User Reviews

Although I am not particularly fond of westerns, I saw this movie since I had heard much about it from many people. It is true that a lot of westerns show the wild lives of cowboys overdoing with cruelty. RIO GRANDE, however, is a different story. It is not only a western but a highly educational movie which combines all precious values in life, some of which do not necessarily go in harmony, including honor, love, the feeling of duty, grandeur, and psychological reflections. Moreover, as a film, it is supplied with highly prestigious cinematography, memorable music, and, most importantly, great cast. But there is something more that makes Ford's film really memorable - the characters presented very clearly. But why such a title? While watching the movie, one clearly notices that the title RIO GRANDE does not only refer to the famous river that separated the cavalrymen from Indians in Mexico, but has wider metaphorical extensions.

The characters are very well developed throughout. Lieutanant Kirby Yorke (John Wayne), a northerner, lost the family 15 years earlier but never gives up finding a chance to rebuild the old relationship with his southern wife, Kathleen (Maureen O'Hara) and their son Jeff. His "rio grande" is duties and strict orders that make a barrier for a happy life within the family. Kathleen Yorke tries to get her son out of the cavalry; however, Jeff decides to protect honor rather than his comfort. She also aims at rebuilding the family ties with Kirby but is aware that it requires much sacrifice. Their relationship is built upon a high respect for the freedom of both and a very delicate love between a man and a woman. Jeff (Claude Jarman), their son, attempts to do right and seeks for the honorable deeds. The blink of ambition in his eyes is noticeable in every scene with him. There are also other characters that the movie shows in a very psychological light (consider Travis Tyree played by Ben Johnson).

The cast give memorable performances but the pair of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara shine above all. Wayne seems to have been born for the role and, although he played in two previous parts of John Ford's cavalry trilogy (FORT APACHE and SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON), he gives his best performance in RIO GRANDE. Wayne wonderfully emphasizes grandeur, feeling of duty and a husband who reflects on his past mistakes in marriage. Maureen O'Hara has something aristocratic in her behavior as well as in her appearance, which helps her portray a southern lady who used to live a rich life on a plantation. She also stresses her attempts to rebuild the past mistakes; however, she seems to be driven by completely different factors.

Music is absolutely wonderful for this genre. The ballads supply the movie with sentimental mood. Yes, they are deadly sentimental, but they in no way make you sad but rather lifted to high emotions. Here comes to my mind a very poetic scene when Wayne and O'Hara are serenaded by troop soldiers on one moonlit night. Their faces strongly express profound emotions and nostalgia for the better life together. This is so well played that anybody who sees the pair will be able to deduce some reflections from their faces.

Some people said that the Apaches are showed as real monsters in RIO GRANDE. It is important to state here that they are showed exactly in the way they were perceived rather than what they were really like. These were very "wild" tribes in the eyes of the white people and that is what the film shows. As a matter of fact, both the Apaches and the cavalrymen defended their values and John Ford did not forget about it.

And coming back to the thrilling atmosphere of the movie, there is one more aspect that needs to be mentioned - the locations. The Monument Valley supplies the scenes with authenticity as well as drives viewers into a wonderful mood. It simply leaves an unfading trace in memory as do the cast, the content, and everything about RIO GRANDE.

What to say at the end?... The last part of Ford's cavalry trilogy, though 55 years old, is a classic attempt to bring all that is valuable onto screen - HISTORY MEETS SINGLE INDIVIDUALS! Aren't our lives constructed in such a way that we all have our own "rio grande", such a barrier that closes us from happiness? I leave this universal question open to every open minded reader as John Ford implicitly did more than 50 years ago to every open minded viewer. Anyway, the film is unarguably worth seeing!

Director John Ford's third and last film about the U.S. Cavalry (the others being 1948's "Fort Apache" and 1949's "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon"), "Rio Grande", was initially a minor project, done only to please the head of Republic Films, Herbert Yates, who wanted a marketable western before allowing Ford to make "The Quiet Man", a movie that in Yates' mind showed no promise (Of course, time would prove him wrong anyway). However, instead of delivering a throwaway film just to please his producers, Ford final "Cavalry film" was another step in his own evolution of the genre, as it included a new dimension to his Westerns by adding the family element to the picture.

