User Reviews

El Dorado (1966)

A brilliant movie. I hate to use an overused word, or to seem over the top here. But I really thought Howard Hawks created an arguably better version of "Rio Bravo" by doing two key things. One is using two leads who had great mature chemistry together, John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. The other is using James Caan as a more convincing and slightly less frivolous sidekick instead of Ricky Nelson in the earlier version. Many people will disagree and that's fine--my point is this is a terrific and somewhat overlooked film.

Not that the plots of the two are identical, and you might really blame the director/producer for doing a cheap attempt at a hit, without total originality. The fact is, he succeeds so well you don't mind. Everything is first rate. Even the humor as it gets more and more slapstick and out of keeping with the very serious beginnings of the film is so at ease and warm you like and want the companionship to continue. Hawks and his actors create a setting and a situation that is almost homey, against the odds. And this is in an era when the American Western is all but dead (the great Spaghetti Westerns were now coming out).

Critical to the success is the great cinematography by Harold Rosson, who filmed so many classic movies it's hard to know where to start (but start with "The Wizard of Oz" and "Singin' in the Rain"). This is his last film, and he never stops pushing boundaries. There are not only beautiful scenes in the little towns or the shots from the belltower near the end, but some innovative ones.

The big theme here is a common one in Westerns--a group of bad guys with guns is out to take something from a group of good common folk. But the solution is notable, and pushed to a limit. That is, the problem is solved through camaraderie and friendship, through trust. And by joining in the cause even if there is no reward, and even though death is not unlikely. It's a story that is oversimplified, of course, but it feels good. Where some Anthony Mann Westerns and the famous Zinnemann "High Noon" often have evil or selfish or cowardly people all around the protagonist, here there is only a sense that good will prevail, and by persistence and teamwork.

Wayne is at his best here. He's often at his best, I suppose, since he's so consistent, but this shows a strong, smart, wise character that is probably the true Wayne. He's tough and funny and believes in what is right. Period. And I think Hawks knew how to make Wayne look and act his best, and Mitchum seemed to also resonate well. For his part, Mitchum is a terrific derelict sheriff, not overacting, making it reasonable and his character sympathetic. The two have a lot of scenes together and they seem to enjoy themselves without quite breaking into grins on camera.

Finally it should be said that the story line is rich and complex. Yes it follows certain common themes and clichés, but it continually twists them up. The first twenty minutes are a harrowing ride of upturned expectations, and the plot really has its teeth sunk into misunderstandings and mistakes that take on huge ramifications. Well written, well paced dialog, well done.

One weakness in both "El Dorado" and "Rio Bravo" is the lead woman in each case, meant to be a "type" of course but in "El Dorado" coming off as weirdly modern in both sensibility and make-up. I mean cosmetics. Even more glaring is the crazy 1966 hair and eyeliner on a younger woman in the story, who is terrific overall but just seems out of place. You might say the same for Caan, too, but he plays his part with such idiosyncratic verve you accept him as a legitimate oddball.

Why not just see "Rio Bravo" instead, since it carries similar themes, and Hawks and Wayne as well, and has a superior reputation? Go ahead. "Rio Bravo" is a more serious drama, and is terrific. But if you have access to this one (and the streaming Netflix copy is superb), then I'd plunge in. Highly rated, and still underrated.

Unless you count their joint appearance in The Longest Day, El Dorado deserves its place in Hollywood history for being the only co-starring effort of John Wayne and Robert Mitchum.

Besides being good friends Wayne and Mitchum were both known for being able to drink just about anyone else in the film business under the table and still report to work in the morning, lines letter perfect. But Mitchum was not allowed in the Wayne home because Pilar Wayne never forgave him for ruining their honeymoon when Mitchum backed out of Blood Alley and Wayne had to star as well as produce it.

