Red River (1948)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Directors:

Howard Hawks
Arthur Rosson (co-director)

Writers:

Borden Chase (screenplay) and
Charles Schnee (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 August 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Action | Adventure

Tagline:

Greatest Spectacle Ever!

Plot:

Dunson is driving his cattle to Red River when his adopted son, Matthew, turns against him.

Plot Keywords:

Cattle | Texas | Cattle Drive | Kansas | River Crossing

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

US Showtimes:

(register to personalize)

Cast

John Wayne	...	Thomas Dunson
Montgomery Clift	...	Matthew 'Matt' Garth
Joanne Dru	...	Tess Millay
Walter Brennan	...	'Groot' Nadine
Coleen Gray	...	Fen (also as Colleen Gray)
Harry Carey	...	Mr. Melville (as Harry Carey Sr.)
John Ireland	...	Cherry Valance
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Buster McGee
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Dan Latimer
Chief Yowlachie	...	Quo
Paul Fix	...	Teeler Yacey
Hank Worden	...	Simms Reeves
Mickey Kuhn	...	Matt, as a boy
Ray Hyke	...	Walt Jergens
Hal Taliaferro	...	Old Leather (as Hal Talliaferro)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lane Chandler	...	Colonel (uncredited)
Davison Clark	...	Mr. Meeker (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	...	Dunston Rider (uncredited)
Paul Fierro	...	Fernandez (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Rider with Mr. Melville (uncredited)
Pierce Lyden	...	Colonel's Trail Boss (uncredited)
John Merton	...	Settler (uncredited)
Ivan Parry	...	Bunk Kenneally (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Gambler (uncredited)
William Self	...	Sutter - Wounded Wrangler (uncredited)
Glenn Strange	...	Naylor (uncredited)
Tom Tyler	...	The Quitter (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Laredo (uncredited)
Shelley Winters	...	Dance Hall Girl in Wagon Train (uncredited)

Directed by
Howard Hawks
Arthur Rosson		(co-director)

Writing credits
Borden Chase		(screenplay) and
Charles Schnee		(screenplay)
Borden Chase		(The Saturday Evening Post story)

Produced by
Howard Hawks	....	producer
Charles K. Feldman	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Russell Harlan		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Christian Nyby

Art Direction by
John Datu		(as John Datu Arensma)

Makeup Department
Lee Greenway	....	makeup artist
Dotha Hippe	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Norman A. Cook	....	production manager (as Norman Cook)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William McGarry	....	assistant director
Arthur Siteman	....	assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Sound Department
Richard DeWeese	....	sound
Larry Gannon	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Donald Steward	....	special effects
Allen Q. Thompson	....	special photographic effects (as Allan Thompson)

Stunts
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ben Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Kennedy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Danny Sands	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas Thompson	....	grip (uncredited)

Music Department
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	musical director
Vinton Vernon	....	music recorder
Lucien Cailliet	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Jester Hairston	....	choral director (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Howard Hawks	....	presenter
Sid Davis	....	stand-in: John Wayne (uncredited)
Bobbie Sierks	....	script clerk (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Charles K. Feldman Group (uncredited)
• Monterey Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists Corporation (1948) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1948) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1948) (Canada) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1948) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1948) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1951) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The River Is Red (USA) (working title)
La rivière rouge (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
Panik am roten Fluß (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Red River (Austria) (Germany) [de]
De rode rivier (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
Fiume rosso (Italy) [it]
Ha-Nahar Ha-Adom (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Kanli nehir (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
O Rio Vermelho (Portugal) [pt]
Punainen virta (Finland) [fi]
Río rojo (Spain) [es]
Red River (Denmark) [da]
Rio Vermelho (Brazil) [pt]
Rzeka czerwona (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | West Germany:12 (nf) | Sweden:15 (cut) | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 | Norway:16 | USA:Unrated | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Elgin, Arizona, USA

Company:

Charles K. Feldman Group

Trivia:

Howard Hawks was distressed by John Ireland's unprofessional and lecherous behavior during filming, which were partially due to the actor's alcoholism. This contributed to Ireland's part, "Cherry Valance", being drastically reduced in the finished film. At one point, Cary Grant was in consideration for the part (he turned it down).

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the end of the movie, John Wayne is shot. After a fight with Montgomery Clift, Wayne is miraculously well again.

Quotes:

Nadine Groot: He didn't know about money, Matt. He never had none. He didn't know what to do.
Matt Garth: You mean he just doesn't know who to fight.
Nadine Groot: Yeah.
Matt Garth: Well that's all right.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "SexTV: Legacy of the Cowboy/Blazing Saddles/Pony Play (#7.5)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Settle Down

Benchmark Western

You don't have to use up too much of your imagination to get into and to appreciate this Epic, Howard Hawks does a manificent job in bringing to us a story that depicts the strengths ( and weaknesses ) of early pioneers in the American West. In Red River, Hawks clearly makes us aware of the hardships and loneliness settlers experienced doing their thing, particularly on cattle drives. John Wayne, as always in his element astride a horse, does a great job portraying the single minded cattle Baron Tom Dunson. He looked comfortable in the role with all his regulars like Harry Carey Snr. and Jnr,.Hank Worden and Walter Brennan around him and, along with Hawks is responsible for the Movie being as good as it is. You could almost taste the dust and sweat as Dunson bullies his way along the cattle drive, ignoring advice, doing what a man has to do and saying often, ' I'll read over them in the mornin ', then, being left in the dust himself after his men and his adopted son Matthew Garth...... played by Mongomery Clift.... decide they've had enough. We always knew they'd meet up with each other again, and when they did....what a showdown! Dunson catches up with them in Abeline, gets off his horse when he sees Garth and bullies his way again, this time through a herd of cattle to get to him. That walk Wayne makes amongst the cows is a classic. For a big guy he's got a lot of balance, never losing his stride as he forces his way through the herd, turns, draws and fires at Cherry Valance....played by another resident bad guy of the era, John Ireland....gets hit with a bullet from Valance, crosses the railway track then proceeds to beat up on the only man game enough to stand up to him, and in the process gets a bit of a pasting himself. Fantastic stuff!! Both Clift and Brennan, who played Dunson's old friend Groot Nadine give fine supporting roles, particularly Brennan with his excellent narrative throughout the Movie. Made in 1948, Red River is a great Western and perhaps had much to do in setting standards for others to follow.