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Ralph 2013-06-18 11:01:47

the DUKE nuff said

this movie is enjoyable from start to finish and the cast is wonderful dean martin is good as the drunken sherriff and rickey nelson is good as the young gun slick and of course John Wayne as the wandering gunfighter fighting against the rich land baron and last but not least the young and lovely Angie Dickinson as the love interest

2013-06-17 13:38:12

The Duke at the top of his form!

Stars the Duke and sidekicks Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson and Walter Brennan-- also Angie Dickinson, and Ward Bond (all too briefly). The Duke has the local cattle baron's murderin', no-account brother in jail. The federal marshal is comin' to pick the rascal up for a quick trip to Presidio and a hangin'. The cattle baron wants murderin' brother out of jail. Result? Mayhem ensues! Great Dimitri Tiomkin soundtrack.On that note, this film preceded what the Duke hoped would be his biggest and best movie, _The Alamo_. Catch the interplay between the Duke and Nelson as the cantina band strikes up what Dimitri Tiomkin imagined as _Deguello_, the Mexican bugle call of, "no quarter," heard again and at greater length in, _The Alamo_.Any fan of the Duke will enjoy this one!

2013-06-17 02:50:25

Classic movie

This review is from: Rio Bravo (DVD) Who doesn't enjoy a classic John Wayne movie? I ordered this classic for my father in-law. It is one of our favorite John Wayne classics.

bkoganbing 2013-06-16 16:44:37

"You Can Do Just About Anything You Want To, Chance."

Howard Hawks initially wanted to reunite John Wayne and MontgomeryClift who had worked so well together in Red River in his second filmwith Wayne. Clift however was at the beginning of the slide that wouldultimately destroy him in seven years and said no. It was then thatDean Martin was cast as John Wayne's alcoholic deputy. By the way if Clift had done the part it would have reunited him withWalter Brennan also who is playing a very similar part to the one hedid in Red River in relation to Wayne.In the wordless beginning of Rio Bravo, Wayne while going into the townsaloon to fetch Dino, witnesses a cold blooded killing perpetrated byClaude Akins. Akins is the no good brother of rich rancher John Russellwho keeps trying to spring Akins from Wayne's jail. He also brings insome hired guns who bottle the town up.Both Howard Hawks and John Wayne absolutely hated High Noon and madeRio Bravo as their answer to it. This sheriff doesn't go around beggingfor help from the townspeople he's sworn to protect. He's supposed tobe good enough to handle the job himself with some help from only a fewgood men.Dean Martin said that the Rio Bravo role for him was one of the mostdifficult. At that time he was playing a drunk on stage and was not yetinto the substance abuse problems that beset him later on. But turns ina stellar performance.This film marked the farewell feature film performance of Ward Bond whotook some time from his Wagon Train TV series to play the small role ofa Wayne friend who offers to help and gets killed for his trouble.Fitting it should be in the starring film of his best friend JohnWayne.The only bad note in Rio Bravo is that of Ricky Nelson who is too muchthe nice kid from Ozzie and Harriet to suggest being a young gun. ButRio Bravo marked the first of many films Wayne used a current teenageidol to insure box office. Later on Frankie Avalon, Fabian, BobbyVinton all the way down to Ron Howard in The Shootist brought a youngeraudience in for the Duke. James Caan who played the Ricky Nelson part in El Dorado was muchsuperior to Nelson. Then again, Caan is an actor. But I will say thatDean and Ricky sung real pretty.When you hear Dean singing My Rifle, Pony, and Me in the jailhouse, youmight recognize the same melody from Red River as Settle Down. DimitriTiomkin wrote it and Dean recorded it as well as the title song forCapitol records. At Capitol Dino did mostly ersatz Italian ballads, itwas what he was identified with. When he switched to Reprise, Dinostarted doing far more country and western and it really starts withthe songs he did in Rio Bravo.Rio Bravo is a leisurely paced western, probably one of the slowestJohn Wayne ever did. But Howard Hawks created some characters and astory that hold the interest through out.

ola svensson 2013-06-16 21:11:06

The greatest western movie ever

This is The duke´s and the whole western genre´s greatest movie ever. JohnWayne is doing his parade role of the rough sheriff and Dean Martin makesthe role of a drunk that stops drinking in order to help the sheriff.WalterBrennan is playing the role of "Stumpy", the limping deputy who always getupset with John´s character. This movie has it all, the big gunfight intheend, Dean´s marvellous effort in playing the character of thedrunk.

