Rio Grande (1950)

Before you start reading, press play (Ugh. I had the wrong song). Also, know that I hummed

the music probably the entire time I was writing this post.

Rio Grande (1950), if I'm pressed to choose, is my favorite John Wayne film. And if you know me you know I LOVE John Wayne. Therefore, when I learned of The John Wayne Blogathon my friend Hamlette was hosting, I decided it was time I gave this beloved film a full post.

This film was included in my 5 Movies on an Island list. Here are the reasons I gave in that post:

• It has a fantastic cast: Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., and a host of other familiar "Ford" faces.
• It has a great soundtrack (yes, we have the cd): the soft, heart-stirring instrumentals, the beautiful theme of "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen" running throughout, and the melodious harmony of the Sons of the Pioneers.
• It has some of the best on-screen chemistry in the entire history of film: John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara... need I say more? The Duke really knew how to kiss a woman so that she'd never forget it and if you all alone on that island, well... you need something to never forget either.
• Lastly, everything else! The directing by John Ford, the majestic vista's, the action, suspense, romance... how could it NOT be on my list??

So now that I have given you the reasons I love the film, I will tell you more about the film itself.

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Rio Grande (1950) was made for one reason: so that John Ford could make The Quiet Man (1952). That's right, it was part of a deal - "you make this movie and we'll let you make that movie." And am I ever thankful that this deal was made!

For a long time, John Ford had wanted to make a movie in Ireland called The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in the lead roles. Republic Pictures, who had promised Ford complete artistic freedom of any films he made under their banner, did not think the film would have enough box-office appeal (boy, were they ever wrong!) and told Ford that he could make the film only if he made an inexpensive Western first, using the same stars to be used in The Quiet Man. The story chosen was James Warner Bellah's "Mission with No Record." It was to be a conclusion of the Cavalry Trilogy (Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon - both based on stories by Bellah). Filming began on June 15, 1950 on location in Moab, Utah.

The film tells the story of Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke (Wayne) who is stationed on the Rio Grande to keep the Apaches. His son Jeff (Claude Jarman Jr.), whom he hasn't seen for fifteen years, shows up one day as a new recruit, who failed at West Point. He is followed soon by his mother, Yorke's estranged wife Kathleen (O'Hara) - Yorke burned down her family's ancestral home under orders when their son was only a baby, cementing the growing rift between them. Rounding out the cast is John Ford's stock company: Victor MacLaglen as Quincannon (a name used in other Ford films), Chill Wills as Dr. Wilkins, Ben Johnson as Trooper Tyree, Harry Carey Jr. as Trooper Daniel "Sandy" Boone (that name sounds kind of familiar!), and the Sons of the Pioneers as the Regimental Singers. Wayne's son Patrick also has a very small part in the picture, as he and Wayne's other children often did.

This film is different from the two previous cavalry pictures as instead of negotiating with the Indians and arguing with those above him, Yorke is simply trying to keep the peace. However, in classic John Ford style, there is a rousing fight between the soldiers and the Apaches after the Apaches attack the wagon train bringing the women and children to Fort Bliss and making off with the children, keeping them in an old church.

This was the first film that put Wayne and O'Hara together and the screen crackles with chemistry. You really do believe that they are an estranged couple who haven't seen one another for fifteen years but who still love each other deeply. They were an ideal match, both strong and independent yet complementing each other perfectly, O'Hara with her feistiness and Wayne with his quiet, commanding presence. They were believable because they respected one another and treated each other as equals. It was to be a trademark in all of their films together, cementing them as one of the greatest on-screen couples in the history of film.

Just watch the contemplative expressions of Wayne and O'Hara as they listen to "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen." You can instantly see that the song is significant to both of them, especially in the way Kathleen leans towards her husband and then moves away when he notices and in the way Kirby gazes at his wife at the end of the song.

You can sense the sexual tension even in this still image.

The O'Hara - Wayne combination was a sensation because she was the macho woman and he was the macho man.

~ Charles Fitzsimons (O'Hara's brother)

She was his (Ford's) idea of a beautiful Irish woman with spirit. Maureen was the sort of woman he would have invented.

~ Mary Loos

The other relationship in the film is between father and son. Jeff wants the father he never knew to be proud of him and Yorke, who is already proud of him, wants to make sure that he doesn't get hurt. And even though Jarman doesn't look at all like he could be the son of Wayne and O'Hara, both he and Wayne give touching performances, culminating in Yorke telling Kathleen, "Our boy did well" as he lies on a stretcher after having been shot with an Apache arrow.

The film ends with the rousing song Dixie, with Wayne smiling and O'Hara twirling her parasol, showing that all is forgiven and there are happier times ahead.

This film is a like a love letter. It is tender, poignant, stirring, and full of passion. And even though it was only made as part of a deal, it was still crafted with love and care. I could have written on and on about this film: interesting facts about the making of it and the experiences of the other actors, but love is the essence of the film, and that is the feeling I wanted to leave you with.

Saw Rio Grande. It's great. After seeing the tripe that is turned out today, it's a delightful pleasure to see a show made by the Old Master himself.

