Rio Bravo (1959)

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

Jules Furthman (screenplay) and
Leigh Brackett (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 April 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

John Wayne The big guy with the battered hat... and Dean Martin the ragged woman-wrecked castoff called Dude... and Ricky Nelson The rockin' babyfaced gunfisted kid... And Time Was Running Out Through Bullet Holes At Howard Hawks' "Rio Bravo"

Plot:

A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a cripple, a drunk, and a young gunfighter...

Plot Keywords:

Blood | Prisoner Exchange | Shot In The Back | Shot In The Leg | Drunk Scene

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 26

12:00 PM

AMC

Cast

John Wayne	...	Sheriff John T. Chance
Dean Martin	...	Dude ('Borachón')
Ricky Nelson	...	Colorado Ryan
Angie Dickinson	...	Feathers
Walter Brennan	...	Stumpy
Ward Bond	...	Pat Wheeler
John Russell	...	Nathan Burdette
Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez	...	Carlos Robante (as Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez)
Estelita Rodriguez	...	Consuela Robante
Claude Akins	...	Joe Burdette
Malcolm Atterbury	...	Jake (stage driver)
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Harold (scenes deleted)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sheb Wooley	...	Cowboy (scenes deleted)
Walter Barnes	...	Charlie (bartender) (uncredited)
Nesdon Booth	...	Bit part (uncredited)
George Bruggeman	...	Clem (uncredited)
Yakima Canutt	...	Gunman on horse (uncredited)
Jose Cuchillo	...	Pedro (uncredited)
Robert Donner	...	(uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	2nd Burdette man in shootout (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Card player (uncredited)
Myron Healey	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Riley Hill	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Eugene Iglesias	...	1st Burdette man in shootout (uncredited)
Gordon Mitchell	...	Bar Cowboy - Watching fist fight (uncredited)
Tom Monroe	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	...	Gunman (uncredited)
Bing Russell	...	Cowboy murdered in saloon (uncredited)
Joseph Shimada	...	Burt (undertaker) (uncredited)
Dean Smith	...	Card-Playing Burdette Henchman (uncredited)
Bob Steele	...	Matt Harris (Burdette gunman) (uncredited)
Ted White	...	Bit part (uncredited)

Directed by
Howard Hawks

Writing credits
Jules Furthman		(screenplay) and
Leigh Brackett		(screenplay)
B.H. McCampbell		(short story)

Produced by
Howard Hawks	....	producer

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Russell Harlan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Folmar Blangsted

Art Direction by
Leo K. Kuter

Set Decoration by
Ralph S. Hurst

Costume Design by
Marjorie Best

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Helmick	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Robert B. Lee	....	sound

Stunts
Bill Babcock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Byrne	....	stunt double: Ricky Nelson (uncredited)
Yakima Canutt	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Fred Graham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Gray	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Hudkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Terhune	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ted White	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack N. Young	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Doran	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	conductor

Production Companies

• Armada Productions (as An Armada Production)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (presents)
• Action Gitanes (1999) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1959) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Germany) (DVD) (special edition)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 (2007) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (certificate #19034) | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | France:U (re-release) | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | UK:U (original rating) (cut)

Filming Locations:

Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Company:

Armada Productions

Trivia:

The sets in Old Tucson are built to 7/8th scale, so the performers look larger than life.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Chance and Colorado are walking Joe along the street for the hostage exchange, their shadows change length drastically between one part of the street and the next.

Quotes:

[first lines]
John T. Chance: Joe, you're under arrest.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Angel: Dad (#3.10)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Cindy

Excellent, Character Led Western

I had to comment on this as the only other comment said it was too long and too dull. I recorded it for my father, who is a western fan, and watched it with him and my wife.

The movie has charismatic performances from Wayne and especially Walter Brennan as the old deputy. He made us laugh out loud several times. True it isn't all action, but more about characters. Ricky Nelson did okay, no Oscars here but a competent enough piece of acting as a young, brash cowboy.

Angie Dickinson plays the love interest and boy was she gorgeous in those days! OK so the Duke was cracking on a bit for the young and lovely Angie to fall in love with him, but there wasn't much else in the town to fancy and some women like older men!

Very enjoyable Western. I gave it 8/10.