John Wayne is Chance in Rio Bravo, a lean Western classic packing solid heroics and a strong emotional core. He's joined by Dean Martin as the deputy coming off a two-year drunk, Walter Brennan as the old coot whose spirit outmatches his hobbled stride. Ricky Nelson as a youth out to prove himself and Angie Dickinson as the scarlet woman with her eye on Chance. Director Howard Hawks lifted the Western to new heights with Red River. Capturing the legendary West with a stellar cast in peak form, he does it again here.
 
"Slam-bang, exciting, funny. One of the all-time great Westerns."  Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic
"...a great film...in the top 20 westerns of all time if not the top 10."  Gary W. Tooze, DVD Beaver
"...an American classic...great fun."  Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
"...outstanding entertainment...an excellent film..."  The Motion Picture Guide
"...continually entertaining."  VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever
 


Editor's Note

No-nonsense Texas border sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) fights off ruthless mercenary gunmen in order to keep a murderer in custody. A ragtag band of volunteers, consisting of a singing kid, a toothless old man, a recovering alcoholic, and a spunky woman, assist. Contains an interesting sing-along interlude among the group, and yes, the Duke participates.


Plot Summary

John Wayne stars as the sheriff of a small western town who arrests a murderer and then must contend with the aggressive efforts of the killer's brother to free him before the state marshall arrives. Surrounding the town, the villains make repeated runs at the tiny jailhouse where their comrade is incarcerated. The sheriff is left to defend the territory almost single-handedly -- his only aid being a rag-tag crew of misfits, including a drunk, an old cripple, a saloon woman, and a singing teenager. The plot's tensions build to one of the most explosive finales in cinema history.