Red River (1948 Film)

Red River is a western action adventure that was released on August 26, 1948. Starring in this western is John Wayne as Thomas Dunson, Montgomery Clift as Matthew 'Matt' Garth, Joanne Dru as Tess Millay and Walter Brennan as 'Groot' Nadine. It was nominated for two Oscars: Best Film Editing and Best Writing, Motion Picture Story.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040724/

Thomas Dunson (John Wayne) and his life long friend Groot (Walter Brennan) dream of acquiring a ranch and raising cattle so they join a wagon train and head south with one bull and one cow. Along the trail Dunson has a disagreement with the leader of the wagon train and decides that they will leave the train and head out on their own. Dunson's fiancee Fen (Colleen Gray) wants to go along with them, but Dunson insists it will be far to hard for her. He leaves her with his mother's bracelet and promises he will send for her.

Not long after they leave the wagon train they see smoke coming from its direction and know it has been attacked by Indians. In the night the Indians attack Dunson and Groot, but they fight them off. Dunson fights hand to hand against one of the Indians, when he kills the Indian he sees his mother's bracelet on his wrist and knows that his fiancee is dead. The death of his fiancee leaves a permanent shadow over his life, keeping him from finding in joy in any of his future endeavors.

The only survivor of the wagon train raid is a young boy named Matthew Garth (Mickey Kuhn) who Dunson ends up informally adopting. The aftermath of the Civil War destroys what value Dunson had built up over 14 years, with one of the largest cattle ranches in Texas. When Matthew (Montgomery Clift) returns from the Civil War the men decide to move their 10,000 head of cattle to Missouri, where there is a much better market for beef.

The drive is grueling, through hostile territory filled with border gangs and Indians. He pushes his hands hard, but no harder than he pushes himself, but eventually even some of his best cattle hands break. With Matthew backing him he is able to keep things under control, until Dunson goes too far, turning everyone including Matthew against him. Helped by a gunman named Cherry Valance (John Ireland) they take the herd from Dunson and leave him behind. Matthew meets a card-dealer named Tess (Joanne Dru), who he soon falls in love with, but he leaves her behind and travels on to Kansas where they hear there is a new railroad and the opportunity to sell their cattle. Dunson is following their trail and will never let them get away with taking his cattle from him.http://www.allmovie.com/work/red-river-40717

• John Wayne as Thomas Dunson

• Montogomery Clift as Matthew 'Mat' Garth

• Joanne Dru as Tess Millay

• Walter Brennan as 'Groot' Nadine

• Coleen Gray as Fen

• Harry Carey as Mt. Melville

• John Ireland as Cherry Valance

• Noah Beery Jr. as Buster McGee

• Harry Carey Jr. Dan Latimer

• Chief Yowlachie as Quo

• Paul Fix as Teeler Yacey

• Hank Worden as Simms Reeves

• Mickey Kuhn as Matt, as a boy

• Ray Hyke as Walt Jergens

• Hal Taliaferro as Old Leather

"Hawks has loaded the film with mass spectacle and earthy scenes. His try for naturalness in dialog between principals comes off well. The staging of physical conflict is deadly, equalling anything yet seen on the screen. Picture realistically depicts trail hardships; the heat, sweat, dust, storm and marauding Indians that bore down on the pioneers. Neither has Hawks overlooked sex, exponents being Joanne Dru and Coleen Gray."—Variety Staff http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117794369.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&query=RED+RIVER++review

"It's a sign of the movie's complexity that John Wayne, often typecast, is given a tortured, conflicted character to play."—Roger Eberthttp://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980301/REVIEWS08/401010355/1023

"And even despite a big let-down, which fortunately comes near the end, it stands sixteen hands above the level of routine horse opera these days."—Bosley Crowther, The New York Timeshttp://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C06E3D61F3CE03ABC4953DFB6678383659EDE&partner=Rotten%20Tomatoes