I also think that the Duke was leery about Mitchum stealing too many scenes which he does when they are on the screen together. In this tighter and faster remake of Rio Bravo, Wayne is his usual stand up hero, rough and tough, but who lives by a code. Mitchum is the flawed one. During an interlude of several months in the film, Mitchum becomes enamored of an unseen woman, loses her, and becomes a drunk.

Which leads me to one of the funniest scenes ever in a Wayne film. When Christopher George and fellow gunmen are hired by villain Ed Asner to run R.G. Armstrong and his family off their ranch, Wayne has to sober up Sheriff Mitchum and fast.

Every time I watch El Dorado, I get hysterical every time I watch James Caan pour a homemade remedy down Mitchum's throat with Wayne and Arthur Hunnicutt holding him down. And the reactions afterwards, absolutely priceless. This is where Mitchum steals the movie.

As in many a Howard Hawks film, there is a theme of professionalism that runs through it. Whether it's Cary Grant and his fellow pilots flying over treacherous terrain in South America, Humphrey Bogart with his charter boat business in the Caribbean, or Wayne and Mitchum going up against fellow professional Christopher George, it's doing the job and doing it well for it's own reward.

The final gunfight is also a classic. Let's just say that Mitchum and Wayne are not at their best, but they make up for it with some help from interested friends.

This is one of the best films, in the top 10 for both these guys and shouldn't be missed.

every once and a while me and my father will buy a classic western no matter how cheesy or weird it may look, today he came home with this movie El Dorado, at first i was expecting not too much due to how many westerns that were made, though i should have thought better whenever i saw that it starred two great film actors John Wayne and Robert Mitchum.

i may be young(16) but i know good actors when i watch them on screen these two played beautifully off each other and so did another great actor James Caan

all the characters were played to perfection, even though anyone can play an alcoholic sheriff with a broken-heart Mitchum really made the role shine, of course John Wayne did wonderful as The Hired Gun, but my favorite role was that of Mississipi played by James Caan, in my opinion he did an astonishing job in this role and the scenes with him and Wayne were glorious.

Now some older ladies and gents may find it hard to follow the recommendation of a 16 year old but it is seriously one of my favorites of the ones me and my father have seen

in a lil side note the action scenes were done really well and there was also a slight editing issue during one of the scenes I'm sure you'll notice(but you must take into consideration the time when the movie was made)

thank you and you really must see this movie that could never be done today due to the fight between stars in leading roles.

This was a pretty solid western, one I enjoyed more than I thought I would. What I liked about it were the interesting characters and the fact it was nicely filmed, as westerns tend to be. People focus on the big stars of this film and often miss how good the visuals are in here.

John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and James Caan all played characters that were fun to watch. When I first saw this about 10 years ago, it was a shock to see how young Caan looked. It had to be one of his first films. Six years after this, he made it big in "The Godfather."

Wayne and Mitchum, of course, were already major motion picture celebrities and I liked the way they traded off each other in this movie. It was really good to see these two guys in the same film. With those two, and the nice photography, this would be a good pickup on DVD.

This many not be the best western ever made, but it looks like an epic and is more fun than most movies by a hoot and a holler. It's got direction by Howard Hawks, characters, and people who actually talk to each other in intelligent dialogue and have to think, all set in a beautiful Western locale. John Wayne ably plays a man who has faces several challenges, in this fine screenplay by Leigh Brackett (of "The Big Sleep" and "Rio Bravo" fame). The challenges have to do with helping his hard-drinking friend, the Sheriff played by Robert Mitchum, combating a gang of badmen headed by powerful Edward Asner, and the fact that he's been shot in the back by mistake and that the pain causes him to be unable to move at inconvenient times. The production has a fine title sung by the great Ed Ames, titles by noted western artist Olaf Weighorst (who also appears as a gunsmith),; and its technical production is truly outstanding in every department Other actors contributing to this near-masterpiece of entertaining film-making include Arthur Hunnicutt, R.G. Armstrong, Christopher George and Charlene Holt in her best screen role ever. Outstanding contributions were made by Nellie Manley and Wally Westmore on hair and makeup, Edith Head on costumes and many others. Altogether a very-satisfying, adult and physically beautiful color western; writer Brackett was asked by Wayne to include the saloon scene from "Rio Bravo" in a rewritten version, and it works just as well here; the major change is James Caan as Alan Trehearne, plus the change of cast to Mitchum, Hunnicxuut and Holt, who are all very good indeed.

