Rio Lobo (1970)

After the Civil War, Cord McNally searches for the traitor whose treachery 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
Jennifer O'Neill	...	Shasta Delaney
Jack Elam	...	Phillips
Christopher Mitchum	...	Sgt. Tuscarora Phillips
Victor French	...	Ketcham
Susana Dosamantes	...	María Carmen
Sherry Lansing	...	Amelita
David Huddleston	...	Dr. Jones
Mike Henry	...	Sheriff Tom Hendricks
Bill Williams	...	Sheriff Pat Cronin
Jim Davis	...	Riley
Dean Smith	...	Bide
Robert Donner	...	Whitey Carter
George Plimpton	...	4th Gunman

Storyline

Colonel Cord McNally, an ex-Union Officer teams up with a couple of ex-Confederate Rebels 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, for whom they were looking.

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Plot Keywords:

shot to death | facial scar | capture | police corruption | corrupt sheriff | 

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Taglines:

Give 'Em Hell, John.

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Genres:

Adventure | Romance | War | Western

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA Mexico

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

18 December 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

San Timoteo

Filming Locations:

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinema Center Films, Batjac Productions, Malabar

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The ending underwent some changes when Howard Hawks became disenchanted with his leading lady. Jennifer O'Neill had been a top model with small roles in a couple of previous movies when he cast her in this film. He later said the leading role went to her head and, although still a relative unknown, she arrived on-set with an entourage and the attitude of a major star. Hawks became so fed up with what he perceived as her uncooperative nature and lack of experience, that he cut her out of the ending, and gave her lines to Sherry Lansing. Not that he left Lansing alone, either. She has noted how he made her lower her voice and tailor her image to be a reflection of Lauren Bacall. "He attempted to control every aspect of your life, how you dressed, what you did in your spare time. In his world, you were required to be the image, not the person."

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Goofs

In the hotel scene when the Sheriff calls out to McNally "look out " He calls him Troy, his name in the film is Cord.

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Quotes

Cord McNally: Whitey's *dead*.
Phillips: [delighted] *That's* the best news I heared all *year*! Who killed 'im?
Cord McNally: [referring to Shasta] *She* did!
Phillips: [amazed] Well, I'll be a suck-egg mule-! Legs like *that*, and she can *shoot*, too!

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Connections

Remake of Rio Bravo (1959)

User Reviews

Not quite as bad as people make out

After an excellent start with the train ambush, the movie loses steam and never really picks up, an unhappy way for a great director like Hawks to bow out. But I did not get too bored and was happy enough to stick it out to the end, even though the writing is too flat and derivative with echos of half a dozen better movies. Rivero lacks the charisma that could have helped to save things but I do not think O'Neill is as bad as some reviewers claim – not expressive enough with her dialogue at this stage but I think you can see the spark that gave her a respectable career in movies. But, as usual, Wayne saves the day. Even in a disappointing movie like this, that enormous screen presence reminds you just what a great star he was.