Rio Lobo (1970)

John Wayne is Cord McNally, a former Union officer determined to find out who provided Rebels with the information needed to steal his gold shipments during the Civil War.

Jorge Rivero and Chris Mitchum are Pierre Cordona and Tuscarora, two of the former Rebs who stole those shipments. They hold the key to finding the traitors.

They also need McNally’s help. Seems the traitor, a man named Ketcham, is now stealing land from the folks in Rio Lobo, and the land belonging to Tuscarora’s dad (Jack Elam as Phillips) is next on his list.

The trio also get help from pretty Shasta Delaney (Jennifer O’Neill). She’s after the same man for killing the owner of a medicine show, a man nice enough to take her under his wing when her only option was working in a saloon.

Turns out they’ll need all the help they can get. The man behind all the thievery has the sheriff (Mike Henry as Hendricks) and a large band of gunmen on his side.

In order to force Phillips to surrender his land, they throw Tuscarora in jail and threaten to hang him. Rather than break him free, McNally and his allies decide to kidnap Ketcham, then send Cordona to fetch the cavalry to help sort out the mess.

But what happens if the cavalry doesn’t come?

Review:

The second half of the film has heavy echoes of “Rio Bravo” and “El Dorado” running through it, but so what? It’s all great fun.

There’s a wonderfully staged holdup of a train carrying a Union gold shipment at the opening of the film and delightful little touches along the way, like when McNally grabs a chicken and flings it at one of Ketcham’s guards during the kidnapping.

Jack Elam contributes a riotous performance as Phillips, an old man who takes great joy in constantly threatening to blow off Ketcham’s head with his shotgun.

This marked the very first starring role for Jennifer O’Neill, and she’s one of just three females with key roles. Susan Dosamantes plays Tuscarora’s girlfriend; Sherry Lansing is the dark-haired beauty the Rio Lobo sheriff scars for life.

And, yes, Chris Mitchum is a son of Robert. He appeared in a trio of John Wayne films in the early 1970s.

Directed by:
Howard Hawks

Cast:
John Wayne … Cord McNally
Jorge Rivero … Pierre Cordona
Jennifer O’Neill … Shasta Delaney
Jack Elam … Phillips
Chris Mitchum … Tuscarora
Victor French … Ketcham
Susana Dosamantes … Maria
Sherry Lansing … Amelita
David Huddleston … Dr. Jones
Mike Henry … Sheriff Hendricks
Bill Williams … Sheriff Pat Cronin
Jim Davis … Rio Lobo deputy
Robert Donner … Whitey Carter
Bill Williams … Sheriff Pat Cronin

Runtime: 114 min.

Memorable lines:

Pierre: “You know, I like you.”
Shasta: “Why?”
Pierre: “Because you don’t cry.”
Shasta: “Oh, but I do. You saw me.”
Pierre: “You cried for your friend, not yourself. There’s a lot of difference.”

McNally, waking up beside Shasta, to Pierre: “How’d she get here?”
Pierre: “Why don’t you ask her.”
McNally, shaking Shasta awake: “Hey, you, how’d you get here?”
Shasta: “When you were asleep. It was cold.”
McNally: “Well, why me? Why didn’t you pick on him?”
Shasta: “Well, he’s young. You’re older. You’re comfortable.”
McNally: “Comfortable? I’ve been called lots of things. But comfortable?”

Phillips, upon learning Shasta shot a deputy named Whitey: “Well, I’ll be a suck-egg mule. Legs like that and she can shoot too.”

McNally: “Did you get that fella at the gate?”
Phillips: “He’s at another gate now, lookin’ for Saint Peter.”

Phillips to McNally: “If you hear a loud noise, it’ll be Mr. Ketcham dying.”

McNally: “Ketcham, we promised you in a trade. But we didn’t say what condition you’d be in.”

Amelita: “Mr. McNally, you make a person feel awful good.”
McNally: “Please. Don’t say ‘comfortable.'”