Involving and fascinating Western in which John Wayne helped by a motley group taking on a corrupt land baron . It is filled with crisp action , thrills , emotion , humor and masterfully directed by Howard Hawks , being a take-off based on ¨Rio Bravo¨ . It deals with Cole Thornton (John Wayne) , a gunslinger for hire who suffers badly from age and gun wound , he joins forces with an old friend , Sheriff J.P. Hara (Robert Mitchum) in a dusty little town . Together with an old Indian fighter and a gambler , they help a rancher (R.G. Armstrong) and his family fight a rival rancher that is trying to steal their water . But the Duke and drunken sheriff Mitchum take prisoner the cattle baron (Eward Ashner) and imprison him into jail for being brought to justice . Then the enemies take on a blockade of gunfighters surrounding the prison. Duke along with a shotgun-toting old loony (the scene-stealing Arthur Hunnicutt as a half-crazed sympathetic old man with a trumpet and in similar role to Walter Brennan) are besieged and only helped by the hot-head young named Missisipi (James Caan) whose finger itches demoniacally on the trigger every time he gets a nasty guy in his sights . All of them fighting for their lives against the baron land and his hired killers (Christopher George , Jim Davis)

Action western, snappy dialog , shoot-outs at regular intervals, and humor abounds in this magnificent film whose roles are splendidly portrayed . It packs larger-than-life characters, uproarious events and lively happenings . It is an elegy on lost youth assuaged by friendship and comradeship among them . The Duke carries strong acting on his brawny shoulders and perfectly does , though most of the scenes showing John Wayne running were performed by a double . It's basically a lighthearted action Western and being mainly lifted out by Robert Mitchum 's wonderfully acting , his bathtub scene was largely Robert's invention, members of the crew were laughing while it was being filmed at the idea of Mitchum being embarrassed in front of a woman . Delightful main and support cast formed by several youthful costars as James Caan , Charlotte Holt and Michelle Carey ; adding brief interventions from Adam Roarke , Johnny Crawford , Robert Donner and Paul Fix . And of course, top-drawer John Wayne , few stars could match his ability to dominate a scene . Arch-conservative John Wayne did not get along with actor Edward Asner, whose politics were quite liberal, during filming, and constantly referred to Asner as "that New York actor". Wayne was disappointed that the movie was released at the same time as his next movie, ¨The War Wagon¨ ; however, despite this film receiving generally poor reviews and being seen as old-fashioned and out of tune with the times, both movies proved to be hugely successful at the box office. Glittering Technicolor cinematography by Harold Rosson who adds much to the setting of this unique Western , the scenes of the town during daytime were filmed on location in Kanab, Utah and Old Tucson, Arizona , but all the nighttime scenes were filmed in the studio. Marvelous musical score by Nelson Riddle (Batman TV theme) including emotive song at main titles . These opening credits feature a montage of original paintings that depict various scenes of cowboy life in the Old West, the artist was Olaf Wieghorst who appears in the film as the Gunsmith . This overlong, too much-acclaimed and very gripping Western will appeal to John Wayne fans . Rating : Above average, essential and indispensable Western , a masterpiece horse opera whose reputation has improved over the years . The motion picture is well directed Howard Hawks supported by John Wayne , it's a nice Western made by these two giants . Hawks proved to be a Western expert as proved in ¨Big sky¨, ¨The outlaw¨ and ¨Red River ¨.

