El Dorado

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.

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 .

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.

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 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.