The third movie in John Ford's unplanned Cavalry trilogy (following Fort Apache and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon). John Wayne is impressively worldweary as Lieutenant Colonel Yorke, a decent man whose attempts to put down marauding Apaches are frustrated by the nearness of the Mexican border. Yorke's life is complicated further when the son he has not seen for 15 years joins his command, triggering a visit from his estranged wife (Maureen O'Hara).
DVD Extras:
The Making Of Rio Grande documentary, stills gallery, trailer.Rio Grande is wordy, plot-heavy and overly sentimental. But Ford delivers thrilling set-pieces, and gets good mileage out of Wayne and the iconic desert setting. This disc does justice to Bert Glennon and Archie Stout's beautiful black-and-white cinematography, while the Leonard Maltin-hosted short documentary, offers insights into the film's creation. A respectable, if uninspired, package.
