RIO BRAVO - Blu-Ray (Warner Bros. 1959) Warner Home Video

Based on a short story by B.H. McCampbell, Rio Bravo (1959) represents something of a major comeback for its director, Howard Hawks, who had not made a movie in almost 5-years. Hawks, who exhibited three decades of extraordinary versatility behind the camera on product as diverse as Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Big Sleep (1946) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) had seen his reputation plummet on Land of the Pharaohs (1955) - a DeMillian epic that, despite being well-informed and lavishly appointed, ironically failed to catch on with either his fans or even the general public, and, was thoroughly lambasted by the critics as just another 'sword and sandal' quickie - costly, but dumb. Disillusioned, Hawks took a step back to reevaluate his future. In this interim, the studio system, once to have coddled directors like Hawks, severely eroded. No one – not even Hawks – was immune to the cliché assessment of being considered only ‘as good’ or ‘as bad’ as their last picture. So, Hawks was suddenly considered passe - at best or a sincerely gamble - at worst.  Employing long-time collaborators, Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman to pen a screenplay, Hawks turned to friend and star, John Wayne – whose own cache was seemingly Teflon-coated – to secure the necessary backing for Rio Bravo.

Like Hawks, Wayne’s career had faltered with the occasional misfire. But Wayne, despite not appearing in a surefire hit since John Ford’s The Searchers (1956) was still considered bankable box office. Hence, his name on a marquee, and above the title, still carried major clout. And although co-star, Walter Brennan’s was quick to accompany Wayne’s on Hawks’ short list of actors he knew and trusted, Hawks made two uncharacteristic casting choices that, in hindsight, proved fortuitous and ever-lasting to the movie’s success. The first of these was Dean Martin, then perceived as only ‘half’ of the ultra-popular comedy act, Martin and Lewis. A creative rift with co-star, Jerry Lewis turned Martin a free agent, more than anxious to make his bones on a Howard Hawks’ picture. Yet, Hawks was marginally apprehensive Martin’s public persona, perceived as a light comedian, would be at odds with the harsh portrait of a rummy he had in mind for the character of Dude. Nevertheless, Hawks granted Martin an audience, audition and screen test, and was bowled over by Martin’s ability to embody the character as he had envisioned. Hawks also hand-picked teenage heartthrob and pop icon, Ricky Nelson to play the gunslinger, Colorado. Ironically, at the time, Nelson was the biggest name in the cast – having grown to prominence on TV’s The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and, as a recording star. However, Hawks was rather unimpressed by Nelson’s first day of shooting, coaxing Nelson to observe the mannerisms of actor, Montgomery Clift in another Hawks’ western – Red River (1948) – to develop his own cadence and mood for the part.

Much of Rio Bravo would be shot on location at Old Tucson Studios. To establish its mood, Hawks turned to composer, Dimitri Tiomkin, whose eloquently portentous ‘El Degüello’ theme, evokes a sense of the danger and destiny of these solitary men. Aside: rumor has it, Sergio Leone’s instructions to composer, Ennio Morricone on A Fistful of Dollars (1964) was to study Tiomkin’s score for Rio Bravo. Music would also play another pivotal role in the picture, as Hawks reasoned that with Dean and Ricky in his cast, he needed songs to help promote the soundtrack. As such, Martin sang ‘My Rifle, My Pony, and Me’ (which contained new lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, riffing off a Tiomkin's own orchestral arrangement in Red River), while Nelson warbled ‘Get Along Home, Cindy’ accompanied by Martin and Brennan. Finally, during the closing credits, Martin sang the title tune, again, co-written by Tiomkin and Webster. Hawks would later go on the record as having made Rio Bravo exclusively as his rebuttal to Fred Zinnemann’s High Noon (1952) - a movie absolutely abhorred. Indeed, Wayne too – an ultra-conservative - was none too keen on Zinnemann’s veiled critique of McCarthyism, calling it ‘un-American’ and even going so far as to voice his gratitude for having helped blacklist ‘Noon’s’ screenwriter, Carl Foreman. What likely offended Hawks about Zinnemann’s classic was the idea a morally forthright sheriff could be almost completely undone by his own lack of faith in himself, desperately seeking support from the townsfolk he had diligently protected under the law – and, that in the penultimate display of gunfire, it would take the self-sacrifice of his Quaker wife to save the day. Hence, Hawks and Wayne conspired on Rio Bravo to basically tell the same story, only this time with the hero remaining heroic and not asking for – even accepting – help when it was offered.

The plot to Rio Bravo begins in earnest with the imprisonment of Joe Burnette (Claude Akins) for the murder of an innocent man during a bar room altercation that involved Deputy Sheriff Dude (Dean Martin) and Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne). Burnette’s posse does not take lightly to his incarceration, and, neither does Burnette’s brother, wealthy rancher, Nathan (John Russell). After the Sheriff’s long-time friend, Pat Wheeler offers to guard the jail – and is murdered by Burnette’s men as a direct result – Wheeler’s hired gun, Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson) decides to take a stand with Chance, Dude and the jailer, Stumpy (Walter Brennan), determined to hold down the fort until the U.S. Marshall’s arrival. There are two back stories running simultaneously throughout this central narrative. The first, involves the Chance’s growing affections for Feathers (Angie Dickinson) – part of a con on the lam and out to romantically snare the Sheriff. The other narrative thread worth mentioning is Dude’s triumphant defiance of his struggling alcoholism, earlier begun by a love affair turned rancid. Hawks builds all of this sustained tension into an explosive showdown between the Sheriff, Dude and Colorado vs. Nathan Burnette and his henchmen.  Not all of Rio Bravo is as great as its pedigree would suggest. The story, while solidly scripted by Jules Furthman and Leigh Brackett, waffles a bit in its middle act, and positively stalls for the ‘concert-like’ musical interludes that, while charming, have absolutely nothing to do with the story. Nevertheless, Hawks is a seasoned film-maker, intuitively to recognize just how far he can experiment with, and delay, the story, and still, bring it home to a successful conclusion. The last act – the big finish and showdown – remains Rio Bravo’s tour de force. In hindsight, the picture is as much a rebuttal as a reunion piece – even, arguably, a return to form for Hawks who considered it such a sparkling entertainment, he would remake it twice more in the future – with diminished, though arguably, still profitable results.

Warner Home Video’s Blu-Ray is not entirely up to snuff. The Technicolor is problematic here – favoring a ruddy and undefined color palette. Browns, oranges, blacks and grays all take on a nondescript muddy tone. Flesh tones are often too reddish or flat orange. Both in long and medium shots, fine details get buried under a light patina of clumpy film grain and colors that appear to clot. Overall, the image will certainly not disappoint. Yet, it really is a shock to find so much of what’s here looking just a little above a middling effort at best. The audio is 5.1 Dolby Digital. The real beneficiary is the two songs sung by Ricky Nelson and Dean Martin, obviously remixed from the original mag tracks and reedited back into the otherwise mono soundtrack, ever so slightly re-channeled to give the illusion of full stereo. Extras are all direct imports from the Warner’s standard DVD and include three wonderful documentaries (one on the movie, the last two, devoted to Hawks as a filmmaker), plus an informative audio commentary from John Carpenter and Richard Schickel, and, the original theatrical trailer. Bottom line: while the Blu-ray is imperfect, the movie itself is a wonderful effort, not to be missed. Recommended for content.

FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)

4

VIDEO/AUDIO

3

EXTRAS

3.5