"Rio Grande" stars John Wayne as Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke, a Union officer who has spent his time after the Civil War battling apache rebels in an Outspot in the Rio Grande. Suddenly, the life of this lonely man gives a 180° spin as he discovers that his son Jeff Yorke (Claude Jarman Jr.), whom he hasn't seen in 15 years, has joined the Cavalry and is assigned to his post. Things get even more complicated as his wife Kathleen (Maureen O'Hara) arrives too in order to get her son back, and in some way, recover the family she lost when the Civil War made her husband (a Northerner) her enemy. In the middle of this family drama, troubles arise as an Apache bandit is using three tribes to create chaos, and Yorke will have to decide between his two loves: the Cavalry or Kathleen.

Like the previous two Cavalry stories, "Rio Grande" was based on a story by James Warner Bellah, and despite sharing many elements with the past two films (like members of the cast and some character names), the three stories are not tied together and are basically stand alone films joined by a common theme. The story is more oriented to drama rather than to action, although it still gives the characters a chance to show off their riding skills. The element of the family adds a new dimension to Wayne's character, and the theme of division between families because of the Civil War is a nice touch that adds to the sexual tension between the main characters. The tag line reads "John Ford's Greatest Romantic Triumph" and this time it doesn't lie, this Western is a powerful melodrama that plays a different tune than other westerns.

Despite being a "minor" project, John Ford shows off his great talent turning this small modest movie into a wonderful film of epic proportions. His trademark cinematography shines in all its splendor and portrays Monument Valley with an unnatural beauty, and he keeps his film as historically accurate as possible (despite the use of some recently composed songs). The portrayal of the Native Americans, so demonized this days, it's actually realistic for its time, and Ford makes sure that it's stated that the Apaches are not evil per se, but leaded by a criminal rebel. His familiar themes like honor, sacrifice and responsibility (and being torn by them), are all present here, making a powerful and entertaining Western that even non-fans of the genre can appreciate.

I'm not very familiar with John Wayne, but in my opinion his performance was very good. His character is torn between the love he feels for his country and the love he feels for his family, and the guilt he feels for his actions during the Civil War makes him even more interesting; as if behind the macho image were a loving man tied by his duties. Maureen O'Hara is wonderful as Kathleen, and makes the perfect match for Wayne's troubled hero, my only complain would be that she looks a bit too young for the part. Ford regulars like Victor McLaglen, Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jr. also appear in supporting roles and have remarkable scenes (specially Johnson).

"Rio Grande" is a remarkably well-done film, mixing drama and action it definitely makes up for an entertaining evening. Most people (me included) have a certain prejudice towards pre-60s Westerns; while it's true that Westerns used to portray Native Americans in a bad light, one has to judge the films according to the times when they were done, and John Ford's Western are no exception (in fact, he seems to portray them in a relatively fairer way than other directors). While maybe outdated by today's standards, "Rio Grande" is definitely a masterpiece of the genre that deserves a chance before passing judgment over it.

Before watching "Rio Grande" I was not really familiar with John Ford's career (or John Wayne's), so I'm not biased towards the man and his work. "Rio Grande" has some problems, its true, but it's miles ahead of other Westerns of its time and is definitely a must-see for anyone interested in the history of cinema. 8/10

'Rio Grande', the last of director John Ford's 'unofficial' Cavalry Trilogy, has often been unfairly judged the 'weakest' of the three westerns. Certainly, it lacks the poetic quality of 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon', or the revisionist view of a thinly-disguised reworking of the events surrounding the death of George Armstrong Custer ('Fort Apache'), but for richness of detail, a sense of the camaraderie of cavalrymen, an 'adult' (in the best sense of the word) love story, and a symbolic 'rejoining' of North and South conclusion that may have you tapping your toe, 'Rio Grande' is hard to beat!

It is remarkable that 'Rio Grande' ever got to the screen; Ford hadn't planned to make it, but in order to get Republic Pictures to agree to his demands for 'The Quiet Man' (he wanted the film to be shot on location in Ireland, and in color), he had to agree to do a 'quickie' western that would turn a quick profit for the usually cash-strapped studio. This is, perhaps, a reason why the film is held in less esteem than it deserves. 'Rio Grande' may have not been born with high expectations, but with John Ford in the director's chair, and John Wayne and the Ford 'family' in the cast and crew, the potential for something 'special' was ALWAYS present!