Rating : Good and great fun , though over lengthy and displays a number of similarities to previous ¨Rio Bravo¨ , quintaessential Hawks Western at the peak of his powers , starred by Wayne , Mitchum , Walter Brennan , Ricky Nelson and Angie Dickinson . ¨El Dorado¨ is more or less a remake of Rio Bravo, although Howard Hawks always denied this. Followed by a second reworking titled ¨Rio Lobo¨ with Wayne , George Rivero ,Jennifer O'Neill , Sherry Lansing ,Chris Mitchum , Victor French and Jack Elam playing a virtual retreat of the previous role played by Walter Brennan and Arthur Hunnicut and of course the great John Wayne who repeats in the excellent trilogy , an exciting , witty and deeply moving masterpiece .

An enjoyable film. It bears some striking similarities with another Howard Hawks-John Wayne western, Rio Bravo. The story is about reunion of two old friends - a sheriff and a gunfighter who helps a rancher family to fight its rival. Plot is not any unique but the fine screenplay and balanced characters makes it worthy. The chief attraction of the film remains the presence of Wayne and Mitchum. John Wayne was in his usual best. No comment about him is required when it comes a western. At first, I found Robert Mitchum out of shape but later he made sense as an alcoholic sheriff. His character gives some good laughs. Apart from that I found many characters closely resembling the ones in Rio Bravo.

Anyway, movie maintains its own identity somehow with a fine antagonist. It has a few beautiful songs and gunfights are also good. It is a well-made and entertaining western overall.

The credits claim that Leigh Brackett's screenplay for 1967's "El Dorado" is based on a novel, "The Stars in Their Courses" by Harry Brown. The on-screen evidence indicates it was based on Brackett's own script for 1959's "Rio Bravo," in which John Wayne is a gunfighter joined by his buddy, a drunken sheriff, in guarding a town against a corrupt cattle baron. They are joined by a callow but dangerous youth, and a curmudgeonly deputy. In "Rio Bravo," these roles were admirably filled by Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, and Walter Brennan. In "El Dorado," the Duke once again takes on the gunfighter role, but is joined this time by Robert Mitchum, James Caan, and Arthur Hunnicutt. Nothing wrong with that lineup, even though Caan can't sing like Ricky (Mitchum could probably do a fair imitation of ol' Dino, though). Like "Rio Bravo," this one is directed by Howard Hawks who liked to steal from his own movies. Several scenes in "El Dorado" are nearly exact duplicates of moments from "Rio Bravo" (Mitchum blasts holes into a piano when he suspects that the pianist's off-key playing denotes fear of the killer hidden behind it, whereas Martin found his prey in a saloon balcony after spotting blood dripping into a shot glass).

"El Dorado" is faster paced than the first film, but then it has a shorter running time. It's a pleasure through and through, but "Rio Bravo" is superior. In the latter film, you almost feel that you're holed up with the Duke, Dino, Ricky, and Walter, rather than just watching them.

It may be 1967, but director Howard Hawks and screenwriter Leigh Brackett, working from Harry Brown's book "The Stars in Their Courses", turn back the clock with this leisurely-paced variation on 1959's "Rio Bravo". John Wayne stars as a hired gunslinger with a big heart (it's pretty much the same role he had the last time), while Robert Mitchum stands in for Dean Martin as the besotted sheriff. Charlene Holt takes over the proverbial love-interest part formerly filled by Angie Dickinson, and James Caan substitutes (quite well) for Ricky Nelson as the young greenhorn. It's acceptable fare, but not exceptional; the joshing and fisticuffs are rousing, but the shootouts aren't choreographed well and the romantic asides bubble under the main action. Hawks is hardly reticent in regards to introducing these new relationships, and much of the film is made up of camaraderie. That seems to suit the Duke just fine, as he looks more comfortable alongside Mitchum and Caan than with Martin and Nelson (though he is seven years older here and obviously not as energetic). This production, most of which was filmed in the studio, looks just like a western from the previous decade, with only the wear and tear of the main players to remind us we've moved on but that Hawks and Wayne have not. **1/2 from ****

