As the camera in the saloon swings to a low-angle shot and the orchestra strikes an ominous chord, the towering image of John Wayne fills the screen. Just as Wayne had presided over western pictures for thirty years (and would continue to do for more than another decade), veteran director Howard Hawks (Scarface, Red River) almost certainly intended Wayne to carry his 1959 Warner Brothers film Rio Bravo.
Fortunately for us, however, Rio Bravo is not your archetypal John Wayne film.
Co-star Dean Martin, as `Dude,' an alcoholic gunslinger struggling with sobriety, steals the screen in nearly every scene of Rio Bravo. Martin's potent mixture of innate coolness, vulnerability, and unflustered acting creates a dynamic and vibrant character that truly drives the unhurried emotional tenor of the film.
Rio Bravo opens with Wayne's John T. Chance - a beefy cow-town sheriff with a resilient independent streak - in some considerable trouble. Joe Burdette, the rowdy black sheep brother of powerful rancher outlaw Nathan Burdette, is waiting in the city jail for extradition on murder charges; and the Burdette gang doesn't take too kindly to Chance's vision of court justice.
While John T. is as obstinate and ageless as any John Wayne character, the supporting cast, led by Dean Martin's Dude, clearly sets Rio Bravo apart.
Because of his stubborn self-reliance and his refusal to place his friends in danger by involving them in the violent situation, John T. relies on only two rag-tag deputies and a young-yet-wise gun-for-hire to protect the county of Presidio, Texas, and keep Burdette under lock and key until the U.S. Marshall arrives.
Dean Martin's Dude is known by the local Mexicans as Borachon, or The Drunken One. Dude found his way into a bottle after his woman took off on a stagecoach, and two years later he seems to be in no better shape. Ridiculed by outlaws and cowboys alike, Dude has become a shell of his former sharp-shooting self.
Conveniently, however, Dude turns the corner on his grief and alcoholism at just the right time. He joins forces with John T., an old friend and partner, and quickly regains his ability to dispense justice from the hip with circus-style revolver shots.
In the best exchange of Rio Bravo, a surprised Nathan Burdette asks Dude: `You're pretty good with that gun when you're sober. How did that happen?' Dude responds with a cool arrogance, `If you mean being good with a gun, I've had a lot of practice. If you mean being sober, I'm gettin' practice on account of your brother.'
While Dude is John T.'s close partner, Stumpy provides the happy trigger finger to protect the jail from the Burdette gang, and the wit and thick accent to keep the Fifties audience rolling in the aisles. Unfortunately, like many classic films, most of the humor in Rio Bravo - aside from Stumpy's dead-on impersonation of John Wayne that rivals only Joker's in Full Metal Jacket - does not age well.
Young music and film star Ricky Nelson handles the character of Colorado Ryan with remarkable ease. Reluctant at first, John T. learns to trust Colorado for his lightning fast pistol skills, his aversion to meddling in others business, and his silky smooth crooning.
Rio Bravo is certainly in the top tier of westerns, and it has its star-studded group of actors to thank. Even with their best work, however, the film just cannot make that considerable climb over the hump to greatness. Like many other films in its genre, the motivations of both the characters and the plotline become hopelessly muddled at times.
For instance, the opening scene of Rio Bravo, which sets up the action and main story, is one of the most important parts of the film. In an effort to incorporate most major characters into this scene, however, the inspiration behind the players, especially Joe Burdette, is never clear. In addition, the history between John T. and Dude is never explored or fully explained.
That said, director Howard Hawks proves that a wide assortment of actors not usually associated with the genre can help John Wayne carry the film and maintain the leisurely style that propels Rio Bravo
