Dean Martin was so good in this film! He and Rick Nelson sang My Rifle My Pony and Me, while he was lying on a couch, with his hat pulled over his eyes, and holding a cigarette! (not at all pc) His voice was wonderful, with no help from anything, but Rick on guitar and old guy on harmonica. The whole film was an absolute treat, in my opinion.

I thought Dickinson started out well but wasn't given much good material after that as her character was forced towards the conventional. Hawk made really good use of non-professional actors Martin and Nelson to create pretty engaging characters.

Plus that is how you do a 50s/60s musical interlude! It meshed so well with the three singers' moods at that time. Dude has just found the resolve to avoid being a bum. Colorado has found his calling of 'doing the right thing' rather than being a gun for hire. Stumpy is just glad to be being treated as an equal in a sing-a-long rather than a cripple kept to menial tasks.

The action in the finale could have been a bit more visceral - Wayne and Nelson should have had their heads blown off multiple times. That just keeps it short of greatness to me given that the film essentially spends two hours building up to it as a major moment.

7/10

If only Jeff Hunter had been in this!

@NZer said:

Dean Martin was so good in this film! He and Rick Nelson sang My Rifle My Pony and Me, while he was lying on a couch, with his hat pulled over his eyes, and holding a cigarette! (not at all pc) His voice was wonderful, with no help from anything, but Rick on guitar and old guy on harmonica. The whole film was an absolute treat, in my opinion.

Completely agree.

Just watched this film and loved it. Dean Martin was brilliant in it, very convincingly playing the alcoholic deputy.

The scene when he sung was a bit of a surprise (within the film) but his voice really brought something extra to the film. The only thing I think it could have done without was the second Ricky Nelson song - he was slightly cheesy playing the part but that was okay and almost still kind of fun but his additional singing part maybe took something away from Dean's.

Minor criticism but otherwise a great Western, which kind of finds its own place by having a slightly lighter tone than the similar plots seen in High Noon & 3:10 to Yuma.

@Fergoose said:

I thought Dickinson started out well but wasn't given much good material after that as her character was forced towards the conventional. Hawk made really good use of non-professional actors Martin and Nelson to create pretty engaging characters.

Plus that is how you do a 50s/60s musical interlude! It meshed so well with the three singers' moods at that time. Dude has just found the resolve to avoid being a bum. Colorado has found his calling of 'doing the right thing' rather than being a gun for hire. Stumpy is just glad to be being treated as an equal in a sing-a-long rather than a cripple kept to menial tasks.

The action in the finale could have been a bit more visceral - Wayne and Nelson should have had their heads blown off multiple times. That just keeps it short of greatness to me given that the film essentially spends two hours building up to it as a major moment.

7/10

I'm confused by that statement. Martin had already done 15 films before Rio Bravo & Nelson wasn't the best actor but he had been in the business since the early 50s.

@Midi-chlorian_Count said:

@NZer said:

Dean Martin was so good in this film! He and Rick Nelson sang My Rifle My Pony and Me, while he was lying on a couch, with his hat pulled over his eyes, and holding a cigarette! (not at all pc) His voice was wonderful, with no help from anything, but Rick on guitar and old guy on harmonica. The whole film was an absolute treat, in my opinion.

Completely agree.

Just watched this film and loved it. Dean Martin was brilliant in it, very convincingly playing the alcoholic deputy.

The scene when he sung was a bit of a surprise (within the film) but his voice really brought something extra to the film. The only thing I think it could have done without was the second Ricky Nelson song - he was slightly cheesy playing the part but that was okay and almost still kind of fun but his additional singing part maybe took something away from Dean's.

Minor criticism but otherwise a great Western, which kind of finds its own place by having a slightly lighter tone than the similar plots seen in High Noon & 3:10 to Yuma.

Right on. I've watched this movie at least 3 times and that scene always stands out as the highlight. The performance is fantastic and the placement of that scene within context of the story is brilliant. It gives us one of those great "calm before the storm" moments, where the heroes are facing certain catastrophe, but instead of freaking out they're chilling with some soft music. Deano's buttery smooth voice makes it beautifully ironic, there's not a trace of panic even though he knows he's probably about to die.

I can't think of too many movies that pulled off that vibe so well. Hunt for Red October comes to mind, at the height of the tension instead of freaking out, Sean Connery & Sam Neil are in their bunks calmly talking about retiring in Montana. That sort of thing. But I think Rio Bravo sets the standard which still hasn't been surpassed to this day. The movie could've easily been a forgettable western action flick, but deep moments like that really set it apart. That scene is entirely thanks to Deano.

I the other year purchased the DVD of this movie as part of the John Wayne: The Signature Collection (includes The Searchers, Rio Bravo, The Cowboys, Stagecoach) 2004 boxed set, and this thread reminds me I need to at some point get around to watching it!

@genplant29 said:

I the other year purchased the DVD of this movie as part of the John Wayne: The Signature Collection (includes The Searchers, Rio Bravo, The Cowboys, Stagecoach) boxed set (2004), and this thread reminds me I need to at some point get around to watching it!

Man go for it! I don't know how it stands up to other John Wayne flicks but in the Western genre it stands out to me. It actually reminds me a lot of The Magnificent Seven or even The Unforgiven, where there isn't really much action but instead it's building tension and great character development that explodes with the big showdown at the end.