I'm a fan of both Wayne and Mitchum but I thought this whole thing was pretty lame- which would've been okay had the movie been made in 1956 instead of 1966, but given the fact the Western had been turned upside down in the 60's with the Eastwood "Sphaghetti Westerns" , Brando's "One Eyed Jacks" and "Ride the High Country", El Dorado seems very old fashioned . I guess for some that's fine but I expected something with a little more grit. This is played for farce you never get the sense that anyone of the gang is going to be killed -case in point Caan's Chinese guy impression. I wanted more especially with one of my favorite directors Howard Hawks in charge.

"El Dorado" pairs up two great movie stars in their element-the western. This was the first time John Wayne and Robert Mitchum had co-starred in a western, and the result was good, solid western entertainment. One wishes it could have happened again.

The Duke plays Cole Thorton, a gunman, who has been hired by a land baron in Texas to assist in taking over some much-needed water land, and, if necessary, put an end to interference that the sheriff, played by Mitchum, would offer. Unbeknownst to the land baron, Thorton and J.P.Harrah are friends from the war, and Thorton decides to ride away from the job.

A few months later, Thorton returns to El Dorado to warn Harrah that a new threat will be coming to the town, and he finds that the sheriff has become the town drunk, due to a fouled-up romance. Thorton now has to help J. P. get his skill back, prevent the range war from busting out, while keeping a young sidekick, Mississippi, played by James Caan, alive and healthy. There is also a good performance turned in by Arthur Hunnicutt, as Bull, J.P.'s deputy who stands by the sheriff, even in times of drunken sprees.

There are some similar elements to other Wayne films, notably "Rio Bravo" and "Rio Lobo", but the chance to watch two big stars work off each other, makes this one easy to take.

Howard Hawks basically remakes Rio Bravo and invites John Wayne to the party again. Wayne is the veteran professional gunman, Cole Thornton who turns down a rich rancher as the drunken sheriff in town, Robert Mitchum is an old buddy who has taken to drink.

When the rich rancher hires another gunman, Cole, Sheriff Harrah, his deputy and hot headed young cardsharp, Mississippi (James Caan) band together to stop the wealthy rancher bullying the poor ranchers over the water rights. However they might not be a match to the rich rancher's posse. The rancher having been jailed by the Sheriff, his men are out to spring him.

Mitchum is a drunk, his deputy is too old, Mississippi is to inexperienced and volatile, Cole has a bullet lodged near his spine.

The film is not as good as Rio Bravo although this is slightly shorter and in some ways the casting is better. Caan is a better actor than Ricky Nelson for example.

Hawks does place an in joke against the rising new wave of French cinema where the Sheriff shoots a piano and not the piano player. However the film is hokey and looks old fashioned given it was made in 1967 and movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hovering ahead.

It's hard not to smile as you watch this film play itself out. There are just too many fine actors and top notch performances contained in this film for it to be anything but outstanding. Howard Hawks knows just how to harness this story and give each actor room enough to strut his stuff.

John Wayne plays a hired gun who comes to the aid of a drunken sheriff played to perfection by Robert Mitchum. By Wayne's side is a young man (James Caan) packing a nasty scatter-gun, and also at their disposal is a grizzled Indian fighter deputy (Arthur Hunnicutt). The four do battle with an evil land owner (Ed Asner), his hired gun (Christopher George), and several other gunslingers looking for trouble. A rival family of landowners named the MacDonalds are being pressured by Asner and his cronies. Wayne and Co. take their side, and all hell breaks loose in El Dorado.

