RIO GRANDE (Olive Films Signature Blu Ray)

RIO GRANDE– Republic, 1950 . 105 mins. B&W. Directed by John Ford. John Wayne ,Maureen O’Hara . Olive Films Signature Blu Ray release : November 17,2020 . $39.95 SRP. Region A. https://www.amazon.com/Grande-Oliver-Signature-Collection-Blu-ray/dp/B08K41T14H/ref=pd_sbs_74_4/133-3018232-7020546?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B08K41T14H&pd_rd_r=4077fff0-70dc-464e-87c8-7080f7300ada&pd_rd_w=xY9uI&pd_rd_wg=tUrFF&pf_rd_p=ed1e2146-ecfe-435e-b3b5-d79fa072fd58&pf_rd_r=1741FCC3Z575QNJ40SF7&psc=1&refRID=1741FCC3Z575QNJ40SF7

John Martin Feeney ,better known as John Ford, was and remains one of the cinemas greatest storytellers. From 1917 until 1976 , he was able to tell adventure filled stories with a lot of humanity and heart, developing a stock company of performers and technicians who would work with him again and again, bringing a uniformity of quality to his numerous projects.

He basically saved John Wayne from low budget B movies and turned him into an international star with STAGECOACH(Walter Wagner/U.A.,1939) and Wayne would return again and again to work with “Pappy”(his nickname for the director),with both delivering some of the best films of their respective careers , reaching their apex with the romance comedy THE QUIET MAN (Argosy/Republic ,1952, was also available from Olive Signature on Blu Ray ,and has become a sought after collector’s item).

Ford and Wayne made three films that have come to be known as the “Cavalry Trilogy”, made up of
FORT APACHE ( Argosy/RKO ,1948), SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (Argosy/ RKO ,1949) ,and this film ,RIO GRANDE (Argosy /Republic,1950). Though not directly related to each other, and made at two different studios ,with Wayne and various actors reappearing in the films, there is a unity in the stories about courage and honor .

The great Victor McLaglen

The film was also the first of five films that Wayne would co star with the wonderful Maureen O’Hara , three of which Ford directed them together in.

In 1879, Texas settlers are being attacked by Apache warriors who after the skirmishes, flee over the border to Mexico, outside of U.S. jurisdiction. During a recent attack, they have captured an Apache leader . Lt Col Kirby Yorke (Wayne), is hampered in his efforts due to lack of adequate troops. He is sent a group of mostly raw recruits to deal with this problem, among them is his son Trooper Jeff Yorke (16 year old Claude Jarman,Jr.,who had won an Academy Award for his wonderful work in 1946 for THE YEARLING,MGM). Jeff had flunked out of West Point, which does not make the relationship between father and son any better.

Adding to the tension is the arrival of Kathleen (Maureen O’Hara), Kirby’s estranged wife. She has arrived to buy out her son’s enlistment , only to discover her son does not want her to. Adding to the frisson is Sgt Major Quincannon(Victor McLaglen , Oscar winner for THE INFORMER ,RKO,1935),Kirby’s right hand man, who, during the Civil War, set torch to Bridedale, Kathleen’s Southern Estate.

The troops experience another attack from the Apaches who free their leader. Lt General Phillip Sheridan (J Carrol Naish , HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN ,Universal ,1944 ) orders Kirby decides to pursue the Apaches even into Mexico.

Yorke goes with two of his older troopers, Travis Tyree (Ben Johnson ,a former ranch hand who turned stunt man and small uncredited film roles, before Ford gave him a nice role in THREE GODFATHERS,Argosy/MGM ,1948 and becoming one of Ford’s stock company) and Daniel “Sandy”Boone (Harry Carey Jr ,the son of an actor who also was part of Ford’s reliables and was active until 2005,age 84 ). Also along is Jeff.

Ben Johnson

To complicate matters, they find out that a group of children have been taken hostage.

RIO GRANDE was a film that wasn’t originally planned by Ford. He was desperate to do THE QUIET MAN(finally made at Republic, 1952), but he could not convince any studio to produce it for him. Finally ,studio head Herbert J Yates made a deal with the director – he could make his passion project ,which Yates felt would be a prestige film but money loser , if he made RIO GRANDE for the studio as a more likely money maker.

