Rio Bravo (1959) More Secure Surroundings, and Then the Hired Guns Come In, Waiting Around for Their Chance to Break Him out of Jail
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already have working for him. Burdette's men cut the town off to prevent Chance from getting Joe into Rio Bravo (1959) more secure surroundings, and then the hired guns come in, waiting around for their chance to break him out of jail. Chance has to wait for the United States marshal to show up, in six days, his only help from Stumpy (Walter Brennan), a toothless, cantankerous old deputy with a bad leg who guards the jail, and Dude (Dean Martin), his former deputy, who's spent the last two years stumbling around in a drunken stupor over a woman that left him. Chance's friend, trail boss Pat Wheeler (Ward Bond), arrives at the outset of the siege and tries to help, offering the services of himself and his drovers as deputies, which Chance turns down, saying they're not professionals and would be too worried about their families to be good at anything except being targets for Burdette's men; but Chance does try to enlist the services of Wheeler's newest employee, a callow- looking young gunman named Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson), who politely turns him down, saying he prefers to mind his own business. In the midst of all of this tension, Feathers (Angie Dickinson), a dance hall entertainer, arrives in town and nearly gets locked up by Chance for cheating at cards, until he finds out that he was wrong and that she's not guilty - - this starts a verbal duel between the two of them Theatrical release poster (Wikipedia) that grows more sexually intense as the movie progresses and she finds herself in the middle of Chance's fight. Wheeler is murdered by one of Burgette's hired guns who is, in turn, killed by Dude in TOMATOMETER an intense confrontation in a saloon. Colorado throws in with Chance after his boss is killed and picks up some of the slack left by Dude, who isn't quite over TOP CRITICS / ALL CRITICS his need for a drink or the shakes that come with trying to stop. Chance and Burdette keep raising the 100% ante on each other, Chance, Dude, and Colorado Average Rating: 8.4/10 killing enough of the rancher's men that he's got to Reviews Counted: 38 double what he's paying to make it worth the risk, and Fresh: 38 the undertaker (Joseph Shimada) gets plenty of Rotten: 0 business from Burdette before the two sides arrive at a stalemate -- Burdette is holding Dude and will Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. release him in exchange for Joe. This leads to the final, bloody confrontation between Chance and AUDIENCE SCORE Burdette, where the wagons brought to town by the murdered Wheeler play an unexpected and essential role in tipping the balance. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi 91% liked it Rating: R Average Rating: 4/5 Genre: Western, User Ratings: 23,413 Action & Adventure, Classics Set in Texas during the late 1860s, Rio Bravo is a Directed By: Howard Hawks story of men (and women) and a town under siege. Written By: Jules Furthman, Presidio County Sheriff John T. Chance (John Leigh Brackett Wayne) is holding Joe Burdette (Claude Akins), a In Theaters: Apr 4, 1959 Wide worthless, drunken thug, for the murder of an On DVD: May 8, 2001 unarmed man in a fight in a saloon -- the problem is Runtime: 2 hr. 22 min. that Joe is the brother of wealthy land baron Nathan Xenon Burdette (John Russell), who owns a big chunk of the county and can buy all the hired guns he doesn't [www.rottentomatoes.com] (Walter Brennan), Chance's game-legged Rio Bravo deputy, keeps watch over the jail and Joe, who knows that Stumpy holds an old grudge against From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Joe's wealthy and powerful brother. Joe warns Rio Bravo is a 1959 American Western film his jailers that Nathan Burdette won't like how produced and directed by Howard Hawks and his brother's being treated. starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky A mysterious woman nicknamed Feathers Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, (Angie Dickinson) is in the saloon, playing poker. and Ward Bond. Written by Jules In the meantime, Dude and Chance patrol the Furthmanand Leigh Brackett, based on the short town. Hotel owner Carlos (Pedro Gonzalez- story "Rio Bravo" by B. H. McCampbell, the film Gonzalez) stops the sheriff, saying Wheeler has is about the sheriff of the town of Rio Bravo, been talking too much about Chance needing Texas who arrests the brother of a powerful help. In the saloon, Chance implores Wheeler to local rancher in order to help his drunken stop, as it will draw attention from the