Red River is a 1948 American Western film, directed and produced by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift. It gives a fictional account of the first cattle drive from Texas to Kansas along the Chisholm Trail. The dramatic tension stems from a growing feud over the management of the drive between the Texas rancher who initiated it (Wayne) and his adopted adult son (Clift).
The film's supporting cast features: Walter Brennan, Joanne Dru, Coleen Gray, Harry Carey, John Ireland, Hank Worden, Noah Beery Jr., Harry Carey Jr. and Paul Fix. Borden Chase and Charles Schnee wrote the screenplay based on Chase's original story (which was first serialized in The Saturday Evening Post in 1946 as "Blazing Guns on the Chisholm Trail").
Upon its release, Red River was both a critical and commercial success, and was nominated for two Academy Awards in the categories of Motion Picture Story and Film Editing. Red River was selected by the American Film Institute as the fifth-greatest Western of all time in the AFI's 10 Top 10 list in 2008.
Plot
In 1851, Thomas Dunson and long-time friend Nadine Groot leave St. Louis as part of a wagon train bound for the California Trail led by a pre-Civil War Colonel, their wagon master. After South Fork, north of Texas, Dunson departs south to establish his own cattle ranch. The Colonel warns he needs a good gunman like Dunson in Comanche Indian country. But Dunson is determined. Gifting his mother's bracelet, he tells his gal Fen to stay until he sends for her.
Later, they spot smoke from the wagon train, and kill a few Indians; Dunson recovers his mother's bracelet. Dunson takes the caravan's sole survivor, teenager Matt Garth across Red River into Texas. Dunson settles near the Rio Grande and creates his "Red River D" brand (two riverbank lines and "D" for Dunson), promising to add "M" when Matt earns it. Two men arrive from Don Diego who owns all surrounding land, south for , but Dunson claims everything north of the Rio Grande. One draws on Dunson, who kills him, telling the other to inform Don Diego.
Dunson's ranch is successful but the Civil War left him broke. He opts to drive 10,000 head to the Sedalia, Missouri railhead for the best price. Professional gunman Cherry Valance joins the drive, suggesting the railroad in Abilene, Kansas is much closer. But Dunson learns Valance heard it secondhand, and continues towards Missouri.
Drover Bunk Kenneally steals chuckwagon sugar, accidentally dropping pots which causes a stampede that kills drover Dan Latimer, widowing his wife. Dunson tries bullwhipping Kenneally, who draws his gun; Matt is faster, wounding Kenneally. Valance calls Matt soft for not killing him. Dunson drives the men hard. Wrangler Sutter, who survived a hundred-main raid at the Ouachitas on an earlier drive, says they should have followed the Chisholm Trail to Abilene. Pressed, Sutter cannot remember if the railway reached Abilene; Dunson is set on Missouri. Disgruntled, Mailer, Fernandez, and another try leaving the drive, instigating a shootout; Dunson, Matt and Valence kill them. Teeter, Bill Kelsey, and Laredo desert that night, stealing dwindling supplies. After fording Red River, Valance returns with Teeter and Laredo; Kelsey was killed. Dunson intends to hang them, but Matt finally stands up against Dunson, "No, you're not." Dunson moves to draw on Matt, but Valance wounds Dunson's hand. Supported by all the cowhands, Matt usurps the drive and heads for Abilene, leaving Dunson behind. Groot offers to stay with Dunson, who says, "Go on with them!" Dunson tells Matt he will catch up and kill him.
Matt and the drovers save a wagon train of gamblers and dance hall girls from an Indian attack. Tess Millay takes an interest in Matt. Weather worsens, raising the river, forcing Matt to ford at night. Eight days later, Dunson arrives with hired guns, surprised that Tess knows his name and wears his mother's bracelet. Confronted by her, he explains he wanted a son, and Matt would have inherited his ranch, but not now after he stole his herd. Dunson offers Tess half the ranch if she will bear him a son. She agrees on condition he stops pursuing Matt. Since he will not, she demands to accompany him.
Matt reaches Abilene, finding the whole town waited a long time to buy such a herd. He accepts an offer and finds Tess in his room. The next morning Dunson arrives and is challenged by Valance; both shoot, wounding each other. Dunson confronts Matt, who refuses to draw, even while Dunson fires, grazing Matt's cheek. Dunson throws his and Matt's guns away, and punches Matt, who does not fight back, until finally he does, knocking Dunson into a cart. Tess interrupts, forcing them to making peace at gunpoint. Impressed, Dunson advises, "You'd better marry that girl, Matt," who protests, "When are you going to stop telling people what to do?" Dunson adds "one thing more..." when they get back to the ranch, Dunson wants Matt to change their Red River D brand, adding an "M" to it. "You've earned it."
Cast
<!--- Notable & "cast worth identifying" only, as per MOS:FILMCAST & WP:NOTDATABASE ordered first by Opening then Closing Motion picture credits. Do NOT list "Uncredited" cast without an RS cite ref. "All [Role] names should be referred to as Credited, OR by common name supported by a Reliable Source" as per WP:FILMOGRAPHY.
--->