The film is crisply paced, well-written, and the acting as good as you might expect. Even actors like Caan and Asner who might seem out of their element fit right in and hold their own. Wayne is as watchable as ever. It's a treat just to hear him say the word "Mississippi" every time he refers to Caan. Mitchum has the more demanding of the two lead roles, and it's no wonder Wayne wanted that role for himself. The toughest thing our heroes are faced with is sobering him up as he has become the laughing stock of the town he is supposed to protect. Arthur Hunnicutt, as Mitchum's deputy, seems to get a lot of the good lines and more than proves his worth when things get tough. Another person who stands out is Michele Carey who portrays one of the MacDonald clan. I'd never really heard of her before, but the woman is stunningly beautiful. She plays a resourceful woman out to kick some Asner butt.

Between the numerous shootouts, there are wonderful scenes where you can tell the stars are just happy to stand together in front of the camera. There are a few scenes that really weren't beaten to death by the genre and actually look original. A shootout involving church bells was something I hadn't seen before, though I'm hardly an expert in western lore. I wouldn't be surprised to find that someone had done it before, but it really worked in this film. Also, it was neat to see Caan blow some of the bad guys to shreds with his shotgun. That was an under-utilized weapon in old western films. His brief impersonation of a Chinaman is bound to offend some, but it's actually quite entertaining.

If you love a good western, you must not miss El Dorado. Even if you don't normally watch them, you might also find it more than worth your time.

9 of 10 stars.

The Hound.

Classic John Wayne with the great Robert Mitchum and James Caan. El Dorado is everything you expect from a Wayne flick- nothing more and nothing less.

The plot though, could have been much tighter. The story takes off fairly quick and just when you expect it to progress further it drops and starts over. The film is to long at 126 mins and certainly would have benefited if 40 mins or so had been shaved off.

John Wayne is his natural iconic self and I suppose there's not much more to say. Especially since he plays the same character in every film with only slight variations in The Searchers and The Shootist. Robert Mitchum only adds to the picture and up to the mark with The Duke. The film also includes a young James Caan,who's keeps his own on screen even though he doesn't have the gravitas of the other two and his acting isn't as good as in later films-like The Godfather and Brian's Song.

If you're a fan of John Wayne and Robert Mitchum and enjoy westerns, though slightly dated, El Dorado is a film for you.

Directed by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne & Robert Mitchum, it's safe to say that El Dorado comes with some pretty tough credentials. Thankfully the expectation that comes with such a teaming is well and truly met. The plot is a familiar one in the context of Wayne & Hawks, if you have seen Rio Bravo? And liked it? The chances are you will like this one too.

Wayne is Cole Thornton, a hired gun who is asked to come on the payroll of El Dorado landowner Bart Jason (Ed Asner), who is involved with a land struggle with the MacDonald family. Cole finds his old friend J.P. Harrah (Mitchum) is sheriff of the town, and J.P. advises his old pal that any involvement with Jason will result in J.P. enforcing the law. As it transpires, circumstances between the MacDonald's and Cole lead to Cole taking arms against Jason and his thug followers. So the sheriff, an old Indian fighter called Bull Harris (Arthur Hunnicutt) & a young gambler, who's handy with a knife, called Alan Bourdillion 'Mississippi' Traherne (James Caan) aim to bring down the might of Jason together.

Adapted from the book The Stars in Their Courses by Harry Brown, this was the second to last film that Howard Hawks would direct. Coming as it did in the late 60s it appears to be somewhat undervalued on the great director's CV. Probably due in no small part to the regard that Rio Bravo is held, of which this is pretty much a remake of. Yet, and I whisper it quietly, El Dorado is arguably the better film in terms of performances and the telling of Hawksian themes.

Given that Wayne & Mitchum were good friends away from the screen, it's no great surprise to find the chemistry between them is top dollar. They feed of each others' machismo to deliver a tough picture, yet one that's still joyously fun. The end result is a pic that manages to deftly portray many themes, that of loyalty, togetherness, forgiveness, respect and professionalism. The two principal stars are aided by both Caan and Hunnicutt, who offer a notable young & old side of the mythical West, with age, and ageing, a prominent point of note played out by the knowing director.

