Brennan's wonderfully acting as a half-crazed sympathetic old man , whose finger itches demoniacally on the trigger every time he gets a nasty guy in his sights. And of course, top-drawer Dean Martin with an unexpected excellent playing as alcoholic . Colorful Technicolor cinematography by Russell Harlan who adds much to the setting of this unique Western. Marvelous musical score by Dimitri Tiomkin including the Mexican ¨Degueyo¨, music played during ¨El Alamo¨ siege. This overlong, too much-acclaimed and very gripping Western will appeal to John Wayne fans. Rating : Above average, essential and indispensable Western , a masterpiece horse opera whose reputation has improved over the years.

It's followed by ¨El Dorado¨in similar style with a hot-headed James Caan as Mississipi who is a virtual retreat of the previous young sidekick named Colorado-Ricky Nelson. Howard Hawks also displays a number of similarities to the posterior ¨Rio Lobo¨ staring Wayne, Victor French, Jorge Rivero and again with an old short-tempered person played by Jack Elam. Furthermore, a semi-remake on modern times by John Carpenter was called ¨Assault on Precinct 13¨.

SnoopyStyle 24 December 2013

Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) is holding Joe Burdette (Claude Akins) for killing an unarmed man. Only Joe's brother Nathan (John Russell) wants Joe freed, and he'll use everything in his powers. The only hope Chance has is a drunk (Dean Martin), a kid (Ricky Nelson), and ol' Stumpy (Walter Brennan).

This is classic John Wayne at his finest. He is the great gunslinger facing insurmountable odds who takes on the bad guys with his brains, his determination, and his skills. Directed by Howard Hawks, this is just a great old fashion western. They even have Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson sing-along. Angie Dickinson plays the romantic lead. Sure, it is cliché. The good guys always win in the end. But there's nothing wrong with that.

gibby856 1 June 2004

Rio Bravo fmovies. It is my pleasure to make comments on Rio Bravo, considering all the hype that already has been written about it. True, it is not socially redeeming, nor does it make a political statement, it's just darn fun, i.e. entertaining. What's wrong with that? I couldn't care less if it is a redemption by Hawks for "High Noon"! I know one thing is for certain, when you watch John Wayne, Dean Martin, Walter Brennan, and the rest of the cast, you can tell that they had a really good time making the film, this, I believe is plain to see. Add a top notch script and very fine acting, good scenery, a love angle, and enough action to satisfy, and it adds up to a classic movie no matter how you judge it. 10 for 10.

dnwalker 9 December 1999

The story itself is a composite of all the elements needed to make a great Western: good guys in white hats, bad guys in black hats, townspeople content to stand aside and to let the battle be fought between the outlaws and the man with the tin star, a beautiful woman to distract the hero and finally help him when the chips are down.

The main stars, John Wayne, Dean Martin, and Angie Dickinson all turn in the top-notch performances one would expect from them, and Rick Nelson is a very pleasant surprise as Colorado. It's two others that separate this movie from other Westerns, though.

Pedro Gonzales-Gonzales, as Carlos the hotel-keeper, is a breath of fresh air. His interplay with John Wayne's John T. Chance adds a touch of human reality to the movie that sets it apart.

Walter Brennan in his role as Stumpy, however, is the glue that holds the whole thing together and makes it work. His constant griping under his breath, his goading of Wayne, his dialogue with the prisoner and his general comic relief set Rio Bravo apart from any other Western and put it in a class of its own. Keenan Wynn in Eldorado doesn't even come close.

bkoganbing 1 August 2006

Howard Hawks initially wanted to reunite John Wayne and Montgomery Clift who had worked so well together in Red River in his second film with Wayne. Clift however was at the beginning of the slide that would ultimately destroy him in seven years and said no. It was then that Dean Martin was cast as John Wayne's alcoholic deputy.

By the way if Clift had done the part it would have reunited him with Walter Brennan also who is playing a very similar part to the one he did in Red River in relation to Wayne.

In the wordless beginning of Rio Bravo, Wayne while going into the town saloon to fetch Dino, witnesses a cold blooded killing perpetrated by Claude Akins. Akins is the no good brother of rich rancher John Russell who keeps trying to spring Akins from Wayne's jail. He also brings in some hired guns who bottle the town up.

Both Howard Hawks and John Wayne absolutely hated High Noon and made Rio Bravo as their answer to it. This sheriff doesn't go around begging for help from the townspeople he's sworn to protect. He's supposed to be good enough to handle the job himself with some help from only a few good men.

Dean Martin said that the Rio Bravo role for him was one of the most difficult. At that time he was playing a drunk on stage and was not yet into the substance abuse problems that beset him later on. But turns in a stellar performance.

This film marked the farewell feature film performance of Ward Bond who took some time from his Wagon Train TV series to play the small role of a Wayne friend who offers to help and gets killed for his trouble. Fitting it should be in the starring film of his best friend John Wayne.

The only bad note in Rio Bravo is that of Ricky Nelson who is too much the nice kid from Ozzie and Harriet to suggest being a young gun. But Rio Bravo marked the first of many films Wayne used a current teenage idol to insure box office. Later on Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Vinton all the way down to Ron Howard in The Shootist brought a younger audience in for the Duke.

James Caan who played the Ricky Nelson part in El Dorado was much superior to Nelson. Then again, Caan is an actor. But I will say that Dean and Ricky sung real pretty.

When you hear Dean singing My Rifle, Pony, and Me in the jailhouse, you might recognize the same melody from Red River as Settle Down. Dimitri Tiomkin wrote it and Dean recorded it as well as the title song for Capitol records. At Capitol Dino did mostly ersatz Italian ballads, it was what he was identified with. When he switched to Reprise, Dino started doing far more country and western and it really starts with the songs he did in Rio Bravo.

Rio Bravo is a leisurely paced western, probably one of the slowest John Wayne ever did. But Howard Hawks created some characters and a story that hold the interest through out.

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