A few bits of trivia to enhance your viewing pleasure: Yes, that IS Ken Curtis, singing with The Sons of the Pioneers, in the film...while uncredited, he made a favorable impression with Ford, and soon became a part of his 'family'...Ben Johnson, Harry Carey, Jr, and Claude Jarman, Jr, actually did their own stunts while performing the 'Roman Style' riding sequence (Carey said in interviews that they were all young, and didn't think about the danger of it; a production would lose their insurance if they 'allowed' three major performers to do something as risky, today!)...Did you know that O'Hara, playing Jarman's 'mother', was barely 14 years older than her 'son', and was only 29 at the time of the filming?...Harry Carey barely had any lines in the script; most of what you see in the film was ad-libbed!...the popular ditty, 'San Antoine', sung by Jarman, Carey, Johnson, and Curtis, was, in fact, written by Mrs. Roy Rogers, herself, Dale Evans!

Whether you're viewing 'Rio Grande' for the first time, or have sat through many viewings, the film has a richness and sense of nostalgia for a West that 'may never have existed, but SHOULD have'. It would be a proud addition to any collector's library!

For some reason, over the years I failed to see this particular John Ford western, thinking it was probably just another cavalry yarn and I'd seen so many of them I figured I'd let this one pass.

Wrong. It's now among my favorite John Ford westerns with both JOHN WAYNE and MAUREEN O'HARA giving really heartfelt performances as a husband and wife separated for some time, their only son (CLAUDE JARMAN, JR.) having just joined the regiment as a soldier under his father's command at an outpost being menaced by Apaches.

There's a jaunty, rollicking score by Victor Young that captures ballads of the Old West to provide some colorful background music, wonderful scenes of soldiers training under VICTOR McLAGLEN (at his crustiest and endearingly funny), BEN JOHNSON (wonderful as a man on the lam), and the breezily confident HARRY CAREY, JR. It's even got a story that has more than one theme running through it--the personal conflict between father and son, husband and wife, and how the young son (played extremely well by Claude Jarman, Jr.) has to prove himself to his fellow soldiers.

The final shootout occurs when the Apaches kidnap some children and hold them prisoners in a church. It sets the stage for the final encounter, just one of several skirmishes with the Indians that is masterfully staged and photographed.

Pictorially, it's one of the handsomest of all the John Ford epics and should definitely have been filmed in Technicolor, although the B&W photography is indeed impressive. MAUREEN O'HARA gives one of her most sensitive portrayals and JOHN WAYNE is at his best.

Summing up: A solid western well worth watching whether you're a John Ford fan or not.

This is the last outing in John Ford's trilogy cavalry continuing ¨Fort Apache and She wore a yellow ribbon¨ based on writings by James Warner Bellah.It's the first John Wayne-Maureen O'Hara-John Ford's three movies together along with ¨Quiet man and Wing of eagles¨.It's a powerful retelling of the wild Indians wars at the Southwest US. It concerns about an US cavalry unit on the Mexican frontier and nearly to Rio Grande.The commander of the far outpost is ruled by Lieutenent Colonel Kirby(Wayne)leading an unsuccessful campaign against the Apaches.Kirby is under command of General Philip Sheridan(J.Carroll Naish).A grumpy sergeant(Victor McLagen)is in charge of training of new recruits,one which is the Kirby'son(Claude Jarman Jr).His mother Kathleen(Maureen O'Hara) arrives looking for her son Jeff ,she and Kirby are separated for fifteen years,but the marriage broke when Kirby fired a plantation of her ancestors during Civil War ,however now they fall back in love.Meanwhile the marauding Indians attack the outpost and Kirby taking on his toughest fight to redeem his honor.

This excellent film featuring a magnificent performance by complete casting.Awesome John Wayne in a larger-than-life role.Gorgeous Maureen O'Hara in a sensible role with sensational performance.The film develops usual John Ford's themes: The friendship,sense of camaraderie,a little bit of enjoyable humor,the familiar feeling,sentimental nostalgia and the glorification of the cavalry,besides a sensible songs in charge of Son of Pioneers with Ken Curtis and music score by Dimitri Tiomkin.Touching scenes when they're singing between the marriage Wayne-O'Hara with sweet glances.Spectacular scenes when the Apaches Indian-Chiricagua and Mezcaleros-spontaneously attack the outpost and sensational riding races with Roman style,someone did their own stunts.In the movie appear all habitual Ford's friends ,Chill Wills,Ben Johnson,Grant Withers,Jack Pennick,Ken Curtis and ,of course,Victor McLagen .Even appears Patrick Wayne,but his father John Wayne persuaded to Ford for an uncredited cameo role. Appropriate photography by Bert Glennon as sensational as the Ford's usual, Winston Hoch.The movie is produced by Ford's Argosy Production Company ,Republic Pictures and Merian C. Cooper(King Kong).The motion picture is magnificently directed by the master John Ford.