El Dorado looks to be a film where all involved are comfortable in what they are making. Nothing feels forced or hindered by pointless filler. It's true that the film is more in favour of dialogue over bravado action, though what action there is is adroitly handled by the old hands and the youthful Caan with his sawn off shotgun. This is a story without gimmicks, one which isn't ambling along as an excuse for a shoot out come the end. There's a lot to be said for good old fashioned story telling, and we get that here. Intelligence and sincerity throughout, and it's damn funny to boot, El Dorado is a fine movie that holds up very well in each and every decade that passes. 8/10

Another western which has a theme of a greedy rancher who wants to grab a neighbor's land for water rights and uses his hired guns to achieve his ends. Enter John Wayne with his fast draw and sense of fair play to even the odds in a good but predictable movie. The picture has a talented cast and beautiful vistas of the old west and good action as the two ranchers and their men are locked in a range war with high stakes for the winner. The picture mixes gunslinging with touches of humor along the way to good effect. Robert Mitchum is okay as a drunken sheriff, a departure from his usual tough-guy roles. Arthur Honnicutt and James Caan have nice roles and tomboy Michelle Carey is okay as a wild cowgirl. The music and vocals are good and the watercolor paintings shown during the opening credits depict nice wild west scenes.

El Dorado is a wonderful film. It is elegiac, always entertaining, skillful and I think warm-hearted too. The film looks beautiful, the cinematography and scenery are both a delight to the ears. Nelson Riddle's score is pleasant too, while the film is brilliantly directed by Howard Hawks, the script is thoughtful and entertaining, the story never loses momentum and the pace while deliberately elegiac is spot on. There is also a superbly staged preface, which is one of the assets that gave El Dorado its heart. The acting from the leads is superb, John Wayne is a great charismatic presence here and Robert Mitchum gives one of his best performances, and they work very well together. All in all, a wonderful film and a textbook example of a fine movie of its genre. 10/10 Bethany Cox

In 1959 Howard Hawks made a Western, "Rio Bravo", starring John Wayne and with a screenplay written by Leigh Brackett. The film told the story of how a fearless gunfighter (played by Wayne) defends a town against a gang of ruthless outlaws with the aid of a motley collection of characters, including a drunkard, a semi-comic but brave old man and a young greenhorn.

In 1967 Howard Hawks made another Western starring John Wayne and with a screenplay written by Leigh Brackett. The film told the story of how a fearless gunfighter (played by Wayne) defends a town against a gang of ruthless outlaws with the aid of a motley collection of characters, including a drunkard, a semi-comic but brave old man and a young greenhorn.

This second film was not, officially, a remake of "Rio Bravo"; it was, for example, given a new title, "El Dorado". There are a number of differences between the films. In "Rio Bravo" Wayne played the sheriff of the town. In "El Dorado" Wayne's character, Cole Thornton, is not a lawman but a hired gunslinger who is originally hired to fight for the villains; he quits when he discovers just how villainous they are. The town sheriff, J.P. Harrah, is an ally of Thornton but is of limited use as he has become an alcoholic following an unhappy love-affair; in "Rio Bravo" it was the out-of-town gunfighter played by Dean Martin who had the drink problem. "El Dorado" also contains a sub-plot about how Thornton shoots a young man in self-defence and is then forced to justify himself to the man's family.

The similarities between the two films, however, are far from accidental. There are a number of deliberate hints that "Rio Bravo" was Hawks's inspiration, such as the fact that both films have a Spanish title, in each case the name of the town. The characters played by Arthur Hunnicutt here and Walter Brennan in the earlier film are very similar to one another. In each case the young greenhorn is named after an American state, Colorado and Mississippi. The surname of Wayne's character may be a reference to another of his earlier films, "The Quiet Man", in which he also played a man named Thornton.

