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Red River

  • 19481948
  • PassedPassed
  • 2h 13m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
31K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, and Joanne Dru in Red River (1948)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer1:10
1 Video
66 Photos
  • Drama
  • Western

Dunson leads a cattle drive, the culmination of over 14 years of work, to its destination in Missouri. But his tyrannical behavior along the way causes a mutiny, led by his adopted son.Dunson leads a cattle drive, the culmination of over 14 years of work, to its destination in Missouri. But his tyrannical behavior along the way causes a mutiny, led by his adopted son.Dunson leads a cattle drive, the culmination of over 14 years of work, to its destination in Missouri. But his tyrannical behavior along the way causes a mutiny, led by his adopted son.

IMDb RATING
7.8/10
31K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Howard Hawks
    • Arthur Rosson
  • Writers
    • Borden Chase(screenplay)
    • Charles Schnee(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Wayne
    • Montgomery Clift
    • Joanne Dru
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Howard Hawks
    • Arthur Rosson
  • Writers
    • Borden Chase(screenplay)
    • Charles Schnee(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Wayne
    • Montgomery Clift
    • Joanne Dru
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 213User reviews
    • 86Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 4 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    Montgomery Clift Criterion Channel Teaser
    Trailer 1:10
    Montgomery Clift Criterion Channel Teaser

    Photos66

    John Wayne in Red River (1948)
    Montgomery Clift and Joanne Dru in Red River (1948)
    John Wayne and Joanne Dru in Red River (1948)
    John Wayne in Red River (1948)
    Noah Beery Jr. and Montgomery Clift in Red River (1948)
    Montgomery Clift and Harry Carey in Red River (1948)
    Walter Brennan and Chief Yowlachie in Red River (1948)
    Walter Brennan, Joanne Dru, Dan White, and Chief Yowlachie in Red River (1948)
    John Wayne in Red River (1948)
    John Wayne and Walter Brennan in Red River (1948)
    Montgomery Clift in Red River (1948)
    John Wayne and Walter Brennan in Red River (1948)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Wayne
    John Wayne
    • Thomas Dunsonas Thomas Dunson
    Montgomery Clift
    Montgomery Clift
    • Matt Garthas Matt Garth
    Joanne Dru
    Joanne Dru
    • Tess Millayas Tess Millay
    Walter Brennan
    Walter Brennan
    • Nadine Grootas Nadine Groot
    Coleen Gray
    Coleen Gray
    • Fenas Fen
    • (as Colleen Gray)
    Harry Carey
    Harry Carey
    • Mr. Melvilleas Mr. Melville
    • (as Harry Carey Sr.)
    John Ireland
    John Ireland
    • Cherry Valanceas Cherry Valance
    Noah Beery Jr.
    Noah Beery Jr.
    • Buster McGeeas Buster McGee
    Harry Carey Jr.
    Harry Carey Jr.
    • Dan Latimeras Dan Latimer
    Chief Yowlachie
    Chief Yowlachie
    • Quoas Quo
    • (as Chief Yowlatchie)
    Paul Fix
    Paul Fix
    • Teeler Yaceyas Teeler Yacey
    Hank Worden
    Hank Worden
    • Simms Reevesas Simms Reeves
    Mickey Kuhn
    Mickey Kuhn
    • Matt - as a Boyas Matt - as a Boy
    Ray Hyke
    • Walt Jergensas Walt Jergens
    Hal Taliaferro
    Hal Taliaferro
    • Old Leatheras Old Leather
    • (as Hal Talliaferro)
    John Bose
    John Bose
    • Dunston Rideras Dunston Rider
    • (uncredited)
    Buck Bucko
    • Cowhandas Cowhand
    • (uncredited)
    Roy Bucko
    Roy Bucko
    • Cowhandas Cowhand
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Howard Hawks
      • Arthur Rosson
    • Writers
      • Borden Chase(screenplay) (from "The Saturday Evening Post" story)
      • Charles Schnee(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Fourteen years after starting his cattle ranch in Texas, Tom Dunston is finally ready to drive his 10,000 head of cattle to market. Back then Dunston, his sidekick Nadine Groot and a teen-aged boy, Matt Garth -who was the only survivor of an Indian attack on a wagon train - started off with only two head of cattle. The nearest market however is in Missouri, a 1000 miles away. Dunston is a hard task master demanding a great deal from the men who have signed up for the drive. Matt is a grown man now and fought in the Civil War. He has his own mind as well and he soon runs up against the stubborn Dunston who won't listen to advice from anyone. Soon, the men on the drive are taking sides and Matt ends up in charge with Dunston vowing to kill him. —garykmcd
    • cattle drive
    • orphan
    • wagon train
    • cattle
    • rio grande river
    • 144 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Greatest Spectacle Ever!
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Western
    • Certificate
      • Passed
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Montgomery Clift was nervous about standing up to John Wayne but gained confidence when Howard Hawks told him to play his scenes like David against Goliath. He also urged the young actor to underplay in his scenes with Wayne, particularly the scene in which his character challenges Dunson for the first time. Wayne was also not sure Clift could be convincing as a rugged cowboy, but after that first confrontation scene he told Hawks his doubts were gone and "he's going to be okay."
    • Goofs
      When the Mexicans ride up and Dunson asks them the name of the river, they reply without hesitation, "Rio Grande." The river has always been called "Rio Bravo" in Mexico, which is what they would have answered.
    • Quotes