to me ,this third and final film of John Ford's Cavalry "trilogy" is better than the second entry,She Wore a yellow Ribbon,but not quite as good as the first entry,Fort Apache.this one has some exciting moments and a few funny moments,which were lacking in Ribbon.this one has quite a strong romance angle to it,which i didn't like that much.however,John Wayne is very good in these sensitive moments.we get to see more of Wayne in this one than in Ribbon,which is a good thing.Maureen O'Hara is also good as the romantic interest.however,i thought Claude Jarman Jr.was strong as as Trooper Jeff Yorke,son of the commanding officer,Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke,played by John Wayne.i was also impressed by Harry Carey Jr.(one of Ford's regulars)as Trooper Daniel 'Sandy' Boone.i felt there were some slow moments here and there,but overall,i liked it.for me,Rio Grande is a 6.5/10

Rio Grande, the last of John Ford's 'Calvary Trilogy' is a triumphant paen to the US Calvary and a great romance between John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara and a wonderful showcase of the great character actors who are at the heart of all Ford's films. This movie has drama, romance, beautiful photography and great music by the Son's of the Pioneers. Their version of the "Down by the Glenside" still sends chills up my spine as well as tears to Victor McLaglen, the redoubtable Sergent Major timothy Quincannon and Wayne's ever present comrade in arms from, the bloody Shenendoah campaign of the Civil War, when they burned down the estranged Mrs. Yorke's beloved Bridesdale. The country that had lately been torn apart, was being brought together as former Johnny Rebs like Travis Tyree (Ben Johnson)and Yankees like Lt.Col. Kirby Yorke fought together along America's western frontier. A wonderful screen chemistry between Wayne and O'hara, and some understated, economic emoting, rather than sappiness or corn make this a distinguished film, a highlight of Ford's great career.

Commanding a remote outpost in Texas, cavalry officer John Wayne reconnects with estranged wife Maureen O'Hara and new-recruit son Claude Jarman Jr. However, the reunion is complicated by an Apache uprising and an illegal incursion across the Rio Grande.

One of the lesser talked-about pairings of Wayne and John Ford and their third cavalry picture, this is satisfying, though a bit familiar in the drama department. Action scenes and Monument Valley locations are excellent, as are the musical numbers by Ken Curtis and the Sons Of The Pioneers. O'Hara looks a little young to have a teenage son though.

Memorable subplots include fugitive recruit Ben Johnson trying to stay ahead of the law and some male-bonding between himself, Jarman, and fellow soldiers Harry Carey Jr. and Victor Maglaglen.

According to a trailer on my Quiet Man VHS and Maureen O'Hara's memoirs Rio Grande was a negotiating chip that Republic Pictures studio president Herbert J. Yates used in order to get John Ford to work for his studio. John Ford had wanted to make The Quiet Man for years and the major studios turned him down. Republic was the last stop he made. Yates agreed to let him shoot The Quiet Man at Republic, but first he wanted a guaranteed moneymaker.

Fort Apache and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon were both done at RKO and made money. So Yates said give me another cavalry picture with John Wayne and you can shoot The Quiet Man afterwards.

James Warner Bellah who had written the short stories that the other two were based on fortunately had a third one published. And that boys and girls is how Rio Grande came into being.

Good thing too because of studio politics we got ourselves a western classic. And a family classic as well. John Wayne who is once again playing a character named Kirby Yorke has two families, the United States Cavalry to which he's devoted and a wife and son from whom he's been estranged. How he repairs the relationships between wife Maureen O'Hara and son Claude Jarman, Jr. is the key to the whole story.

As Maureen toasts at a dinner scene with J. Carrol Naish as General Philip H. Sheridan, "to my one rival, the United States Cavalry."

Young Jefferson Yorke has flunked out of West Point and has joined the army as an enlisted man. Through none of his own doing he's assigned to the frontier post commanded by his father. Mom then comes west to try and spring him from the army, but young Jeff doesn't want to be sprung.

In fact to his father's surprise the young man proves himself to be an able cavalryman without any assistance from Dad. And when Maureen comes west, old love rekindles between Wayne and O'Hara.

All this is against the background of some Apache hit and run raids across the Rio Grande. Topped off by them attacking a party escorting dependent women and children away from the post. Young Trooper Yorke rides for help there, hence the title quote.

A lot of John Ford's stock company fills out the cast to give it that familiar look of Ford films. Some bits from previous films were used like the training Roman style of the new recruits. They prove a more able bunch than the ones from Fort Apache.