Oddly, while RIO GRANDE did well , the little prestige film THE QUIET MAN was the bigger hit, becoming one of 1952’s top ten money makers. Still , RIO GRANDE made back double it’s cost for the studio .

The Olive Film release was previously released in a bare bones 1080p release in 2012. Now it has been given a special edition (Signature) release full of extras. The film is presented in DTS-HD 1.0 Mono that is very clear, whether it be the songs of The Sons of The Pioneers ,the battles, or a quiet scene between Wayne and O’Hara.

Ported over from Olive Films DVD release in 2002 is an informative Leonard Maltin documentary on THE MAKING OF RIO GRANDE .

– Audio commentary track by Nancy Schoenberger (author of Wayne and Ford: The Films, the Friendship, and the Forging of an American Hero,Deckle Edge Publishers, 2017 ) who goes into great detail about the relationship of the director and actor, as well as the making of the film). Newly recorded for this release.

STRENGTH & COURAGE – Patrick Wayne ,who made his uncredited debut as one of the kidnapped kids in the film, talks about his father.

New mini featurette ,BIGGER THAN LIFE –Claude Jarman Jr talks about working on this film which he says is his personal favorite.

New mini featurette TELLING REAL HISTORIES – Actor Raoul Trujillo (native actor, JAMESTOWN ,Sky ,2017-19) discusses how Native Americans were depicted in films.

Raoul Trujillo in JAMESTOWN

• New Interview –SONGS OF THE RIO GRANDE – film historian Marc Wanamaker (Early Poverty Row Studios by E.J. Stephens and Marc Wanamaker ;Arcadia ,2014)discusses The Sons of The Pioneers and their work in this film.

Booklet by Paul Andrew Hutton (American Cultural Historian,who has acted as historical consultant on several films, like THE MISSING ,Columbia, 2003) with original essay about the film.

Original Theatrical Trailer

RIO GRANDE is indeed a classic of American Moviemaking , and should be in the possession of any lover of films.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

-Kevin G. Shinnick

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THE QUIET MAN ( Olive Films Signature Blu Ray)

THE QUIET MAN (1952) –Olive Films Signature Series Blu Ray $39.95 Color 129 minutes. Region 1. 1.37:1 mono release date October 25,2016 .
http://store.olivefilms.com/Drama.56/Olive_Films.38/The_Quiet_Man___Olive_Signature__Blu-Ray_.6308.html     

One of the most beloved films of all time gets a wonderful and superlative release from OLIVE FILMS as part of their  inaugural ‘Signature “releases (along with HIGH NOON, covered previously( https://scarletthefilmmagazine.wordpress.com/2016/09/26/high-noon-olive-films-blu-ray-and-dvd-signature-release/      ) and the quality and respect that these masterpieces have received from the studio should make movie lovers rejoice.

 

Coming from the original camera negative, the transfer received a 4 K scan and the results are amazing.

 

The Technicolor no longer has that slightly muddy look that the film had for many years. Maureen O’Hara ‘s fiery red hair blazes with the passion that also illuminates her performance. The greens fields make you want to pack your bag and ‘teacht ar ais go hÉirinn” (“come back to Ireland”).

The story by Maurice Walsh first appeared in the February 11,1933 edition of the Saturday Evening Post, and was later published in a collection called The Green Rushes (1935, Frederick A. Stokes Co.) .
http://dukefanclub.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/9/9/10994017/the_quiet_man.pdf

 

John Ford ‘s love of the story involved him having to first do a western for Republic (RIO GRANDE 1950). That film was successful enough that the studio approved location filming in County Mayo and County Galway while shooting in the more expensive Technicolor (most of their color films were shot in the cheaper Tru Color Process). Then interiors were shot back at the studios in Hollywood.

 

American Sean Thornton (Shawn Kelvin in the original story), played to perfection by John Wayne, returns to his ancestral home in Inisfree. He begins to fall for the beautiful colleen, Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara), but she wishes to observe the local matchmaking principals, and obstacles and cultural differences keep getting in the way.

