"Sorry don't get it done, Dude." Sheriff John T. Chance

This entertaining film came to mind after viewing Bad Day at Black Rock and reflecting on High Noon, two films Hollywood advanced to gain sympathy for itself in the wake of the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings of the '40s and '50s. I also recently viewed Assault on Precinct 13, but more on that later...

First, a bit of history: The House Un-American Activities Committee, characterized as "Witch Hunts" in the popular press, dedicated itself to ferreting out communism in the United States. Because of Hollywood's high profile it is one of the best-remembered "victims" of the "Red Scare" (and seemingly never tires of reminding us of it!).

It should be recalled that it was the height of the Cold War and communism was perceived to be a very real threat to the security of America. To be fair to the government, it also should be recalled that communism advocated overthrow of the United States government by force or other means. In the committee's view, therefore, to be a communist was to be an enemy of America... Over two hundred writers, directors, actors and other Hollywood workers lost their jobs due to their alleged communist ties.

While High Noon and Bad Day at Black Rock carried the hidden subtext of self-pity for the Left, Rio Bravo was a counterstrike by champions of the Right, Howard Hawks and John Wayne, both sides using the familiar Western genre to advance their views.

Back to the movie: Director Howard Hawks wanted to show strong, manly, self-reliant (what he considered "American values") characters after viewing the weak, craven, and dependent characters depicted in Fred Zinneman's High Noon.

To personify these values he chose John Wayne, an actor he had collaborated with ten years before on the very successful Red River. Wayne was at the height of his career and was able to relax within his characters and give them foibles and depth, something very few critics have given him credit for. Wayne, rather than being "on" every minute, also allowed his subordinate characters room to breathe, and this creates problems with running length, although it is a very admirable trait for a superstar to have.

As support for the he-man Wayne, Hawks populated his landscape with actors the like of Dean Martin, Walter Brennan, and Angie Dickinson. He also cast Claude Akins as the villain, but Akins is a little too genial a type to radiate genuine menace. He also threw Ozzie and Harriett's son Ricky, into the mix to generate teen interest. It was the early years of rock 'n' roll and it would never hurt to capitalize on that market segment. As it was, Ricky's performance was OK, not a strong characterization by any means, but likeable.

The action takes place in Rio Bravo, specifically in the Rio Bravo jail where Sheriff John T. Chance (Wayne) has locked up murderer Akins. Chance is holding Akins until the marshal comes, six days hence. In the meantime, he is expecting trouble from Akins' brother and gang. As help, Chance has the gimpy deputy Stumpy (Walter Brennan). Stumpy spends most of his time barricaded in the jail cell with his long tom shotgun. Town drunk Dude (Dean Martin) also joins forces with Chance, as does drifter Colorado (Ricky Nelson). Angie Dickinson, as the obligatory saloon girl Feathers, adds a generous helping of pulchritude and grit into the enjoyable mix.

Dean Martin and Walter Brennan, to a lesser extent, provide the most memorable performances in Rio Bravo. Martin's recovering drunk and Brennan's crotchety old man add a lot of pathos and humor into the experience. Martin, Nelson, and Brennan provide a musical interlude that is quite pleasant part way through the film. Wayne, of course, does his dependable excellent characterization, adding blows from his rifle barrel to his repertoire of cowboy tricks seen in earlier films. Angie Dickinson rounds out the main cast and together the actors make a relaxed enjoyable treat out of what could have been a rather typical Western.

Rio Bravo has continued to gain stature through the years and is considered by many critics to be one of Howard Hawks' very finest pictures. This is not faint praise when you consider that Hawks made Scarface, The Big Sleep, Sergeant York, Red River, and many other extremely memorable films. Hawks also used the same premise to make El Dorado and Rio Lobo while John Carpenter remade Rio Bravo as the extremely gritty modern day thriller Assault on Precinct 13.

In my opinion, Rio Bravo suffers from excessive length, which happened in a few John Wayne films, but that is a forgivable sin in such an otherwise pleasing film. Rio Bravo deserves an honest four stars, and that is very good indeed.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening