IMDb > Red River (1948)
Red River
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Red River (1948) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 17 | slideshow) Videos
Red River (1948) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   9,820 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Directors:
Howard Hawks
Arthur Rosson (co-director)
Writers:
Borden Chase (screenplay) and
Charles Schnee (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Red River on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 August 1948 (USA) more
Tagline:
Greatest Spectacle Ever! more
Plot:
Dunson is driving his cattle to Red River when his adopted son, Matthew, turns against him. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Shall we gather at the river?
 (From Roger Ebert's Blog. 11 June 2009, 1:11 PM, PDT)

Playing it Straight
 (From AfterElton.com. 7 April 2009, 6:31 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Epic Cattle Drive more (117 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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 (as Hank Warden)
Mickey Kuhn ... Matt, as a boy
Ray Hyke ... Walt Jergens
Hal Taliaferro ... Old Leather
Paul Fierro ... Fernandez (as Paul Fiero)
Ivan Parry ... Bunk Kenneally
William Self ... Sutter - Wounded Wrangler (as Billie Self)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lane Chandler ... Colonel (uncredited)
Davison Clark ... Mr. Meeker (uncredited)
Harry Cording ... Gambler (uncredited)

Richard Farnsworth ... Dunston Rider (uncredited)
George Lloyd ... Rider with Mr. Melville (uncredited)
Pierce Lyden ... Colonel's Trail Boss (uncredited)
John Merton ... Settler (uncredited)
Lee Phelps ... Gambler (uncredited)
Glenn Strange ... Naylor (uncredited)
Tom Tyler ... The Quitter (uncredited)

Dan White ... Laredo (uncredited)

Shelley Winters ... Dance Hall Girl in Wagon Train (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

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)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The River Is Red (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
133 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Cary Grant (who had worked with Howard Hawks on Bringing Up Baby (1938) and Only Angels Have Wings (1939)) turned down the role of gunslinger Cherry Valance, a part that was subsequently minimized in the final film. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Dunson is standing next to his horse after Mathew Garth takes the herd from him, he clearly has a belt full of cartridges, but later on Mathew confirms to Groot that he took all of Dunson's cartridges. more
Quotes:
Thomas Dunson: Who are you?
Cherry Valance: Some call me one thing, some another.
Thomas Dunson: What do they call you most?
Cherry Valance: By my name. Cherry Valance.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Settle Down more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
17 out of 20 people found the following comment useful.
Epic Cattle Drive, 19 July 2006
9/10
Author: Lechuguilla from Dallas, Texas

Dimitri Tiomkin's thunderous score sets the tone for this rousing story of cowboy ranchers in nineteenth century Texas headed north, with a thunderous herd of cattle in tow. It's the archetypal story of the American West, with its strong, ethical male leader, Thomas Dunson (John Wayne), and his pursuit of a big dream, set in an era when men were men, times were tough, hardships were inevitable, guns ruled, and Native Americans were the bad guys. What a saga ...

What makes "Red River" such a grand adventure is its high quality. Its story is simple, direct, exciting, and well told, with complex characters, interesting and sympathetic because they show weakness as well as strength. Dunson is a good man, but he's stubborn and headstrong. His semi-adopted son, Matt (Montgomery Clift), is good with a gun but a little softhearted. Dunson's chief sidekick is Groot (Walter Brennan), a cantankerous old buzzard who has problems with his teeth.

It's the relationship between these three men that is the heart and soul of "Red River". Trouble ensues along the way, you can be sure. And how that trouble unfolds and plays out presents viewers with engaging human drama, and humor, centered on these three main characters. The lonesome High Plains, with all its inherent risks, adds grandeur to the epic story.

At strategic points in the film, the page of a book appears on screen with text that briefly summarizes upcoming events. It's like we, the viewers, are reading a book about some long ago trailblazers. It's a technique that could have been intrusive. But here, it is handled with such finesse that it actually helps the narrative, by functioning as a transition from one sequence to the next.

The acting is fine. John Wayne is more than convincing as Dunson. Walter Brennan is characteristically funny. And Montgomery Clift is terrific. Had he maintained his looks, and if real-life circumstances not intervened, Monty could have been one of the truly top actors through at least the 50s and 60s.

If the film has a weakness, it might be the cinematography. Not often, but at times, the actors appear to be standing in front of a canvas, an effect that renders a shallow depth of field. Maybe this was the result of technical limitations of photography at the time the film was made.

There are few film westerns that can compare in quality with "Red River". And I don't know of any other cinematic cattle drives that are this good. So, the next time you herd your cattle to market, this is the film to watch. Even if you have no cattle, "Red River" is still a wonderfully entertaining cinematic experience.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (117 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Red River (1948)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
John Waynes political response to another movie twentymooseman
Overrated as Hell star-blazer
Were you surprised? BcSc
Here's my crazy WHAT IF collaboration thought... flourface
ending doreen412
Special Edition DVD getupday
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Phantom Rider How the West Was Won Frontier Badmen Stormy Trails Western Jamboree
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Western section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.