wrong deputy/friend. With the help of a cripple and a people. Wheeler suggests that Colorado could young gunfighter, they hold off the rancher's be of assistance, but Colorado politely declines, gang. Rio Bravo was filmed on location at Old saying he wants to "mind my own business." Tucson Studios outside Tucson, Arizona Colorado also promises not to start any trouble in Technicolor. without telling the sheriff first. In 2014, Rio Bravo was deemed "culturally, Feathers leaves the poker game a winner. historically, or aesthetically significant" by Chance follows her up to her room and the Library of Congress and selected for confronts her as a card cheat, with his evidence preservation in the National Film Registry. three missing aces from the deck of cards being used in the game and a handbill indicating she is Plot wanted for card cheating. Colorado intervenes, saying another participant in the game is the real In the town of Rio Bravo, Texas, sheriff's deputy cheat. They confront the card cheat and prove Dude (Dean Martin), who has acquired the his guilt. Chance refuses to apologize to contemptuousnickname Borrachón (pronounced Feathers for doing his job, but is no longer in a : [bo.raˈtʃon], Spanish for "drunk"), enters a hurry to make her leave town. saloon but can't afford a drink. Joe Burdette (Claude Akins), brother of rancher Nathan As Wheeler is walking back to the hotel, he is Burdette, tosses a silver dollar into shot dead by a Burdette man hiding in the a spittoon. Presidio County, Texas Sheriff John stable. Colorado offers to help but is angrily T. Chance (John Wayne) appears and kicks the turned away by Chance, who says, "You had a spittoon away, looking at Dude with disgust. chance to get in this and you didn't want it." Dude is shamed by his plight and takes out his Chance and Dude flush out the shooter, who anger on Chance, knocking him out with an ax escapes into Nathan's saloon after Dude handle. Joe begins punching Dude, then shoots wounds him. Dude believes the man has muddy and kills an unarmed bystander who tries to boots, but everyone in the bar has clean boots. intervene. Two patrons suggest Dude needs a drink and one throws a silver dollar into a spittoon. The Joe heads to his brother's saloon, where a bartender puts a beer on the bar, but Dude bloody Chance comes to arrest him for the notices blood dripping into the glass from above. murder of the bystander. Another patron draws He turns, fires and kills the shooter. his gun on Chance, but Dude shoots the gun out of the man's hand. Joe is locked up in the local Chance goes back to the hotel to sleep. Without jail. Chance is willing to deputize Dude, provided his knowledge, Feathers stands guard at the he can stay sober. Both remember how good door to keep him safe, then returns to her room with a gun Dude used to be. when he awakens. Chance discovers what she did and advises that she should leave on the Chance's friend Pat Wheeler (Ward Bond) and next stagecoach. his wagon train of supplies stop in town, with a young gunslinger, Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nathan Burdette (John Russell) arrives in town Nelson), riding guard. Inside the jail, Stumpy with his men, intent on seeing his brother Joe. Dude is standing guard and confiscating all guns. One of Burdette's men ignores him until Joe to make the trade for Dude at a warehouse, Dude cuts one of his horse's reins with a single leaving Stumpy behind because of his bad leg. shot. Nathan agrees to turn in their guns until During the trade, walking in opposite directions, they leave. Dude tackles Joe and they scuffle while a gunfight erupts. Stumpy turns up and helps even Carlos says Feathers will not get on the the odds. Dude overpowers Joe. The lawmen stagecoach. She tells the sheriff she does not throw dynamite sticks at the warehouse where want to leave, then gives him a kiss. He Burdette and his men are based, shooting the indicates if he were not in such a fix at the jail, sticks to explode them. After a few explosions things between them might be different. rock the warehouse, the criminals surrender. Colorado visits the jail to tell Chance that the All is quiet in town as Chance gets reacquainted meaning of a song, Degüello, or The Cutthroat with Feathers, who models a skimpy new Song, that Nathan is paying men to play at his costume she will be wearing in her new job saloon. The song, reported to have been played singing at the hotel. After it comes floating from by Antonio López de Santa Anna's men at the the window to the street, a delighted Stumpy siege of Battle of the Alamo, indicates that "no retrieves it, but Dude cautions him to mind his quarter" will be given to one's enemy, no mercy.