"Rio Grande" was the third chapter of director John Ford's cavalry trilogy, after "Fort Apache" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon". Much of the cast and crew from those features returns, including John Wayne, comic relief Victor McLaglen, Jack Pennick, and writer James Warner Bellah.

"Rio Grande" is set at a remote, understaffed fort near the Mexican border in 1879. Lt. Col. Yorke (John Wayne) is facing an uprising of Apache Indians, who emerge from protected villages in Mexico for hit and run attacks. Yorke's young son has failed West Point and enlisted to prove his manhood, by coincidence assigned to his father's command. Wayne's estranged wife Kathleen (Maureen O'Hara) arrives to claim her underaged son from the Army, and rekindle romance with Wayne. Meanwhile, Tyree (Ben Johnson) is wanted for Manslaughter, and there are several songs from the impressive 'Sons of the Pioneers'.

"Rio Grande" is better than "Fort Apache" and about equal to "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" in quality. Competently directed, with a fine cast and cinematography, the film is surprisingly sentimental but sometimes drags. As usual in Ford films, the Indians are faceless savages, with audience sympathy intended for the cavalry soldiers.

Claude Jarman Jr. is well-cast for the role of Wayne's son. He looks the boy his character is supposed to be, and conveys the earnest and determined character traits necessary for the role. The father-son/commander-recruit/ guerilla-war theme was previously used in "Lives of a Bengal Lancer" from 1935, another film in which the son has to perform heroic feats to win the respect of his father.

Trivia: John Wayne's son Patrick makes his film debut. John Ford used "Rio Grande" as a bargaining chip for "The Quiet Man", with Republic Studios willing to gamble on the latter film only if a sure-winner Western was made first. Wayne, O'Hara and McLaglen would star in the superior "The Quiet Man", which turned out to be a hit after all. (68/100)




Recommended: Yes