Some traditional melodies were used as they are in John Ford period pieces, but unusual for a Ford film, several new songs were written for the film, done by the Sons of the Pioneers. One of them written by Dale Evans entitled Aha San Antone. She was employed at Republic studios also.

A fine classic western with a nice story about family relationships and responsibilities one incurs in life.

As many people know, Rio Grande is the third installation of John Ford's sweeping "Cavalry trilogy*," his paean and dirge for the forging of the West after the Cival War. In each, there is Indian fighting, romance and Monument Valley. Younger officers look forward to winning glory in the Indian Wars while the older, veteran officers who served in the Civil War are tired of fighting and would rather keep the peace instead. And the enlisted men coming from all walks of life, some running from something, others trying to find something, but all taking war and peace as they come. They want to stay alive, but aren't too worried about dying.

Unlike the first two cavalry films, Rio Grande focuses more on the love between an Army officer and his wife, and the pain his life causes her. This pain is made even worse by the fact that their ònly son has chosen to follow his father's way of life, and winds up serving in his father's command. When, as is inevitable, Indians flee their reservation, the family becomes embroiled in war against the Apaches (whom, everyone knows, were the toughest, most ruthless and evil Indian fighters of them all). :))

This is where Ford moves away from typical westerns. While his Indians are fierce and tough, Ford tries to show in all the Cavalry films that they are also honorable and fighting for home and family, not because they are evil. And while Wayne's character must pursue his Indians until they're either captured or dead, he is not without both sympathy and respect, and knows for certain that it is the white man's treatment of them that is at the heart of all the Indian wars.

Over the years, as I've seen more and more of his movies, John Ford has become my favorite director. He had the ability to make stories with depth, compassion and remarkable truth; and these qualities have caused his films to last. I hope that you will see all of the Cavalry Trilogy, and then seek out all of the rest his movies.

*The other films in the trilogy are Fort Apache (1948) and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949).

John Ford was perhaps the best-known exponent of the of the 'cavalry film', that sub-genre of the Western that tells the story of the conflict between the US Army and the native Indians of the American West during the second half of the nineteenth century. The three films which he made on this theme between 1948 and 1950 (all of which starred John Wayne) have become known as his "cavalry trilogy". "Rio Grande" is the third of these, the earlier instalments being "Fort Apache" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon". It is also the first of three films Wayne made beginning with the word "Rio", the others being "Rio Bravo" and "Rio Lobo", both directed by Howard Hawks.

In "Rio Grande" Wayne plays the same character he played in "Fort Apache", Kirby Yorke, although he has now been promoted from Captain to Lieutenant Colonel. (The spelling of his surname has also changed; in the earlier film it was spelt "York"). The title derives from the fact that Yorke is now stationed on the Texas frontier, charged with defending settlers against marauding Apaches. The fight against the Indians, however, is only one of a number of interlocking plot lines. The most important one concerns Yorke's relationship with his son Jeff and his estranged wife Kathleen, neither of whom he has seen for fifteen years. The cause of the estrangement was an incident during the Civil War when Yorke, then serving with the Union forces, obeyed an order to burn down his wife's plantation home in the Shenandoah valley. (Kathleen is from an old Virginia family). During the course of the film, however, they begin to rediscover their love for one another.

Jeff, having failed officer training at West Point, has enlisted in the Army as a private, and has been sent to serve with his father's regiment. Kathleen disapproves of her son's choice of a career and arrives at the fort determined home with her, only to find that he is just as determined to remain in the Army. A third plot line concerns Jeff's friend Trooper Travis Tyree who is on the run from the law, having killed a man in a fight. Jeff and Tyree are among those who volunteer for a dangerous mission to rescue some children kidnapped by the Apaches.

Ford is, rightly, regarded as one of the great Western directors; some of his films, such as "Stagecoach" are recognised as being among the great classics of the genre. As with all great directors, however, not all his films are of the same quality, and "Rio Grande" has always struck me as being one of his lesser works. It has its good points; John Wayne was an expert in portraying tough but honourable men of action, and this is a typical Wayne performance. There is some good photography of the dramatic scenery of the West (black-and-white, although "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" had been made in colour), especially of Monument Valley, one of Ford's favourite locations. (Although the action supposedly takes place on the Texas frontier, the valley is actually on the borders of Utah and Arizona).

