Howard Hawks’ 1948 Western Red River finally convinced John Ford that John Wayne He was a great actor, despite having already made four films together. John Wayne and John Ford made nine great Westerns together, and both director and actor became known as legends of the genre. Ford and Wayne were even responsible for some of the best Western films of all time, like Diligence, The man who shot Liberty Valanceand The researchers. Most of Ford’s films presented Wayne as a traditional, upstanding hero, but one of the first films that cast him against type surprised everyone.
Even though Wayne and Ford were an absolutely legendary duo, Ford was still shocked by another film Wayne made with a different director. Wayne’s performance in Red Riverdirected by Howard Hawks, it proved to Ford that the Duke was a great actor, although their professional relationship was already well underway. Ford and Wayne had already done Diligence, The long journey home, They were expendableand Fort Apache when the time comes Red River was released, and Wayne also had uncredited roles in several earlier John Ford films. Despite their extensive relationship, Hawks’ film was still a revelation for Ford.
John Wayne showed his darker side in Red River and it worked brilliantly
Red River proved that Wayne could be just as compelling as a villain as he was playing heroes
In Red RiverJohn Wayne plays Thomas Dunson, a rancher with a troubled past who descends into almost manic levels of cruelty while driving his cattle train toward Missouri. It was a rare role for Wayne, as Dunson was a sympathetic character but also incredibly cruel and willing to lynch or shoot anyone who disagreed with him.. Wayne playing a grittier, more morally ambiguous protagonist was shocking in 1948, especially since he played the morally unchallengeable Kirby York in Fort Apache just a few months earlier. As unusual as it was, Wayne played his role perfectly and Red River it was a resounding success.
Red River is available to stream on the Roku Channel.
Red River boasts a rare 100% on Rotten tomatoesand has earned millions of dollars in rent over the years. Even Roger Ebert considered his story central “one of the greatest of all westerns“, although he disagreed with the portrayal of women. Wayne’s performance impressed even John Ford. According to film critic Joseph McBride, when Ford saw Red Riverhe told director Howard Hawks “I never knew the big motherfucker could act“, (through Roger Ebert). This praise is even more significant considering how extensive the professional relationship between Ford and Wayne already was in 1948.
Red River was important to John Wayne’s career
Red River opened the door for Wayne to make four more films with Howard Hawks
John Wayne’s career benefited greatly from Red Riverand not just because it showed he was capable of more than playing a pure hero. Red River It was Wayne’s first time working with director Howard Hawks, and the pair would make four more films together. His later collaborations included Rio Bravo, Hatari!, El Doradoand Rio Lobosome of John Wayne’s best westerns. It was a couple that was almost as successful as Wayne’s relationship with John Ford, and it was all because of Red River.
What other films feature a darker performance from John Wayne?
Several later John Wayne films cast him in morally gray roles
While Red River gave John Wayne the chance to play a darker character than he was known for, it was far from the only time he played real anti-heroes or villains. In fact, most of the films where John Wayne wasn’t the hero came after Red Riverand it may have only happened because of his stellar performance as Thomas Dunson. Wayne probably wouldn’t have been cast in films like The man who shot Liberty Valance or How the West was conquered if he hadn’t first proven he could play a morally complex character in Red River.
Red River also created many opportunities for Wayne to play less morally perfect heroes, such as Rooster Cogburn in True courage. It cannot be overstated what both Red River and Howard Hawks did for John Wayne’s acting career. Wayne might never have become the legendary Duke if he hadn’t been given the chance to show off his range. The world would also have been deprived of some of Wayne’s best roles, and we wouldn’t have gotten to see how convincingly he could play an antihero. John Wayne and cinema as a whole owe a lot to Red River.
Sources: Roger Ebert, Rotten tomatoes