If you find yourself hankering for a Western, you can't go wrong with John Wayne in Hondo, an entertaining genre title, now on Blu-ray from Paramount.
Based on Louis L'Amour's short story "The Gift of Cochise," Hondo Lane (John Wayne) wearily walks out of the New Mexico desert after Apaches stole his horse. He arrives at the Lowe ranch where Angie (Geraldine Page in her film debut) and young son Johnny (Lee Aaker) live. She says her husband Ed is nearby working, but the condition of the ranch tells a different story. Hondo performs chores for his board and keep, and then leaves to inform the Army Cavalry about the Apaches going on the warpath due to the U.S. breaking their treaty.
After Hondo leaves the ranch, Chief Vittorio (Michael Pate) and the Apaches show up. Vittorio decides to offer the Lowes protection, taking Johnny under his wing and making him a blood brother. He also orders Angie to marry one of his men because Johnny needs a father, but she refuses because she's still married, which leads Vittorio to ask where her husband is.
Once in town, Hondo tells Major Sherry (Paul Fix) about the loss of the Calvary troop that was escorting settlers north due to the Apaches. Hondo also has a few run-ins with a fellow, who turns out to be Ed Lowe (Leo Gordon). Fearing for Angie and Johnny's safety, Hondo goes back to protect them, followed by Ed, who is more interested in revenge than his abandoned family. Along the way, Hondo tussles with Ed and the Apaches before returning to the ranch. After spending a few weeks together, Hondo and Angie grow close.
Calvary troops intent on pushing the Apaches back stop at the ranch to see what Hondo knows. He warns them they are going to get ambushed, which turns out to be correct. The troops head back to town with settlers, including Hondo, Angie, and Johnny, in tow. The Apaches aim to stop them from their destination.
Hondo delivers many of the elements fans of classic Westerns enjoy. There's a hero, noble and selfless, who always does the right thing no matter the situation. The script is well written and takes interesting, believable turns as the plot moves along. The film is a step above many Westerns by offering an understandable motive for the Apaches' response, which along with Vittorio's concern for Johnny keeps them from coming off as mindless caricatures. The landscapes of the American Southwest and Mexico shooting locations are impressive. The action scenes are well choreographed and shot, particularly the climactic sequence, which was directed by an uncredited John Ford.
Article comments