 

 

Also, a huge block is her brutish protective brother, Squire ‘Red “Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen, Oscar winner in 1935 for RKO’s John Ford classic THE INFORMER, wherein he played another slow witted but brutish fellow during the Irish Revolution). He cannot stop the couple from falling in love but he can deny them her dowry. Instead, the Squire challenges Thornton to fight, but the Yank walks away. Mary Kate thinks that Sean is a coward, but as the film unfolds we find out he has a dark secret.

 

The film ends with one of the best and most exciting and funny fight scenes ever committed to celluloid.

 

Onto this slim framework, John Ford (via a screenplay adaptation by Frank S. Nugent, who wrote some of Ford’s best films) populates the film with almost every Irish character actor from Hollywood as well as several locals. The film makes the countryside also as much a character, and when the storms and rains hit, we are treated to one of the most electric screen kisses of all time.

                           

 

In 2013, OLIVE FILMS released the film on BLU RAY and DVD. While the film has hardly been out of the public eye since its release (a yearly March must show on television, as well as various releases on VHS by Republic as well as DVD releases by Artisan), the current incarnation from OLIVE FILMS is the must own version.

 

As mentioned, the film has been given a beautiful video upgrade. I do not have the previous Olive Films release for comparison, but must reiterate that this print is flawless. Colors leap out and the mono sound is ultra clean and hiss free.

 

The English optional subtitles follow the action and dialogue precisely. Kudos to whomever is charged with this important option for the hard of hearing audiences.

 

Ported over from the previous 2013 release is
The Making of The Quiet Man – a documentary that originated in the 2002 Artisan release. Leonard Maltin as always guides us through the history of this classic film in his usual fun and informative style.

New to this release is

Audio Commentary Track by Joseph McBride, author of two John Ford books. The love of his subject comes throughout his feature, dropping facts and info in an easy and informative fashion. It is so informative about the film and Ireland in 1951 that this is a track you will want to listen to it  several times to get the full effect.

Free Republic – a brief little history of the studio as to how a film processing company got into producing no nonsense and profitable films but somehow made films like Orson Welles’ MACBETH (1948, coming from Olive Films on Blu Ray    http://www.olivefilms.com/films/macbeth-%E2%80%93-olive-signature/         ) and of course THE QUIET MAN. This short is hosted by by Marc Wanamaker, a co-author (along with E.J. Stephens) of EARLY POVERTY ROW STUDIOS (Arcadia Publishing,2014). Mr. Wanamaker is also a founder of the Hollywood Heritage Museum.

A Tribute to Maureen O’Hara – actresses Juliet Mills, Hayley Mills, and Ally Sheedy share their memories and tributes to the actress. Besides her beauty, they make sure that people are aware of her strong personality, her charm, her career, her grace, and most of all her great talent. The warmth of their memories is truly moving.

The Old Man- Director Peter Bogdanovich (TARGETS, Paramount,1968) shares his thoughts on Ford and his career. From interviewing Ford for Esquire, the two directors developed a lasting friendship. I enjoyed Bogdanovich’s story of visiting Ford just before his death, along with Director Howard Hawks, and instead of hello Ford barked out how could Hawks stand all the questions that Bogdanovich’s had!

 

 

Don’t You Remember ,Seánín?
– A visual essay using footage from the film by quite voiced Tag Gallagher, film and John Ford expert. I do love his opening comment: “Every Irishmen is an actor “said John Ford, “And how flamboyant they are about it. Exhibitionists, like dancers. Their body language makes emotions vivid, palpable.”

 

The booklet enclosed has a few photos but no real information besides the cast listing, chapter stops on the disc and listing of the extras.

 

 

The slipcover can be reversed to show a beautiful black and white photo of the courting ride through town. The cover is a shot of the same sequence, with the two lovers walking in front of the carriage driven by Barry Fitzgerald. That shot captures the beauty and the romance of the film, and kudos for this original choice. It is also used for the hardcover cardboard case that it comes in.

 

 

The only way that I could see this release being any better is if they had also added a second disc to include the 2010 documentary DREAMING THE QUIET MAN (available from OLIVE FILMS http://www.olivefilms.com/films/john-ford-dreaming-the-quiet-man-blu-ray/ ) .

 

I could go on and on as to why this film deserved to be chosen by the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2013, but if you have ever seen the film you have no need for convincing.

 

MOLADH AIRDE! (HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!)

–Kevin G Shinnick