Rio Lobo (1970)

After the Civil War, Cord McNally searches for the traitor whose perfidy caused the defeat of McNally's unit and the loss of a close friend.

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

Burton Wohl (screenplay), Leigh Brackett (screenplay),

Stars:

John Wayne, Jorge Rivero, Jennifer O'Neill

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Wayne	...	Col. Cord McNally
Jorge Rivero	...	Capt. Pierre Cordona aka Frenchy
Jennifer O'Neill	...	Shasta Delaney
Jack Elam	...	Phillips
Christopher Mitchum	...	Sgt. Tuscarora Phillips
Victor French	...	Ketcham (boss of Rio Lobo)
Susana Dosamantes	...	María Carmen
Sherry Lansing	...	Amelita
David Huddleston	...	Dr. Ivor Jones (Rio Lobo dentist)
Mike Henry	...	Rio Lobo Sheriff 'Blue Tom' Hendricks
Bill Williams	...	Blackthorne Sheriff Pat Cronin
Jim Davis	...	Rio Lobo Deputy
Dean Smith	...	L / Cpl. Bide
Robert Donner	...	Whitey Carter (Rio Lobo deputy)
George Plimpton	...	4th Gunman

Storyline

Col. Cord McNally an ex union officer teams up with a couple of ex Johnny Rebs to search for the traitor who sold information to the South during the Civil War. Their quest brings them to the town of Rio Lobo where they help recover this little Texas town from ruthless outlaws who are led by the traitor they were looking for.

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Plot Keywords:

sheriff | colonel | civil war | traitor | texas | 

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Taglines:

Give 'Em Hell, John.

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Genres:

Adventure | Western | Romance | War

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

18 December 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

San Timoteo

Filming Locations:

Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Batjac Productions, Cinema Center Films, Malabar

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jack Elam, playing the "Old Man", was more than a decade younger than John Wayne.

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Goofs

During the final shootout, when Hendricks shoots Ketcham, McNally mouths some words right before he shoots at Hendricks, but there is no audio.

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Quotes

Cord McNally: Do you think you could sneak up on the fella at the gate?
Phillips: I could sneak up on a *coyote* if I've a mind to!
Cord McNally: Did you get that fella at the gate?
Phillips: He's at *another* gate now, lookin' fer *Saint Peter*!

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Connections

Referenced in The Jitters (1989)

User Reviews

Last Call for Howard Hawks

Civil War veteran John Wayne (as Cord McNally), former Confederate foe Jorge Rivero (Pierre "Frenchy" Cordona), and super-model Jennifer O'Neill (Shasta Delaney) ride into "Rio Lobo" to stir residents into action. Also in town are Robert's son Christopher Mitchum (as Tuscarora Phillips) and his pa Jack Elam (as "Old Man" Phillips). Proving the law of diminishing returns for his last film, herein, director Howard Hawks re-visits "El Dorado" (1966) which had re-visited "Rio Bravo" (1959). Ms. O'Neill's line, "I was running out of things to say" may apply. She is very beautiful, but needed to go over lines with her co-stars (or, maybe she did). The script seems to poke fun at Mr. Wayne's age, weight ("He's heavier than a baby whale."), and acting ("If you'd been a good enough actor.") with good-natured humor. It only helps a little.

**** Rio Lobo (12/17/70) Howard Hawks ~ John Wayne, Jorge Rivero, Jennifer O'Neill, Jack Elam