2013-06-16 00:50:55

Great Movie

Best western ever...good story, wonderfully acted, small doses of humor and even singing and Walter Brennan!Doesn't get much better

2013-06-15 11:31:54

Great movie.

This review is from: Rio Bravo (DVD) I never get tired of watching John Wayne movies over and over. Especially a movie with Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson..... I may only be 30 years old but I remember my mom and her parents listening to Dean Martin music and Ricky Nelson songs all the time growing up. Rat Pack fan in the making as a kid. :D Both my grandpa's are big John Wayne fans and enjoy his movies, to this day my dads dad is 96 years old and loves listening to old Dean Martin and watching John Wayne movies.

2013-06-14 21:16:19

Excellent

This review is from: Rio Bravo (DVD) Awesome John Wayne classic movie i have seen it many time over the years on tv but i have never seen the entire uncut verson so i figured i would add it to my collection

2013-06-14 11:33:26

The complete deal

Rio Bravo is a complete movie experience, drama, humor, romance, music, a real plot and it is carried off with ease. The cast is superb and the settings are great. Dude, Stumpy and Colorado are a great support team for JW and Angie Dickenson is great as Feathers the romantic interest. At 141 minutes it is a long movie but you won't realize it until the afternoon or evening is gone before you know it. This movie is now my 9 year old daughter's favorite and she is relentless in choosing it when she gets the chance.

2013-06-14 02:12:50

The Duke Prevails

This review is from: Rio Bravo (DVD) A typical Western with John Wayne and George "Gabby" Hayes.I had forgotten how good it was when it first came out.Highlights with Rick Nelson, and Dean Martin singing also.What more can you ask for- comedy, drama, a dab of violenceand good triumphs over evil in the end.

2013-06-11 20:11:29

great print and extras disc

This review is from: Rio Bravo (Two-Disc Special Edition) (DVD) great print and extras discgreat print and extras discgreat print and extras discgreat print and extras discgreat print and extras disc.great print and extras disc

2013-06-11 17:11:10

Rio Bravo

Hawks's colorful, exciting western boasts an archetypal, larger-than-life turn from the Duke, and perhaps Martin's finest acting job ever as Dude. Film neatly blends pathos, suspense, comedy, even songs to create top-notch entertainment. Look also for Ricky Nelson as Colorado (he and Dino get to croon together), and the leggy, alluring Angie Dickinson as Feathers, a young woman with her eye on Chance. Bravo indeed.

cordaro9418 2013-06-10 23:53:51

Two Crooners and ole' Dusty Britches...

If you were to think 'great western film', you'd start with Wayne,probably add Ward Bond and maybe even Brennan... but Dean Martin andRicky Nelson? Well, a great western you get.Nothing too dramatic, nothing too over the top, just a really wellpaced and flowing film that keeps you moving start to finish.Sure, Martin also has some meaty acting credits... and Nelson was doingwell at the time, but they lend a fine hand to this dusty little Hawksfilm.Excellent popcorn film.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU 2013-06-10 11:06:52

