John Wayne Centenary: The '50s - Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, Hondo, The Searchers and Rio Bravo - Page 2

The film itself is less tightly plotted than its predecessors. Yorke’s relationship with his estranged wife, his son’s enlistment in the cavalry and posting to the outpost where Yorke is in command, Trooper Tyree being hunted by the law and of course plenty of Indian fighting are all covered and yet the film never feels rushed. James Kevin McGuinness' script balances romance, comedy, and action perfectly, giving all the characters something to do yet the emphasis is on Yorke, a man torn between his family and his career.

Paired with Maureen O'Hara for the first time, Wayne is clearly enjoying himself; the onscreen chemistry between the two is a joy and the film acted as a dry run for The Quiet Man. Wayne finally seems comfortable as a romantic lead with O’Hara the perfect co-star for him. They would make a total of five films together, three of them with John Ford.

The supporting cast is made up of Ford regulars (McLaglen, Carey Jr., and Johnson) along with veteran actors Chill Wills and J. Carroll Naish. Ben Johnson again shines and it seems like Ford was grooming him for stardom, having cast him in the lead of the same year's Wagon Master but a falling out on the set resulted in Ford not working with the actor again until 1964 when he gave Johnson a small role in  Cheyenne Autumn, the director's final western. Johnson, like Henry Fonda before him, learned that on a Ford set Ford was God and you do not question God.

The part of York’s son went to Claude Jarman Jr., an actor best known for The Yearling. Here he’s at that difficult point in a child actor's career where they are trying to establish themselves in more adult roles. Unfortunately for Jarman he’s overshadowed by his two trooper buddies in the film, played by Johnson and Carey, and within six years his movie career was over.

Rio Grande may not be as notable as its two predecessors but it’s a fun film full of memorable sequences. The Roman riding scene is a standout, with (at least according to Carey) the actors doing their own riding. Less visually stunning than Fort Apache or She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, it’s still a good-looking film and ranks as one of Wayne’s best of the ‘50s.

The Quiet Man (1952)

If She Wore a Yellow Ribbon was Ford’s love letter to the US Cavalry then The Quiet Man fulfilled the same purpose for his spiritual home, Ireland. While Ford was born on US soil both his parents were from Ireland and it was clearly a place he felt great affection for.

Article Author: Ian Woolstencroft

Ian Woolstencroft was brought up on a diet of John Wayne movies and Marvel Comics and still has a passion for both. Now as a blogcritic he finally understands what Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben meant when he said ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ …

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