The film, however, also has its weaknesses. Maureen O'Hara is miscast as Kathleen; only 30 at the time, she was far too young to play the mother of an adult son. (Apparently the studio, Republic Pictures, insisted that Ford use her as part of their price for allowing him to make The Quiet Man, which was eventually made two years later with the same combination of Wayne and O'Hara). The depiction of the Indians is biased; as in many Westerns of this period such as "Only the Valiant", another "cavalry film", they are simply portrayed as savage barbarians venting their bloodlust on innocent white settlers, with no attempt to show their point of view. (The earlier instalments of the trilogy had been rather more liberal in this respect). For a film which is not officially a musical there is an awful lot of singing going one, so much so that one might conclude that the US Cavalry's main function was light entertainment, with warfare only a sideline. (A sentimental ballad like "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" doesn't really seem right on the lips of hardened cavalrymen). Overall, "Rio Grande" is really little more than a standard Western adventure story. 6/10

How this movie gets an average rating of 7 is totally beyond me. The writing is so ludicrous it's not surprising John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara "phoned in" their performances. The otherwise brilliant director, John Ford, didn't seem to know whether he wanted to make a comedy, a western, or a musical. I'm a huge fan of the "Sons of the Pioneers", but they are badly miss-used in this movie, to the point where their musical interludes become laughable. Over all, the continuity was atrocious, and character development non-existent (with the possible exception of the actor playing John Wayne's son, (Claude Jarman Jr.). This is a highly overrated movie!

This is an excellent film. Not usually a western fan, I am now a true-believer -- fan of the genre, of Wayne and O'Hara, and even, reluctantly, John Ford. Rio Grande captures the spirit of heroism that colors most of John Ford's best work. Strong personalities pursuing their values with a philosophical issue dividing them: it has an excellent, concise plot, well-developed characters, and boasts fantastic acting. Ford even shies away from allowing the scenery to star in the picture, which is a welcomed departure. With monuments like Wayne and O'Hara one does not need Monument Valley (this writer humbly submits.)

There is a profoundly moving scene in which Kirby and Kathleen York's entire relationship is summed up in the mere singing of a song (by the unforgettable voice of Ken Curtis) and O'Hara and Wayne's excellent acting -- hardly any dialogue, no flashbacks. It has to be cinematic moment for the history books... it is at least in mine.

By the way, avoid the colorized version if possible. Among other distractions, it makes John Wayne's hair look like instant brownie mix.

John Wayne is handsome, stern and tough playing a Calvary Officer in Civil War times who is reunited with his estranged wife and son, the latter a new recruit in his own father's platoon! Emotional, oft-times amusing outdoor yarn with the occasional Apache Indian attack, family strife, and wonderful, take-a-deep-breath outdoor cinematography. John Ford-directed film isn't a bracing, memorable western in the classic sense, though it does have sentiment and good cheer, and of course the lovely Maureen O'Hara playing wife to the Duke (their chemistry is under the restraints of the script, but manages to glimmer through anyway). **1/2 from ****

John Wayne plays US Cavalry Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke, in charge of an outpost on the Rio Grande and dealing with an increasing Indian threat. He's also in charge of training a batch of new recruits and is surprised to find one of them is his son (Claude Jarman, Jr.) he hasn't seen in fifteen years. He's even more surprised when his estranged wife (Maureen O'Hara) shows up intending to take their son home.

Amiable, tender, sentimental western. The third of director John Ford's cavalry trilogy with John Wayne. This is the least of the three but still quite good. Duke is great, as usual. This one's also notable as being the first movie where John Wayne is paired with Maureen O'Hara. The two had terrific chemistry and would justifiably be considered one of the silver screen's great duos. Victor McLaglen is lots of fun in this. Ben Johnson is pretty good, too. Lanky Tennessee-born Claude Jarman, Jr. might seem like an unlikely choice for the son of the Duke, but he's perfect. This is one of the three big roles Jarman had in his short career. The other two being The Yearling and Intruder in the Dust. He's excellent in all three. The rest of the supporting cast is good, as they were in most Ford films.

The Sons of the Pioneers sing a lot of songs in the movie, which seems to be a sticking point for some. I like their songs and felt it fit the gentle tone of the picture. One of the Pioneers is Ken Curtis, the actor who would go on to play Festus in Gunsmoke. Before that, though, he would play in a number of John Ford movies. This is the first. One funny note is that this movie supposedly has a UFO in a scene about an hour and thirteen minutes in. Duke and Maureen are talking and if you look to the left of him you see a little light zig-zagging about in the distance. It doesn't look like anything unexplainable to me, but it's become something of an urban legend.

"Rio Grande" was the last of John Ford's cavalry trilogy, which also included "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" and "Fort Apache". Like the latter, this film was filmed in black and white. All three films were based on short stories by James Warner Bellah.

