John Wayne

Robert Mitchum

James Caan

Charlene Holt

Paul Fix

Arthur Hunnicutt

Michele Carey

R.G. Armstrong

Ed Asner

Christopher George

Marina Ghane

John Gabriel

Robert Rothwell

Robert Donner

Adam Roarke

Victoria George

Jim Davis

Anne Newman Bacal

Diane Strom

Johnny Crawford

Olaf Wieghorst

Don Collier

Chuck Courtney

William Henry

Chuck Horne

John Mitchum

Chuck Roberson

Dean Smith

Harry Brown

Howard Hawks

Hal Pereira

Carl Anderson

Nelson Riddle

Harold Rosson

John Woodcock

Leigh Brackett

Charlsie Bryant

Andrew J. Durkus

Ray Moyer

Nellie Manley

John R. Coonan

Paul K. Lerpae

Farciot Edouart

Wally Westmore

Robert R. Benton

Edith Head

Earl Olin

Charles Grenzbach

Gil Grau

George Alexander

Paul Helmick

Terry Leonard

Chuck Hayward

Gary Combs

Joe Canutt

Robert "Buzz" Henry

Walt La Rue

Jack N. Young

Lon Massey III

Polly Burson

John R. Hamilton

Danny Sands

George P. Wilbur

Bill Raymond

Kimo Owens

Neil Summers

John R. Carter

Western

El Dorado

Paramount Pictures

Laurel Productions

United States of America

Big heavyweight movie all round.


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


CinemaSerf

Definitely one of Howard Hawks' better collaborations with John Wayne. A reasonably strong story about a rancher and his family trying to defy an avaricious and violent Ed Asner ("Bart Jason") who is trying to take over everything he can. There are similarities with "Rio Bravo" (1959) but I think here there is more tangible chemistry between Wayne ("Thornton") and Robert Mitchum as the washed-up drunk of a sheriff (“JP Harrah"). James Caan brings some cheeky charm to his role as the shotgun-toting and poetry-spouting "Mississippi" and Arthur Hunnicutt takes on the reliable foil role (often played by Walter Brennan) entertainingly as "Bull" - complete with his bullet-dented bugle. As ever with these films, the leading ladies have virtually nothing to work with and this, for Charlene Holt ("Maudie"), is no exception. It features plenty of set-piece action scenes with both stars working well together and Caan adding a little mischief, too. Great fun.

English

Jonathan Kaplan on EL DORADO

El Dorado (1966) Trailer