~ Telegram from Frank Capra

This has always been my favorite song and scene ~ "My Gal is Purple"

Sources:

John Ford: Hollywood's Old Master. Ronald L. Davis. Volume 10 in The Oklahoma Western Biographies. University of Oklahoma Press,1995.

Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford. Scott Eyman. Simon & Schuster, 1999.

This post is part of The John Wayne Blogathon hosted by Hamlette's Soliloquy and The Midnite Drive-In. Be sure to read all of the other posts and enter the giveaway!

Cinema Wedding Gowns: The Quiet Man (1952)

Today's wedding gown is one that will be recognizable to many. It is from John Ford's The Quiet Man (1952). Worn by Maureen O'Hara, this iconic lace gown was designed by Adele Palmer, the Wardrobe Supervisor and Costume Designer at Republic Pictures for over two decades. She also designed the costumes for other John Wayne films such as Rio Grande and Angel and the Badman.

Unlike most movie wedding gowns, this one is seen for several scenes and from all angles. We see it at the wedding reception and again when the newlyweds go home and have their first married fight.

The first look at the wedding gown is a full length shot as John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara's characters pose for a wedding portrait.

 

The demure gown features delicate crocheted lace (probably Irish) with a floral pattern. It has a high scalloped neck and long sleeves and forms a "v" pattern down the fitted bodice all the way to the waist.  

The gathered skirt has a lace insert that also forms a "v" pattern. It stops just above the floor.

 

(notice the pearl-drop necklace)

The veil is gathered around the crown of the head and falls to the back of the knee.

 

This picture appears to have a different bouquet then the small one in the film. Notice the Duke's boutonniere.

A look at where the lace sleeves meet the bodice.

TCM announced this week the auction of Maureen O'Hara's estate. You can find it by clicking here. Be sure to click on the pdf catalog instead of just scrolling through the website, as it has an introduction by Robert Osborne and photos of Maureen O'Hara wearing some of the items being auctioned! If only I was a billionaire...

The Great Imaginary Film Blogathon: The Original "Conspiracy Theory" (1947)

Did you know that Conspiracy Theory (1997) starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts is actually a remake of a 1947 film of the same name starring John Garfield and Maureen O'Hara? It follows the same story line very closely, with only a few minor differences.

Released by Warner Brothers and directed by Elia Kazan (Gentleman's Agreement), the film tackles the conspiracies about Communism floating around Hollywood at the time. Jerry Fletcher (Garfield - in Gibson's role) is a New York cab driver who sees conspiracies of all kinds everywhere. He prints them in a newsletter that has a subscription of five people. When one of his conspiracies turns out to be true, he finds himself hunted by "them."

(The Postman Only Rings Twice)

Alice Sutton (O'Hara in Robert's role) is a Justice Department Attorney that Jerry is obsessed with. He visits her at her office whenever he has a really big conspiracy. Alice tolerates him because he saved her from being mugged once. One day Jerry comes to her with a conspiracy that members of the Communist Party are slowly infiltrating the Federal Loyalty Security Program, which had been newly formed by President Truman. This program "gave loyalty review boards the power to fire federal employees when 'reasonable grounds' existed for belief that they were disloyal. Evidence of disloyalty included not only treasonous activities, but 'sympathetic association' with a long list of organizations deemed by the Attorney General to be 'Communist, fascist, or totalitarian'." Alice listens to him and tells her she will take care of it. In a conversation with her boss though, we find out that she is really only concerned with finding out who her father's killer was.

(The Fallen Sparrow)

After Jerry leaves Alice's office, he spots some suspicious characters and follows them to a government building. A little while later he is abducted and brought to an abandoned wing of a mental hospital where he is tortured and injected with "gravy for the brain." Tied to a wheelchair, he manages to bite his captors nose and escape by sending the wheelchair down some stairs causing it to fall apart.

(Body and Soul)

Jerry makes his way back to Alice's building, holding up the guards at gunpoint. In a dramatic and emotional scene, Alice gets him to put down the gun and listens as he tries to tell her what happened to him under the influence of the injection. All he remembers is that he bit a man's nose off. Jerry is then brought to the hospital, as he has an injury in his side. Alice goes to visit him and he begs her to switch the his chart with that of the other man in the room, who is suffering from a knife wound. Alice tells him she can't do that. The next morning she comes back to find that the other man is dead. Jerry thanks her but she insists she didn't switch the charts.

(The Postman Only Rings Twice)

When the hospital discovers that the body is not that of Jerry Fletcher, as it says on the chart, the CIA and FBI come in and ask Alice some questions. Alice is thrown off guard when the CIA psychiatrist Dr. Jonas (Humphrey Bogart in Patrick Stewart's role), the man in charge, shows up with a huge bandage covering his nose. He tells her it is a dog bite, but now Alice isn't so sure that Jerry's story is so crazy after all. She also meets Agent Lowry (John Payne in Cylk Cozart's role).

