John Wayne and Robert Mitchum were two of the biggest Western stars of their era, and their eventual partnership in El Dorado it was worth the surprisingly long wait. There is unofficial information Rio Bravo trilogy, with director Howard Hawks and protagonist John Wayne making the same film three times. Rio Bravo is the original and most acclaimed, where Wayne’s sheriff has only a drunken cop and an arrogant young gunman to trust as he defends his beleaguered prison. The film is a classic, with John Carpenter and Quentin Tarantino ranking it as one of their favorites.
Rio Bravo was Wayne’s response to Middaywith the star detesting the politics of that 1952 Western. Hawks and Wayne liked the basic premise of Rio Bravo so much so that they remixed their characters and themes twice more with El Dorado and Rio Lobo. The latter proved to be Hawks’ last film, and despite some lively performances – especially from the scene-stealing Jack Elam – it’s easily the weakest of the three.
Why El Dorado Was a Great Western by John Wayne and Robert Mitchum
Or, as the trailer for El Dorado says: “The two big ones in the big one!”
While perhaps not on the same level as Wayne or James Stewart, Robert Mitchum was something of a Western icon himself. This includes tours like Blood on the Moon and The way to the westco-starring Kirk Douglas. Wayne and Mitchum finally teamed up on screen for El Doradowith Wayne’s gunslinger Cole being best friends with Mitchum’s alcoholic Sheriff Harrah. The role of the arrogant young gunslinger – or in this case, the knife thrower – went to James Caan as “Mississippi”, while Ed Asner plays the villain of the piece.
Rio Bravo It’s the better movie, but El Dorado is still a lot of fun thanks to its protagonist. Wayne and Mitchum share great chemistry and could actually pass as old friends who still sometimes get on each other’s nerves. The film is also faster-paced and more action-packed than Rio Bravobut it still recovers the vibes of the film. The themes of friendship and imperfect men working together to defeat a greater threat also recur throughout the Hawks trilogy.
John Wayne went on to work with Mitchum’s son, Christopher, on some projects such as Big Jakebut El Dorado marks the only time he and Robert Mitchum have shared the screen.
If nothing else, El Dorado It’s worth watching for the novelty of seeing Mitchum and Wayne together. John Wayne went on to work with Mitchum’s son, Christopher, on some projects such as Big Jakebut El Dorado marks the only time he and Robert Mitchum have shared the screen. Bringing two big movie stars together can be a complicated task – especially if one wants to outshine the other. Instead of, El Dorado sees Wayne and Mitchum having a lot of fun together and creating a fun, proto-buddy cop relationship.
John Wayne and Robert Mitchum were in the same film previously, but not together
Virtually every living actor appeared in The Longest Day
El Dorado It marks the only time Wayne and Mitchum acted together – but it wasn’t the only film they appeared in. Both actors starred in the WW2 ensemble The longest daywhich covered the D-Day landings from both the Allied and German perspectives. The film is a true epic; It’s three hours long and has a never-ending cast of superstars, including Henry Fonda, Sean Connery, Richard Burton and many, many more.
|
THE Rio Bravo Trilogy |
Rotten Tomatoes rating |
|---|---|
|
Rio Bravo (1959) |
96% |
|
El Dorado (1967) |
96% |
|
Rio Lobo (1970) |
70% |
As the broad cast and scope of The longest day may imply that many characters cannot interact in any way. This includes Wayne’s Lieutenant Colonel Vandervoort and Mitchum’s Brigadier General Cota, who never share any scenes. Wayne was actually a replacement for Charlton Heston, who was forced to withdraw due to other commitments.
John Wayne actually replaced Robert Mitchum in another film
Mitchum was fired from this 1954 period adventure
The longest day It wasn’t the first time Wayne crossed paths with Mitchum. Wayne was called up as a last-minute replacement for Mitchum in 1954 Blood Alleywhere a Merchant Marine captain is held prisoner in China after his ship is captured, and he is helped in his escape by local villagers. According to Classic Film Center, Wayne was practically blackmailed into taking the lead in Blood Alleyafter other big stars like Gregory Peck passed away.
Robert Mitchum was reportedly approached about the possibility of reteaming with Wayne once again for Rio Lobo, but was not interested in basically remaking El Dorado.
If Wayne had not signed, Warner Bros threatened to cancel the distribution deal with his production company Batjac. Mitchum himself clashed with director William A. Wellman during production, and after pushing the film’s transportation manager to San Francisco Bay, Robert Mitchum was immediately fired from his position. Blood Alley. Despite all the off-screen drama, the film wasn’t a huge critical or commercial success when it arrived.
Mitchum was reportedly approached about working with Wayne once again to Rio Lobo but I wasn’t interested in basically redoing El Dorado. Mitchum’s appearance in Rio Lobo It certainly would have injected some extra life into that drab 1970 “Oater,” but it’s doubtful that Wayne’s reunion with Mitchum would have resulted in a great film either.
Source: Rotten tomatoes, Classic Film Center