In this film John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara first played the romantic roles that they played later in films like "The Quiet Man" and "McLintock". There is real chemistry between these two stars. Their relationship is a major thread that weaves the plots and subplots of this film together. Both of their characters have depth. O'Hara is more than her usual fiery Irish self. She is sensitive, sometimes humorous and occasionally aristocratic. She has difficulty hiding her continued affection for her estranged husband Wayne despite the fact that he was responsible for burning the family plantation. Wayne is the tough commanding officer of the remote outpost. His toughness masks a softer side. This shows clearly when he stands outside the hospital window of his son, who has a black eye from a "soldier's fight". At the end of the film he takes a father's pride in his son's courage in battle.

There is more going on in the film than in the usual Western. There are relationships. Wayne is disappointed in his son who flunked at West Point and enlisted in the cavalry as a trooper. His mother wants to buy him out of the cavalry. The son wants to prove himself. All of this contributes to some real human moments in the film. Subplots include Trooper Tyree's sometimes humorous attempts to escape the law and the sometimes unwilling help provided by others. And of course there are the Apaches.

The river is a major theme in the movie. It is a barrier which the cavalry cannot cross in their pursuit of the Apaches. This is demonstrated in the opening credits. The cavalry and Mexican soldiers meet at the river in a scene from later in the movie. When captured chiefs escape across the river Wayne meets a Mexican officer in the middle of the stream. He offers to place himself under Mexican command. The Mexican officer declines, saying he must defend the border "at all costs". Wayne responds, "With three men.. .Your dedication to duty is to be commended. I too have my orders." At the end of the film Wayne risks his career with the complicity of General Sheridan (played by J. Carroll Naish) and crosses the river to rescue the children captured by the Apaches.

The supporting cast does a wonderful job with this film. Many are regular faces in John Ford films. Ben Johnson and Harry Carey, Jr. play friends of Wayne's son (played by Claude Jarman, Jr.). Victor McLaglen plays the role of top Sergeant. He played the same role in all three films in Ford's trilogy. Chill Wills is around and is much better than usual as the doctor who helps Trooper Tyree escape from a Texas sheriff. The Sons of the Pioneers are also on hand to sing songs.

The Victor Young score includes elements which will appear later in the "Quiet Man". Many of the songs are dumb and inappropriate. There are too many Irish ballads that would have been much better used in "The Quiet Man". The few songs by Stan Jones are the best of the lot. At one point in the film the cavalrymen are walking their horses to the lyrics "twenty-four miles on beans and hay".

Photographically this film is less impressive than "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon", but the usual shots of Monument Valley are still impressive. There is an appropriate dark quality to this movie that is missing in the other films in the trilogy, even in "Fort Apache", which was also filmed in black and white. The scene at the deserted church is memorable. The black and white photography accentuates the shadows and the threat of death to the children as the Apaches dance the night away.

This film is based on a historical incident. In 1874 Colonel McKenzie led the 5th Cavalry across the Rio Grande to destroy a Kickapoo village in Mexico. The Kickapoos had been raiding quite successfully in Texas and efforts to punish them had been quite fruitless. This forgotten incident was used by Ford in this film. The Indians now are Apaches, but whoever heard of Kickapoos?

This fine Western is worth seeing for its rich characterizations and fine story. It can be enjoyed on many levels.

'Rio Grande' tells the story of Lt. Col. Kirby York (John Wayne), a commanding officer after the civil war. Their enemies now are the Indians, especially Apaches. One day York his son, trooper Jeff York (Claude Jarman Jr.) comes under his command. He had not seen his son in 15 years. The mother of his son, Kathleen (Maureen O'Hara), also comes to visit. She wants her boy out of there.

A new romance between Wayne and O'Hara, their son who has to become a hero, a trooper who seemed bad but turns out good and a big finale involving the Apaches is what you expect and it is exactly what you get. If this is what you want this is a perfect western. The action looks pretty good and the way they ride those horses looks impressive.

Unfortunately some people want some more and then this is not your movie. Other westerns done by the classic directors like Howard Hawks or John Ford, who directed this movie, are much better. It is that Ford directed this one and therefore it is still pretty entertaining and has some good elements. It is not one of the best but for the genre it is a nice bonus.

