I think coming as the last of the three films in what have been called John Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy" with John Wayne, the film can't help but be a bit of a let-down. After all, FORT APACHE and SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON are among the best Westerns ever made--and RIO GRANDE can't help but be a lesser film. This isn't saying it's bad--it certainly isn't. But the film doesn't have a story that can match the intensity and brilliance of FORT APACHE and since it is not in color like SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON, it can't match this other film's magnificent cinematography. Sure, the camera-work on RIO GRANDE is excellent for a black and white film, but SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON is just so perfect that I can't think of a more beautiful film. So the deck was definitely stacked against this film! The story, at first, I found not very likable. The idea of John Wayne choosing his career over his family irritated me to no end. HOWEVER, I am glad I kept watching, because this film was brilliant in how it slowly revealed WHY. Then, based on what occurred, you understood and empathized with the man--he was not a man who simply loved his work and chose it over his family--he was definitely a much more complex character. In fact, this humanity helped to raise it above the norm for Westerns.

The acting was generally excellent. John Wayne, as usual was great and Maureen O'Hara was a nice addition. Also, Claude Jarman, Jr. was surprisingly good as Wayne's son. However, probably the biggest stand-out performance aside from Wayne was Ben Johnson, whose role allowed him to shine.

So why still only an 8? Well, the thing I hated about this film was all the singing. The film DEFINITELY felt "padded" and I also happen to strongly dislike the Sons of the Pioneers-style singing (they were famous for singing in B-movie series Westerns). It sounded, at times, like a Gene Autry movie with all that singing!!! In fact, I almost gave this wonderful movie a 7 because I disliked the singing THAT MUCH!!!

I do prefer Fort Apache and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, the other entries in the calvary trilogy, but Rio Grande is still very good. While I did like the songs in general, they were memorable and didn't slow the film down too much, I personally could have done with one or two less than featured here. Also Natchez I agree could have been much better characterised.

That said, Rio Grande does look very nice. The cinematography is wonderful, and while not quite as magnificent as it often is, The Monument Valley scenery is great to look at. Victor Young's music is quite stirring and powerful, while the story with its credible themes is compelling. The script is literate and well-written, and the film goes along at a well-judged pace. As always, John Ford's direction is superb, and I was also taken with the acting. John Wayne is excellent, while not the best he's acted, it is for me up there, and I loved Maureen O'Hara as well. Is she too young? Maybe. But for me she is John Wayne's best overall leading lady, she is beautiful, yet sharp and decisive with a fair amount of steel. The support acting while not quite as impressive is fine, no problems as far as I could see, and a vast majority of the characters are believable.

Overall, a very good film elevated by its themes, the direction and the acting of the leads. 8/10 Bethany Cox

According to a trailer on my Quiet Man VHS and Maureen O'Hara's memoirs Rio Grande was a negotiating chip that Republic Pictures studio president Herbert J. Yates used in order to get John Ford to work for his studio. John Ford had wanted to make The Quiet Man for years and the major studios turned him down. Republic was the last stop he made. Yates agreed to let him shoot The Quiet Man at Republic, but first he wanted a guaranteed moneymaker.

Fort Apache and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon were both done at RKO and made money. So Yates said give me another cavalry picture with John Wayne and you can shoot The Quiet Man afterwards.

James Warner Bellah who had written the short stories that the other two were based on fortunately had a third one published. And that boys and girls is how Rio Grande came into being.

Good thing too because of studio politics we got ourselves a western classic. And a family classic as well. John Wayne who is once again playing a character named Kirby Yorke has two families, the United States Cavalry to which he's devoted and a wife and son from whom he's been estranged. How he repairs the relationships between wife Maureen O'Hara and son Claude Jarman, Jr. is the key to the whole story.

As Maureen toasts at a dinner scene with J. Carrol Naish as General Philip H. Sheridan, "to my one rival, the United States Cavalry."

Young Jefferson Yorke has flunked out of West Point and has joined the army as an enlisted man. Through none of his own doing he's assigned to the frontier post commanded by his father. Mom then comes west to try and spring him from the army, but young Jeff doesn't want to be sprung.

In fact to his father's surprise the young man proves himself to be an able cavalryman without any assistance from Dad. And when Maureen comes west, old love rekindles between Wayne and O'Hara.

All this is against the background of some Apache hit and run raids across the Rio Grande. Topped off by them attacking a party escorting dependent women and children away from the post. Young Trooper Yorke rides for help there, hence the title quote.

A lot of John Ford's stock company fills out the cast to give it that familiar look of Ford films. Some bits from previous films were used like the training Roman style of the new recruits. They prove a more able bunch than the ones from Fort Apache.

Some traditional melodies were used as they are in John Ford period pieces, but unusual for a Ford film, several new songs were written for the film, done by the Sons of the Pioneers. One of them written by Dale Evans entitled Aha San Antone. She was employed at Republic studios also.

A fine classic western with a nice story about family relationships and responsibilities one incurs in life.