One of the best classic western films ever made by a director who was so versatile that many people might confuse him with other great western directors like John Ford or Anthony Mann, but Howard Hawks had an eye for character driven stories, had an expert sense of visual style, and knew how to use actors better than most. Hawks was one of those classic Hollywood directors that could easily orchestrate the action and compelling aspects that make a great western, and Red River is one.
The film Red River (1948) opens from the pages of a book, reads more like someone’s personal diary, retelling the historical account of the first cattle drive from Texas across the famous Chisholm Trail. The arduous journey involves two men, Dunson and Garth, …show more content…
“Critic Leonard Maltin called him “the greatest American director who is not a household name” (Wikipedia). Hawks had several careers before becoming a film director, he “spent his early years racing cars professionally, and flew planes in the Army Air Corps in World War I (1914- 1918). Both theses interest surfaced in his films” (Schneider 86). He started out in silent films in the 1920s with his debut motion picture, The Road to Glory (1926) and the World War I action film, The Dawn Patrol (1930). Hawks was ambitious and multitalented, unlike many directors of his time; he “was a versatile director whose career included comedies, dramas, gangster films, science fiction, film noir, and westerns“ …show more content…
The dramatic tension (onscreen) stems from a growing feud over the management of the drive, between the Texas rancher who initiated it (John Wayne ) and his adopted adult son (Montgomery Clift)” (Wikipedia). Chase was very good at writing character driven stories and some of his best work were in westerns. “Chase provided the story for Anthony Mann 's first film, Dr. Broadway (1942), but his screenplays for the director 's 1950s westerns, Winchester '73 (1950), Bend of the River (1952) and The Far Country (1954), along with his Academy Award nomination for Howard Hawks ' seminal Red River (1948), were his crowning
The film Red River (1948) opens from the pages of a book, reads more like someone’s personal diary, retelling the historical account of the first cattle drive from Texas across the famous Chisholm Trail. The arduous journey involves two men, Dunson and Garth, …show more content…
“Critic Leonard Maltin called him “the greatest American director who is not a household name” (Wikipedia). Hawks had several careers before becoming a film director, he “spent his early years racing cars professionally, and flew planes in the Army Air Corps in World War I (1914- 1918). Both theses interest surfaced in his films” (Schneider 86). He started out in silent films in the 1920s with his debut motion picture, The Road to Glory (1926) and the World War I action film, The Dawn Patrol (1930). Hawks was ambitious and multitalented, unlike many directors of his time; he “was a versatile director whose career included comedies, dramas, gangster films, science fiction, film noir, and westerns“ …show more content…
The dramatic tension (onscreen) stems from a growing feud over the management of the drive, between the Texas rancher who initiated it (John Wayne ) and his adopted adult son (Montgomery Clift)” (Wikipedia). Chase was very good at writing character driven stories and some of his best work were in westerns. “Chase provided the story for Anthony Mann 's first film, Dr. Broadway (1942), but his screenplays for the director 's 1950s westerns, Winchester '73 (1950), Bend of the River (1952) and The Far Country (1954), along with his Academy Award nomination for Howard Hawks ' seminal Red River (1948), were his crowning