Hondo (1953)

Army dispatch rider Hondo Lane discovers a woman and young son living in the midst of warring Apaches and becomes their protector.

Director:

John Farrow

Writers:

James Edward Grant (screenplay), Louis L'Amour (story)

Stars:

John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Wayne	...	Hondo Lane
Geraldine Page	...	Angie Lowe
Ward Bond	...	Buffalo Baker
Michael Pate	...	Vittorio
James Arness	...	Lennie
Rodolfo Acosta	...	Silva
Leo Gordon	...	Ed Lowe
Tom Irish	...	Lt. McKay
Lee Aaker	...	Johnny Lowe
Paul Fix	...	Maj. Sherry
Rayford Barnes	...	Pete - Card Player in Saloon

Storyline

Army scout Hondo Lane (played by John Wayne) stumbles across an isolated homestead in the middle of Apache territory. The inhabitants - a woman and her son - believe they are safe, as there is a treaty with the Apaches. Lane knows better though, as the Army has just broken the treaty, causing the Apache to seek revenge on settlers. Despite being a scout for the US Army, Lane has sympathies for the Apaches, having been married to a native American woman and living with her people for five years. With divided loyalties he now has to tread a fine line.

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Plot Keywords:

apache | arizona | arizona territory | chiricahua apache | exhaustion | 

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Taglines:

First she was afraid he'd stay---then she was afraid he wouldn't.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for western violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Ford directed the climactic battle scenes at the end of the movie, according to a special feature on the 2005 DVD release. Director John Farrow had to leave to start another film commitment, and Ford took over as a favor to John Wayne. His work was uncredited.

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Goofs

Most of the Indians are bare legged and wear makeup to darken their skin. In the rainstorm scene, all the makeup has washed off and the Indians have gleaming white legs.

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Quotes

Johnny Lowe: I can't swim.
Hondo Lane: You can't what?
Johnny Lowe: I can't swim.
Hondo Lane: How old are you?
Johnny Lowe: Six.
Hondo Lane: [picks Johnny up & chucks him into the water]

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Crazy Credits

Dan Rowan as one of the soldiers underneath a wagon shot during the final attack.

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Alternate Versions

In 1991 cable channel TNT showed a special 3-D version of the film. Grocery stores gave away John Wayne 3D glasses for the promotion.

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

User Reviews

50th anniversary of a western classic

This exciting and colorful 3D film was released 50 years ago this week and remains an enjoyable action adventure today. With its distinctive peppermint-striped titles, the movie is one of John Wayne's best westerns and he happens upon a young woman at her isolated ranch and warns her of the threat of Indian uprisings. There is tension between the dispatch rider and the woman at first but she also knows that her son enjoys the man's presence on their ranch. Ward Bond and James Arness are the best-known cast members, and Geraldine Page, in her first movie, received an Academy Award nomination for her work in this film. The battle scenes are exciting, a series of hit-and-run cavalry-Indian fighting under bright blue skies and thick, fluffy clouds. The sound effects during the battles, of bullets and arrows hitting home are realistic and superb. The movie was filmed in Camargo, Mexico, an arid desert country studded with isolated, cone-shaped mesas. The music score by Hugo Friedhofer is among his best work.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Athapascan languages

Release Date:

27 November 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

They Called Him Hondo

Filming Locations:

Patagonia, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wayne-Fellows Productions, Batjac Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (WarnerColor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1