      Cherry: There are only two things more beautiful than a good gun: a Swiss watch or a woman from anywhere. Ever had a good... Swiss watch?

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits prologue: Among the annals of the great state of Texas may be found the story of the first drive on the famous Chisholm Trail. A story of one of the great cattle herds of the world, of a man and a boy--Thomas Dunson and Matthew Garth, the story of the Red River D.
    • Alternate versions
      According to Peter Bogdanovich, the shorter version is in fact the Director's Cut. Howard Hawks was unhappy with the pacing of the longer, 133 minute cut.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Screen Writer (1950)
    • Soundtracks
      Settle Down
      (1947)

      by Dimitri Tiomkin

      Lyric by Frederick Herbert (uncredited)

      Played during the opening credits

    User reviews213

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    A film which is spectacle at its best , although spectacle is by no means all of it...
    From 1939 to 1948, two major Westerns done with taste and skill and with an eye to beauty could be mentioned: John Ford's "Stagecoach," and Howard Hawks' "Red River."

    "Red River" is a great adventure Western considered as the very best among all Westerns... But could we compared it to Ford's splendidly filmed "Wagon Master"? John Ford maintains his shooting eye at a certain distance while Howard Hawks keeps it nearby... But both are skilled directors of a bunch of great movies…

    Ford is closer to Western movies, and Hawks to other genre... Ford treats his Western characters as people behave... Hawks displays it in vivid adventure... In "Red River," "Rio Bravo," and "The Big Sky" Howard Hawks is far from the magnitude of Ford's "The Searchers." Under Ford's instruction, John Wayne is fluent and moderate, refined in conduct and manners as in "The Quiet Man." With Hawks, Wayne's character prevails differential tendency toward passion and fury...

    It is soon evident that the cattle boss is tough to the point of obsession… It could be argued that only men of this spirit could have handled and survived the first pioneering cattle drives… One of the drovers (John Ireland) wants to make for Abilene but gets no change out of Wayne… When the cattle stampede Wayne goes to 'gun-whip' one of the hands, Clift intervenes… It was then evident that Wayne was going to drive his men just as hard as he intends to drive the cattle…

    "Red River" is a Western just as much concerned with human relationships and their tensions as with spectacle and action—a hallmark of Hawks' films and this element is introduced when the pair meet up with a boy leading a cow… The boy confirms the wagon-train massacre, and the boy and the cow from then on are included in the partnership… This is not only a key-point of the narrative but also a highly symbolic moment…

    For some years Garfield was the only screen rebel... But in Clift's appearance in "Red River," another rebel was born… In "Red River," Clift plays the adopted son who opposes his father's domineering attitudes and behavior towards himself and also towards the cowhands who work for them on the drive to market… The struggle between father and adopted son, compels delighted interest... Dunson's unfeeling hardhearted style remembers us Captain Bligh in "Mutiny on the Bounty." In the beginning of the film we had admiration for Wayne's persona... We concluded finding him unfriendly, unconscious, unacceptable and faulty... Clift wins our sympathy!

    Clift was the withdrawn, introverted man who quietly maintains his integrity as he resists all pressures… These qualities were summed up in the words of Private Prewitt in "From Here to Eternity" probably Clift's finest rebel role!

    "Red River" will remain a film with a unique flavor… It has, and will continue to have, its own special niche among honored Westerns…

    With two Academy Award Nomination for Writing, splendid music score by Dmitri Tomkin and excellent acting including the supporting cast, the film had all the concepts of Howard Hawks' quality: vigor in action, reality as opposed to emotions and a faculty of scale...
    helpful•57
    15
    • Nazi_Fighter_David
    • Nov 21, 1999

    FAQ1

    • Did McMurtry use this as the basis for Lonesome Dove?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 17, 1948 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • The River Is Red
    • Filming locations
      • San Pedro River, Arizona, USA
    • Production companies
      • Monterey Productions
      • Charles K. Feldman Group
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 13 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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