Rio Bravo is one of the all time film classics of Hollywood westerns. The 1959 film directed by Howard Hawks has been listed on the National Film Registry for preservation, and “as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress. And one of the best reasons is the gritty but soft portrayal of men facing certain death. Of course, it also has a Hollywood ending.
We just found a clip from the movie featuring Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson, as they team up for a wonderful rendition of of the cowboy song “My Rifle, My Pony, and Me.” Martin’s velvet voice and Nelson’s lazy guitar, sometimes punctuated by costar Walter Brennan’s sad harmonica, perfectly capture the cowboy mythos. You are going to love this video when you watch it, we guarantee it, pard’ner.
The 1959 film “Rio Bravo” was produced and directed for Warner Brothers by Howard Hawks. The all star cast included John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan and Ward Bond.
Set in an old west town, it is the story of a small band of justice minded men who have to stand up to a wealthy rancher and his gang of hired killers.
It has long been considered one of the best examples of the Western genre and also one of Hawks’ greatest achievements as a filmmaker.
One of the most genius aspects was the utilization of Martin and Nelson as singers within the film. While, as with many westerns, “Rio Bravo” is replete with shoot outs and horse tricks, it also features a few moments that showed the softer side of cowboy life.
“My Rifle, My Pony, and Me” and “Get Along Home, Cindy” are two of the genre’s most memorable moments, precisely because they are so unexpected within the format.
Unlike other singing cowboy movies featuring such actors as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, “Rio Bravo” was on the grittier side of the fence, and the inclusion of the musical numbers offers a sense of realism that both singing cowboy and shoot ‘em up movies had previously missed the mark on.
Ricky Nelson was at the height of his career as a teen idol, thanks to his role on the television show “Ozzie and Harriet” and his early rock and roll records, and Dean Martin had just broken up with his onscreen partner, Jerry Lewis a couple of years earlier. There had been some worries if Martin could fly on his own, but that was all settled with his turn as Dude in “Rio Bravo.”
Together, Martin and Nelson softened the edges of John Wayne’s character and helped make the movie an instant classic.
The movie was seen by some within the Hollywood community as a sort of answer to the movie “High Noon, “ which was perceived by many to be an allegory for the blacklists and rampant McCarthyism that had been sweeping the film industry like wildfire. John Wayne was a prominent conservative who supported the efforts of anti communist crusaders in tinsel town, and director Howard Hawks thought “High Noon” was a bit emasculating, so the two teamed up to make a meat and potatoes, red blooded American cowboy movie. And the rest is film history.
What is your favorite scene in “Rio Bravo”? Where do you think it stands in cowboy movie history? Share your opinions with us here.
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