Rio Bravo

"They fought back to back... No quarter given... No quarter asked... No way in... No way out... of Rio Bravo!"

1959 2h 21m EN

🙌

7.8

BANGER

🔥

96%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★7.8TMDB · 1,305🍅96%Rotten Tomatoes●93Metacritic★8IMDB · 71,739

WesternDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a disabled man, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.

“They fought back to back... No quarter given... No quarter asked... No way in... No way out... of Rio Bravo!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Fandango At HomeRent

Spectrum On DemandRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

John Wayne
Sheriff John T. Chance
Dean Martin
Dude
Ricky Nelson
Colorado Ryan
Angie Dickinson
Feathers
Walter Brennan
Stumpy
Ward Bond
Pat Wheeler
John Russell
Nathan Burdette
Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez
Carlos Robante

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Howard Hawks
Writers: Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett, B.H. McCampbell
Languages: Spanish, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.8× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Howard Hawks, shot by Russell Harlan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Folmar Blangsted shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Wayne and Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Howard Hawks directs. Russell Harlan behind the camera. Dimitri Tiomkin scores. Folmar Blangsted cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Spanish, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 4.8× over at the box office.
367 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.
5Directed by Howard Hawks, shot by Russell Harlan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Folmar Blangsted shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8John Wayne and Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "They fought back to back... No quarter given... No quarter asked... No way in... No way out... of Rio Bravo!".
10IMDB entry: tt0053221 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 15 themes, including "small town", "sheriff", "gun", "marshal".

The technical file

Cinematography: Russell Harlan
Original score: Dimitri Tiomkin
Editing: Folmar Blangsted
Costume design: Marjorie Best
Makeup / hair: Gordon Bau
Stunt coordinator: Yakima Canutt
Runtime: 141 min · 2h 21m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,200,000
Box office: $5,750,000
Return: 479% of budget
Original language: EN
IMDB: Rio Bravo (1959)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 93/100
IMDB rating: 8/10 · 71,739 votes
MPAA: Approved

Awards

4 wins & 5 nominations total

Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Howard Hawks

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-11-25
★ 7/10
The good outweighs the bad in Hawks macho movie. Filmed by Howard Hawks as a response to what he saw as none macho cinema in Gary Cooper's acclaimed High Noon, Rio Bravo has moments of brilliance that are sadly coupled with failings that are not Hawksian peccadilloes. The macho plot is simple but wholly effective as our heavily out numbered heroes (John Wayne, Dean Martin, Walter Brennan & Ricky Nelson) defend a jail house against a marauding mob trying to release an incarcerated friend. This alone sounds grand but the truth is, is that it takes the film nigh on close to 100 minutes to get to the adrenalin rush of the siege and even allowing for fine character development, the film is ponderous and even at times dangerously close to being self indulgent. The casting of Ricky Nelson was (as is widely regarded now) one of the worst of its kind in the history of cinema, he was there purely as a marketing ploy to garner the teen audience who were bopping to his pop tunes way back then. In fairness to Hawks, though, he saw straight away that this was out of Nelson's league and promptly (and cutely) gave him few lines of note to speak of. Also a big negative in the film is Angie Dickinson as the Female interest, she is raw and fresh out of water, and it shows, just like sushi on your plate. The bonuses with the film however keep the film talked about for ever more, Wayne is magnetic and believable, whilst Martin comes into his own as the drunk trying to do right, a superlative performance from him and one would think that is really down to Hawks' direction. The action sequences are of a high standard, while the tight intimate feel of the town is precious - and who can resist an ending that makes you want to go fire yer guns in the air? A very good film, but not a Western masterpiece by a long shot. 7/10
CinemaSerf2024-06-09
★ 8/10
Sherriff "John T." (John Wayne) is saddled with a drunken deputy "Dude" (Dean Martin) just at a time when local landowner "Burdette" (John Russell) is besieging the jail to extricate his murderous brother. Luckily, his friend "Pat" (Ward Bond) drives his wagon train through the town and he's got the gunslinging "Colorado" (Ricky Nelson) on board. Initially reluctant to get involved in someone else's fight, the turn of events change his mind providing Duke with a new ally. Then, when he thinks things can't get any worse, the stagecoach comes in with a dodgy wheel and wanted card-sharp "Feathers" (Angie Dickinson) - a woman who knows exactly which buttons to press to turn the sheriff into a gibbering wreck. With tensions mounting, we retreat to the safety of their prison for a sing-song with Martin and some acerbic antics from the real star of the film - Walter Brennan. He's the cantankerous old "Stumpy" who is tasked with keeping an eye on their prisoner whilst fixing their beans... Wayne and Martin work well together and though Nelson is a bit wooden, his eye candy value just about works - that and his lively rendition of "Cindy" that gets even Wayne's toes a-tapping. It all builds well to a lively and explosive denouement with some diney-mite and a perfectly aimed sawn-off shotgun topping this off nicely. It's a solid story with engaging characters and well worth a watch - even if westerns aren't necessarily your thing.