The successful filmmaking partnership of director John Ford and actor John Wayne were reunited again in this 'different' western from 1948.
I say different in that it strays from the usual macho gun-ho roles that John Wayne usually plays and strays into more of a light hearted, sentimental story more akin to Three Men And A Baby from the 1980s. Having now seen this perhaps this was an influence on that film?
It tells the story of a gang of three bank robbers on the run in Arizona, U.S. led by John Wayne (Robert), Mexican actor Pedro Armendáriz (Pedro surprisingly) and Harry Carey Jr. (William).
Not only are they on the run from an advancing Marshal played by Ward Bond (Another Ford/Wayne movie stalwart) but they face the desert conditions of the Arizona desert using Ford's old favourite filming location the Death Valley National Park. The Technicolor film captures the locations perfectly.
Basically the three fugitives are struggling to survive the conditions especially young William who was injured during the escape from the bank robbery.
Whilst on the run the three stumble upon a pregnant lady in Labour. Pedro delivers the baby and as the mother is dying she makes a dying wish that the three 'godfathers' take her baby son to the safety of the town of New Jerusalem.
Here the film takes on a biblical twist as the 3 Godfathers become the three wise men as in the nativity.
An enjoyable film showing another side to the Duke's film repertoire.
I say different in that it strays from the usual macho gun-ho roles that John Wayne usually plays and strays into more of a light hearted, sentimental story more akin to Three Men And A Baby from the 1980s. Having now seen this perhaps this was an influence on that film?
It tells the story of a gang of three bank robbers on the run in Arizona, U.S. led by John Wayne (Robert), Mexican actor Pedro Armendáriz (Pedro surprisingly) and Harry Carey Jr. (William).
Not only are they on the run from an advancing Marshal played by Ward Bond (Another Ford/Wayne movie stalwart) but they face the desert conditions of the Arizona desert using Ford's old favourite filming location the Death Valley National Park. The Technicolor film captures the locations perfectly.
Basically the three fugitives are struggling to survive the conditions especially young William who was injured during the escape from the bank robbery.
Whilst on the run the three stumble upon a pregnant lady in Labour. Pedro delivers the baby and as the mother is dying she makes a dying wish that the three 'godfathers' take her baby son to the safety of the town of New Jerusalem.
Here the film takes on a biblical twist as the 3 Godfathers become the three wise men as in the nativity.
An enjoyable film showing another side to the Duke's film repertoire.