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Plot Summary
Screen legend John Wayne ("Stagecoach," "Rio Bravo," "True Grit," "The Searchers") stars in this touching western about three half-hearted outlaws who go on the run with an orphaned infant they find in the desert. Directed by the great Oscar-winner John Ford ("Stagecoach," "Mogambo," "The Grapes of Wrath"). Co-starring Ward Bond ("My Darling Clementine," "Gentleman Jim"), Harry Carey Jr. ("Tombstone") and Oscar-nominee Mildred Natwick ("Barefoot in the Park").
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
82%- Reviews Counted: 11
- Fresh: 9
- Rotten: 2
- Average Rating: 7.2/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: There are humor and honest tear-jerking in this visually beautiful film.
Rotten: he last reel, with Wayne explicitly identified as the Prodigal Son and a general collapse into mawkishness, might almost have strayed in from another movie.
Fresh: It's phoney, it's bunk -- and it might just persuade you of a beautiful lie.
Customer Reviews
Old fashioned Ford
As I understand it, this is a remake of a John Ford silent and was dedicated to Harry Carey, who Ford directed in the silent era. It is a really old fashioned story in the best sense. Unlike most westerns of its era or since, the hardship imposed by the harsh conditions of the frontier West are a constant player in the drama. It really reminds me of the kind of stories I used to hear from older relatives when I was a kid. On that background, you have suberb, dramatic color cinematogarphy, effective use of music and some really outstanding actors (headlined by John Wayne at the height of his powers). So what is not to like? Well, I hear that some people think of the plot as corny. Well, heck, if you don't mist up at some obvious religious symbology, then this one is not for you. But, if you don't get misty at that stuff, just what is for you?
A Christmas movie as moving as any other
I just saw this and it's just great. Fantastic introductory performance by Harry Carey Jr. Pedro Armendáriz is both moving and funny. Of course, Ward Bond and John Wayne are incredibly good as well. It's a story about three flawed men keeping their promises and doing right even in the harshest of circumstances, and the power of that keen sense of duty to challenge and ultimately change them.
3 Godfathers (1948)
This is a typical John Ford film. Its emotions are right up on the screen--humor, cruelty, anger, faith, disbelief, indifference and redemption. They are simply stated, but it was a simpler time. You survived, or you didn't; you kept your word, or you didn't. Your actions proved the quality of your character. The John Ford traveling stock company are as skilled a group of screen actors as any at the time. John Ford was never subtle as a film maker but he was always effective in getting his point across. Visually this film is gorgeous in the sweep of the scenery and richness of the color. I would love to see it on a big screen sometime. The quality of the print itself is very good. While this is not a classic on the level of "The Searchers" or "Stagecoach" it is certainly worth watching and I'm glad I have added it to my collection.
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