As a writer, I find this to be the most honest and least pretentious of all John Ford's western films. His cavalry trilogy ended with "Rio Grande" (the others are "Fort Apache" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon: and it was also the first pairing of John Wayne with Maureen O'Hara, with whom he made five film appearances all told. The setting of the film is not glamorous by anyone's standards; it is dusty, hot, remote, a country for hard men and hard duty. The storyline has Wayne in command of a fort. When his son is assigned to him for training with other recruits, his wife, estranged for fifteen years, follows him--to try to meddle... The storyline makes clear that during the Civil War he refused to disobey orders to burn down her family's plantation; now she's come west, and he wants her back and want to instill his pride in and love for the cavalry in his son. There is rough humor in the film, changes to mind and body, learning to ride, standing up to the elements and to men, lessons the West can demand of anyone who comes there. nd after a plan of Wayne's to protect settlers against the Indians backfires, he has to risk everything to save his career and his command. The theme of the film is that any man has to dare and dream beyond old conventions and ideas in order to reach his best; and that goes for O'Hara as well. The film was directed by John Ford, with script by James Kevin MacGuinness..Bert Glennon's skilled B/W cinematography captures the bleak beauty of the spare semi-desert country, and admirably. Frank Hotaling did the production design and Victor Young contributed the score. In this feature's large cast were Wane, O'Hara. Claude Jarman Jr. of "The Yearling" as their son, Harry Carey Jr., Victor Maclaglen, J Carrol Naish, Chill Wills and many solid western performers. But the best thing to me about the production is the absence of any attempt to glamorize or apologize for the West. The men who rode for the cavalry lived with loneliness, the roughness of the country they patrolled and constant danger from those they opposed; this film makes it clear why men would do this for the meager pay they received; that it was the challenge they took up, as a way to use their abilities and emotional strength to the full. That is why I like this film the best of all of Ford's estimable works.

One of the best Westerns of all time. One is rivited to the TV screen from the moment this fine film starts till its finished.

You have many memorable characters in this movie--like Sgt Maj Quincannon (Victor McLaglen) Tyree (Ben Johnson) etc.

Everything is classic about this film. The Colonels own son enlisting in the US Cavalry, the soldiers fight scenes, the Indians capturing a wagon-load of children, Tyree being charged for murder of a Yankee Cavalryman--escaping w/ some help from SgtMaj Quincannon, to the finale fight at a chapel in an Indian held town.

Favorite line: "You'll Get Busted for this Quincannon!!!"

Supposedly John Ford agreed to make this film in exchange for the go ahead on "The Quiet Man" that followed, also starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and Victor McLaglen. For my money, Ford was right--"The Quiet Man" is the better film, by far.

But "Rio Grande" is not a bad film. It is somewhat formulaic--like many of its type. The usual formula is: *Establishment of story within a western fort that house cavalry, surrounded by savage Indians. The fort is run by a strict officer and includes an Irish Sergeant. *A woman is introduced to the story, with subsequent romantic involvement. *Action scenes involving conflict with the Indians, preferably set in the environs of stark and beautiful terrain that is now a national park.

"Rio Grande" has all that. It also includes enough music that this film might be classified as a musical. The fort, luckily, has its "regimental singers" and a military band that could rival a philharmonic.

Colonel Kirby Yorke's (John Wayne) son is played by Claude Jarman, Jr., only four years removed from his emotional, rookie role in "The Yearling". He holds his own and even performs his own horse riding stunts.

One thing this film has going for it is horsemanship. Tragically, two stuntmen drowned while filming a river crossing, but the riding in this film is second to none.

The acting, in general, is good. Wayne seems in his prime and O'Hara shines, though the film is in B&W.

But "Rio Grande" is burdened by a script that is sometimes disjointed, that treats Indians as little more than evil nuisances (as most westerns do), and includes a number of anachronisms.

Watch "Rio Grande" for its sentimental ballads and lusty folk songs, its majestic cloud formations, and one interesting plot twist regarding why the two lovers split some fifteen years before.

This movie is a mixed bag, so I can only rate it 6/10.

The cinematography is terrific, but this over-rated film really isn't worth watching. Ms. O'Hara's performance is unrealistic for her situation, John Wayne just plays John Wayne, and the rest of the cast go about their duties as if they were paid by the hour.

The lack of story values (as opposed to production values) in the early days of movie-making can be forgiven to a point, but the sophomoric dialog for every character is painful. Furthermore, Wayne's movies up to "True Grit" required very little effort on his part (including "Stagecoach" and the rest)and it shows. And shows.

The Sons of the Pioneers contributed greatly to any redeeming qualities this movie might have, but the continuous layering of the theme song, "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" is over the top.

I'm continually reminded that just because a movie is old doesn't mean it rates our high opinion.