Nothing special to bring this film out dead or alive

A mythic film that does not really deserve it. It is the simplesituation of the good-for-nothing brother of an important rancher inTexas. This brother kills someone out of spite and drunkenness and heis put in goal. His rich rancher of a brother sends his troops to gethim out. That's the story of the siege of the prison, and the city, andhow they are all going to be killed, on the bad guys' side. The touchof romance is nothing but a minuscule touch in a sea of brush strokes.John Wayne and his fellow crooners Dean Martin and company are doingwhat they can on a rather bad simple story with no plot or nearly noplot. John Wayne walks extremely badly for a sheriff as if he had adouble and inverted rotation of the vertebrae. A society has the heroesit deserves.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, UniversityParis 8 Saint Denis, University Paris 12 Créteil, CEGID

davetex 2013-06-09 11:57:44

The ultimate western

If there is a better opening to a movie than the scene where Dean Martinistrying to cadge a drink in the saloon and John Wayne prevents him fromfishing a silver dollar out of the spitoon, I haven't seen it. Not a wordisspoken, but the story is clear and immediately grabs you.Martin never made a better movie and it was one of Wayne's best. Thesupporting cast is a perfect fit.The only dumbass scene is Martin and Ricky Nelson singing songs in thejailhouse, and what the hell, Dean always sang in his movies.This one is a keeper.

2013-06-09 00:40:48

One of the finest Westerns ever made.

Rio Bravo is the epitome of the buddy Western. Film critic Robin Wood once called it the film that justifies the existence of Hollywood. The close feeling among the characters is every bit as deep as that portrayed in the 1993 Tombstone without the blatancy. The performances are on target and believable and, in spite of the film's length, it's tightness keeps the viewer enmeshed. Though Rio Bravo is unquestionably a "John Wayne movie," Howard Hawks himself said that the story belonged to Dude (Dean Martin) and, in his first serious Western role, the singer justified the risk taken by Hawks with a brilliant performance that was completely true. He did not take a false step. The film is also the last pairing of friends John Wayne and Ward Bond, and holds a sparkling performance by Angie Dickinson. Walter Brennan re-creates the crusty old codger role that he made his own and Ricky Nelson is a believable, if low-key, young gunman. If the villainous roles are not well-drawn, the actors make the most of what is there. Memorable performances, memorable lines and a classic theme make this film a must-watch. END

2013-06-07 04:15:46

A Western Classic

During the first five minutes of 'Rio Bravo,' not one word is spoken. None are necessary. Director Howard Hawks masterfully gives us a story that needs no dialogue as a strung-out deputy named Dude (Dean Martin) walks into a bar, desperately seeking a drink. Tough-guy Joe Burdett (Claude Akins) toys with Dude and humiliates him. When the dust settles, Burdett has killed a man and is arrested by the town sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne). Now behind bars, Burdett makes it clear that his brother and friends will be in town to break him out of jail and settle the score with the sheriff. Chance weighs his few options as he tries to prepare himself for a showdown with Burdett's gang. What does Chance have in his corner? A drunk deputy and a crippled jailer aptly named Stumpy (Walter Brennan). 'Rio Bravo,' as others have mentioned, is not a study of a man in trouble as in 'High Noon,' or a look at hate and revenge as in 'The Searchers.' No, 'Rio Bravo' is a Western more interested in pure entertainment. Consider both the elements of and the actors in the film: In 1959 John Wayne was still a major box-office attraction. Dean Martin had of course appeared in many films (Who could forget his comedies with Jerry Lewis?), but was essentially a singer who also made movies. Although Martin has some surprisingly good moments in the film, I suspect he was cast to appeal to the thirties and older female audience. For the younger female audience, there's Ricky Nelson. No stranger to acting (Remember the Ozzie and Harriet show?), Nelson appears in the film basically as a marketing ploy: He gets to sing two songs with Martin. (He even makes a pitch to the 1959 audiences in the trailer.) Then there's Walter Brennan, who is one of the all-time wonderful characters in the movies. I love him, but Stumpy begins to wear very thin as the film progresses. A very young Angie Dickinson appears in the film, but the longer she is onscreen, the less interesting her character becomes. You'd think from reading this review that I didn't like the film at all. I do like it, but I think that for the reasons mentioned above, it strays from becoming a great Western and settles instead for being a good, entertaining film that wants to appeal to a wide audience. So is this a classic that has stood the test of time? I'm not sure. In my mind, it can't approach some of the great westerns of all time like 'The Searchers,' 'Shane,' 'Red River,' 'She Wore A Yellow Ribbon,' '3:10 to Yuma,' 'High Noon,' or even 'Unforgiven.' But you could certainly do a lot worse. Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes

gftbiloxi 2013-06-06 20:39:08

Enjoyable Wayne Western

Director Howard Hawks and actor John Wayne must have thought the storyeffective, for they essentially remade RIO BRAVO twice more, first asEL DORADO in 1967 and then as RIO LOBO in 1970. In this particularversion, Dean Martin is a run-down sheriff who has lost allself-respect and is busy drinking his way to the bottom of thebarrel--but old friend John Wayne drifts into town and soon sets aboutwhipping him into shape. With old-timer Walter Brennan and youngsterRicky Nelson at their sides, and with a little support from AngieDickinson, they clean up the town.As the first of the three versions, RIO BRAVO generally receives themost approval--but although enjoyable, I have always felt it comparesunfavorably with EL DORADO. Both films have a relaxed tone, neatlymixing the western-style action with healthy doses of enjoyable comedy,but of the two RIO BRAVO seems much looser in both script and executionand somewhat less well cast. Then pop-star Ricky Nelson is cast in aneffort to appeal to teenagers, and believe it or not the film comes toa grinding halt that he might perform the obligatory song; in themeantime, the usually expert Angie Dickinson is broadsided by some ofthe worst dialogue this side of the Pecos.Even so, Wayne and Martin play very well and have considerablechemistry--certainly more than enough to hold your interest rightthrough to the end--and although the film sometimes feels slow, whenthe action kicks in it kicks in hard and with plenty of excitement.Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

2013-06-04 22:17:09

Don't Toss Your Original!

Granted, it's light on extras and is packaged in a cheesy snapper case. But I own both this and the new, remastered release and I, for one (and I seem not to be alone) think that this print looks better. The colors manage to look both saturated and natural (it was, after all, shot in Technicolor), the print is anamorphic, the sound is fine, and there's a printed chapter index--what more do you want? The new print is a LOT darker, with everyone looking as though they'd hit the Coppertone QT with a heavy hand, i.e., they're all orange. The new sets have lots of cool extras, but if you like your people flesh-toned and your horses brown, stick with this one.

Gene Crokus 2013-06-04 09:28:44

Duke Doing What H Does Best

Of all the westerns John Wayne made, some of his later work was prettyhigh on the entertainment scale, but not necessarily having muchsubstance. "Rio Bravo" may be the best example of the Duke standingvigourously, surrounded by a group of likable cronies, against theodds. I say standing because that is all that was required of him bythis point in his career, and that is almost exactly what we see.As to the story, Sheriff John Chance (Wayne) has the task of seeing amurder suspect – well, not really much of a suspect, we see him do it –is held until a trial can be held. His accomplices are Dude (DeanMartin), a souse that was once a solid citizen and handy with a gun; arookie called Colorado (Ricky Nelson) who is quick on the draw andcoolly capable; an old-timer going by the name of Stumpy (WalterBrennan) and what seems an afterthought, the stage passenger thatstayed in town – Feathers (Angie Dickinson).The trials and tribulations this ensemble sallies against isformidable. The prisoner is the brother of a powerful local rancher, sothere is every possibility of an abetted escape attempt. To that endhired guns begin to cause mayhem in town, so there is never a peacefulmoment.This is all western fun at its best. No one would expect high art here,but there is plenty of action (not compared to the latest chase movies,honest) but there is a story that one want to see through.I have heard and read that this movie was Howard Hawks' answer to "HighNoon". There is much documentation to the effect that Wayne hated "HighNoon" as well. Well, I like this movie much better than the overrated"High Noon" - there's are an awful lot of uneventful moments with onlysome pretty good action at the end. At least in "Rio Bravo" situationsoccur with some regularity.At this point in his career Wayne was commanding big salaries anddarned if he didn't deserve it. His mere presence was box office gold,and the studios knew it. The Duke worked quite hard to preserve hisimage and this is another example of how he carefully nurtured "thebrand" – he may even have been king of the G-rated movies.Three Stars.