Seen by itself, "El Dorado" is not a bad film. It is attractively shot, competently acted (Robert Mitchum is particularly good as the broken-down alcoholic sheriff Harrah) and has a fast-moving story. It is, however, in some ways a disappointment. In the earlier part of his career, Hawks had been a very varied director. Although he had made some classic westerns, he was not exclusively, or even primarily, a "western director" like John Ford. He had worked in a number of genres, generally with great success, also making classic war films, comedies, films noirs and even musicals like "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". It is therefore disappointing to see him at the end of his career repeating himself by effectively remaking one of his earlier films. This was to be his penultimate movie; his last, made three years later, was "Rio Lobo", another film- again with a Spanish title- which can be considered as an unacknowledged remake of "Rio Bravo", although with perhaps a greater degree of originality than "El Dorado".

Perhaps, however, Hawks was not entirely to blame. By the late sixties there were growing signs that the traditional Western had been done to death. So many had been made over the previous few decades that it was becoming increasingly difficult to use the genre to say anything new. (Those who did manage to do so were generally younger "revisionist" directors like Sam Peckinpah and Don Siegel who were willing to challenge the received idea of the Old West as one long struggle between the good guys and the bad guys). Even people who have not already seen "Rio Bravo" might find "El Dorado" lacking in originality and freshness, relying as it does on over-familiar situations and character-types, similar to those found in dozens if not hundreds of other Westerns dating back to the twenties and thirties. It was this lack of freshness which was to be a significant factor in the decline of the Western from the late seventies onwards and from which it has never entirely recovered, despite a modest revival in recent years. 6/10

In 1959, Howard Hawks directed RIO BRAVO, the blueprint for EL DORADO. Sadly, Howard Hawks could not improve on his earlier work and his direction was less inspired 8 years later.

RIO BRAVO provided the blueprint: John Wayne was the sheriff who arrested the brother of a rich criminal. The latter wanted his brother out of jail, and he placed the town under siege to achieve it. Wayne had only a former pistol wizard, now a drunkard (Martin), an old cripple (Brennan), and a courageous law-abiding youngster (Ricky Nelson).

Mitchum replaces Martin. He starts prim, proper and fit as the local sheriff, but then he disappears for about 30 min, and when he returns... you guessed it, he has become a drunkard! Thankfully, good pal, domineering Wayne, lends a hand. Arthur Hunnicutt replaces Walter Brennan's Stumpy, but Brennan had stolen the show in RIO BRAVO, and Hunnicutt simply does not compare.

Mitchum, a fine actor, is given a jagged part, and he is no competition for Dean Martin, who played the role of his life in RIO BRAVO.

James Caan, a better actor than Ricky Nelson, has a similarly unconvincing part, blowing into town on the back of a revenge drive that has already cost the lives of four men for killing his guardian.

Otherwise, it's the same atmosphere, a certain carelessness by the leads strolling the streets at night in spite of knowing that they are targets, and a not particularly convincing villain in Ed Asner.

Action stunts are not bad, but unmemorable. Each character gets a couple of scenes to shine with the fists or a weapon of choice, all of which was seen in 1959 and to better effect. Photography offers of the same claustrophobic town and night shots, and the script is a reprint of RIO BRAVO. Dialogue is less inspired, despite some crisp repartee between Wayne and Mitchum.

RIO BRAVO was a box office success, and Hawks obviously thought the formula would work again. It does, to some extent - it is not a bad movie and, in light of the current Covid-prompted confinement, it is a way of killing time if you have nothing beter to do. But that's about it.

Nothing original took place in this film asides from pairing Mitchum and Wayne. We see another story about cattle ranchers stealing water rights. The supporting cast is dull. Our female stars are totally unbelievable, in particular due to their hair and makeup. The movie takes over two hours to reach a pre-determined end. And the studio sets look like garbage with colors clashing all over the place.

This was no B-movie. It had a healthy budget for it's time with two big name actors getting top billing. Venerating certain directors is not criticism, it's worship.