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Rio Bravo (1959)

 -  Western  -  4 April 1959 (USA)
8.0
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Ratings: 8.0/10 from 30,247 users  
Reviews: 171 user | 61 critic

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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(screenplay), (screenplay), 1 more credit »
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Title: Rio Bravo (1959)

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Top 250 #249 | 2 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
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...
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...
...
...
...
...
Carlos Robante (as Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez)
Estelita Rodriguez ...
Consuela Robante
...
...
Jake (Stage Driver)
...
Harold (scenes deleted)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sheb Wooley ...
Cowboy (scenes deleted)
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Storyline

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. Written by Bruce Stadfeld <stadfel@cc.umanitoba.ca>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

You've seen nothing like 'em together... and in the heat and hate of Rio Bravo nothing can tear 'em apart! See more »

Genres:

Western

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

4 April 1959 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo  »

Box Office

Gross:

$5,750,000 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

After seeing the film, Gary Cooper said it was "so phony, nobody believes in it." Ironically, Cooper had been a visitor to the set since he was filming The Hanging Tree nearby. "Rio Bravo" is considered to be John Wayne and Howard Hawks' reply to Gary Cooper's own film "High Noon" because neither Wayne or Hawks thought a real lawman would want or need to ask for help in handling a problem like Cooper's character did in that film. See more »

Goofs

At the end of the film when Chance tosses Feathers' tights out the window and they're picked up by Stumpy, you notice that they're obviously elastic tights. Elastic didn't exist until well into the 20th century. See more »

Quotes

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

Connections

Featured in The Sopranos: For All Debts Public and Private (2002) See more »

Soundtracks

"Degüello"
(uncredited)
Performed by Orquesta Cinerama
See more »

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User Reviews

 
The good outweighs the bad in Hawks macho movie.
4 March 2008 | by (United Kingdom) – See all my reviews

Filmed by Howard Hawks as a response to what he saw as non macho cinema in Gary Cooper's acclaimed High Noon, Rio Bravo has moments of brilliance that are sadly coupled with failings that are not Hawksian peccadilloes. The macho plot is simple but wholly effective as our heavily out numbered heroes (John Wayne, Dean Martin, Walter Brennan & Ricky Nelson) defend a jail house against a marauding mob trying to release an incarcerated friend. This alone sounds grand but the truth is it takes the film nigh on close to 100 minutes to get to the adrenalin rush of the siege and even allowing for fine character development, the film is ponderous and even at times dangerously close to being self indulgent.

The casting of Ricky Nelson was (as is widely regarded now) one of the worst of its kind in the history of cinema, he was there purely as a marketing ploy to garner the teen audience who were bopping to his pop tunes way back then. In fairness to Hawks he saw straight away that this was out of Nelson's league and promptly (and cutely) gave him few lines of note to speak of. Also a big negative in the film is Angie Dickinson as the Female interest, she is raw and fresh out of water, and it shows, just like sushi on your plate.

The bonuses with the film however keep the film talked about for ever more, Wayne is magnetic and believable, whilst Martin comes into his own as the drunk trying to do right, a superlative performance from him and one would think that is really down to Hawks' direction. The action sequences are of a high standard, while the tight intimate feel of the town is precious; and who can resist an ending that makes you want to go fire yer guns in the air?

Very good film but not a Western masterpiece by a long shot. 7/10


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