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

The Apaches all ride bareback with just a blanket on the horse. The Chief, Vittorio, has stirrups, and what looks like a sparse saddle, under his blanket.

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Goofs

The brim on Hondo's hat changes how it is bent, up or down, from one shot to the next.

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Quotes

Hondo Lane: You baked today. Smell fresh bread on you. And top of that you smell all over like a woman, rich and warm and soft. I could find you in the dark Mrs. Lowe.

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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

Referenced in Hollywood Mouth 2 (2014)

User Reviews

Geraldine Page makes her screen debut in Hondo and she is marvelous.

Someone in an earlier comment said that John Wayne is, "always bad." I take great umbrage in that statement. He was always good and often marvelous and sometimes Magnificent.

His Hondo is a very different character from Ethan Edwards or Thomas Dunson. Here, he is a younger Wil Anderson or a more somber Quirt Evans.

I like Hondo. It's not a great film like Red River or The Searchers, but it does explore the lonely existence of a woman living in the back of beyond. It also explores the way in which a semi-tamed man becomes a father substitute and good husband, something Ethan Edwards would never become.

Geraldine Page shines like a new penny in this, her first film. She won an Academy Award nomination for her role in Hondo, and she deserved it.

Hondo is a man who is hardened by experience but still capable of understanding, compassion and love. He also works HARD. It's fun to see John Wayne with nails in his mouth, shoeing a horse!

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