Red River (1948 Howard Hawks)

Took long enough to catch up with this classic Hawks western but worth the wait. John Wayne and Montgomery Clift give great performances as quasi father-son who fall out murderously over the direction their Texas-Kansas cattle trail is leading them. Written by Charles Schnee and Borden Chase, based on the latter's newspaper article. Superb handling of actors and animals (consider how the stampede scene was managed - a great suspense scene).

Quintessential Hawks buddy film, with day saved by gutsy woman. I presume Wayne's character did get the profits, but it isn't elaborated.

Ford famously said of Wayne after watching it "I didn't know that son of a bitch could act", but what he was really referring to was the length of Duke's hair. It was such a surprise to see it that long, everyone thought it was great acting.

Cast: Walter Brennan, Joanne Dru, Colleen Gray, Harry Carey Sr. (business man in Abilene; died before the film was released), John Ireland (the other fast gun), Noah Beery, Harry Carey Jr., Chief Yowlachie, Paul Fix, Hank Worden (many John Fords). Arthur Rosson (yes, Hal's brother) gets credit as co-director (he shot the stampede). Dmitri Tiomkin, Russell Harlan. An independent Monterey Production.

This print with the pages of the book interspersed throughout is not the final cut, which has Brennan narrating.