(Miracle on 34th Street)

Jerry manages to escape the hospital, with Alice's help, and hides in her car. They swing by Jerry's apartment to try to figure out which of his conspiracies must be correct. Jerry gives Alice a list of his subscribers. The next day Alice calls all of the people on the list, only to discover that all but one have died. She follows the trail and ends up in Jonas's office. He tells her that Jerry was part of a government sanctioned program that brainwashed it's test subjects and turned them into assassins. He also tells her that it was Jerry who killed her father.

(Dark Passage)

Bogart's dramatic face bandage was reduced in the final film to just cover his nose.

Even though Alice knows Jonas is an evil man, she wants to get her father's killer, so she works with him to trap Jerry. When Jerry sends her a note to meet him on the bus, she goes. Jerry manages to lose Jonas and his men who are following and drives to Alice's father's stables in Connecticut. Alice calls Jonas at a fueling station to let him know her location.

At the stables, Jerry finally remembers what happened the night of her father's death. He was the one sent to kill him but found he couldn't go through with it. He tells her another assassin was sent to finish the job.

(The Fallen Sparrow)

Suddenly they are surrounded and Jerry is taken again. Alice tracks him down to the abandoned hospital wing. She hears him though a vent and manages to find him. As she unties him Jonas shows up. A fight ensues. Jerry drowns Jonas but is shot in the process. Agent Lowry shows up and Jerry is whisked away to a hospital. Alice is not allowed to go with him and later is told he is dead.

(We Were Strangers)

Able to move past her father's death now, Alice takes up horse riding again. One day, after visiting Jerry's grave, she finds a note in her house that had been slipped under the door. It's from Jerry. Alice realizes that he is still alive. When the communists have been cleared from the government program, he will be able to come out of hiding.

The moment Alice realizes Jerry is still alive.

(gif from Miracle on 34th Street)

Trivia:

Ann Sheridan was considered for the role of Alice.

Garfield and O'Hara had starred in The Fallen Sparrow together in 1943. It centered on Nazi conspiracies.

It's ironic that the conspiracy involved the Red Scare as Garfield was included in a FBI report as a Communist Party Member in 1949. This lead to his name being added to the Hollywood Blacklist and eventually his death from heart failure in 1952.

The film was not very well received at the time because the topic hit a little too close to home, which is why it remains such an obscure film, even today.

(Humoresque)

This post is part of The Great Imaginary Film Blogathon hosted by Silver Scenes. Be sure to read about all of the other movies that weren't actually made! ;)

How to Get Your Ex-Husband Back, According to Maureen O'Hara

There comes a point and time in a man or woman's life (especially the cinema life) that he or she wishes they hadn't gotten that divorce after all and try to win their ex back. The Parent Trap (1961) is a film that lays the steps out for us perfectly and clearly.

1. Get yourself a stylish haircut and wardrobe. You certainly don't want him to see you as a matronly woman, especially a "proper" one from Boston. Let him know you still have allure! Show of that fabulous figure! You will want to look your best next to his new, younger fiancé!

                        

Before and after

2. Leave your lingerie in his bathroom. Make him realize what he's missing. Sure, he might get confused and think it's his daughters (did she grow up that fast?) but in his state of confusion he will have less energy to send you away or get involved in a fight between you or your daughters and his fiancé.

3. Recreate your first date (especially if it was romantic). Nothing will get a man in the mood better than good food, soft candlelight, and music. It will make him reminiscent and give him a glimpse of how his life could be if he goes back to you.

4. Reveal his fiancé's true colors. Send her on that camping trip instead. He will almost immediately see that she won't be a good companion for him and that she must just be after him for his money.

5. Make him your special stew when he gets back. Barefeet and a soft, clingy top in a color that goes well with your hair helps. Make an excuse to get him close to you (like get your apron knot too tight). He will really start to crave the home life he used to/could have. If you don't have him by then, see the next step.

6. If you need to, a good sock in the eye may help him see straight, no pun intended. That's right, let him know you don't need him. He'll come around.

7. And lastly, get help from your teenage daughter's. They can be immensely helpful in this sort of thing, especially if they are twins separated at birth ;)

And, in the words of Miss Inch, they "will all be one big, happy family."

How to DIY some of the costumes
Screenshots of the California Ranch House
The original puppets from the opening song!

This post is part of the Things I Learned From the Movies Blogathon hosted by Speakeasy and Silver Screenings. To learn more, check out all of the other fantastic posts!

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Cinema Wedding Gowns: The Parent Trap (1961)

When I started this series I mentioned that some of the gowns I would cover are only seen for a brief moment on screen. One of these gowns is the wedding dress worn by Maureen O'Hara at the end of The Parent Trap (1961). Not only is it on screen for less than a minute, it is also only seen in Hayley Mills' dream.

Here is what we see in the film:

 

Susan and Sharon's matching bridesmaids dresses:

 

 

Here are some publicity photos that show more of the dresses. As you can see it's a very pale yellow:

 

This is a great photo. Maureen O'Hara is so beautiful.

 

This shows the entire dress, minus the veil.

This photo shows the lace on the bodice.