Rio Bravo

Synopsis: Sheriff John T. Chance has his hands full after arresting Joe Burdette for murder. He knows that Burdette's brother Nathan, a powerful rancher, will go to any lengths to get him out of jail. Chance's good friend Pat Wheeler offers to help but within 20 minutes of making the offer is gunned down in the street, shot in the back. That leaves his elderly deputy Stumpy, the town drunk Dude - once a deputy and a pretty good shot when he was sober - and a young hand, Colorado, who used to work for Wheeler. Nathan Burdette meanwhile has a couple of dozen men at his disposal. Chance does his best to prepare all the while romancing a pretty gamblers who goes by the name of Feathers.
Genre: Action, Drama, Western
Director(s): Howard Hawks
Production: Xenon
  Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.0
Rotten Tomatoes:
100%
NOT RATED
Year:
1959
141 min
2,138 Views


Joe, you're under arrest.

Maybe so, but don't turn around, sheriff.

Now what're you gonna do, sheriff?

You can do just about what you want,

Chance.

Anybody else you want besides Joe?

No.

Give me a hand.

- What is all this?

- Hello, Mr. Wheeler.

Tell your men to stay with the wagons

till they're told different.

Who the devil do you think

you're ordering around here?

First Burdette's men stop me and

now you stand there and try to...

- Say, seems like I ought to know you.

- I think you do, Mr. Wheeler.

Yeah, I remember you now.

That star you're wearing

kind of threw me off for a minute.

Aren't you the fellow

the Mexicans used to call Borrachn?

That's nearly right. Only it's Borrachn.

I don't think I've ever seen you

like this before.

You mean sober? You're probably right.

You know what "borrachn" means?

My Spanish ain't too good.

It means drunk.

Now if the name bothers you,

they used to call me Dude.

Now are you gonna tell your men or do I?

I'll tell my men.

Stand by the wagons, everybody!

Pass the word.

Chance, what's going on here?

People Stopping me. Everybody telling me

what I can and can't do.

Next thing, you'll be

telling me what to do.

- Pat, I will tell you.

- What?

- Stop your wagons.

- Oh, I give up.

Now don't tell me what's going on.

Just leave me wandering around in the fog.

I like it. I'm getting used to it.

It makes me feel so good.

You better look out, Pat,

you'll blow up and bust.

Oh, listen, Chance, remember me?

Your old friend Pat Wheeler.

- Now, will you please...?

- Hey, Chance!

What do you wanna do about this outfit?

Do you wanna take their guns?

Got any new men with you, Pat?

No, nobody except Colorado here.

- Where'd you take him on?

- Fort Worth.

- What does he do?

- I speak English, sheriff...

if you wanna ask me.

All right, buster, what do you do?

I'm riding guard.

- Pretty young for that, aren't you?

- Just how old do you have to be, sheriff?

You remember Ryan from Denver,

don't you?

- Rocky Ryan?

- Well, that's his boy.

He tells me the kid's faster than he was.

Well, he better be,

packing a pair of guns.

Now, sheriff, if it's the two guns that

bother you, I could give you one of them.

I could let you have them both.

They wouldn't do me too much good.

That fellow in the door there

has a shotgun on me.

- Stumpy, didn't I tell...?

- I know. I'm going. I'm going.

You can keep your guns, Colorado.

Thanks, sheriff. I don't want any trouble.

Well, then don't start any.

I won't, unless I tell you first.

That's good enough.

Pat, you can put your wagons

in that corral.

I ought to do just that.

- What?

- I'm just guessing, you understand.

It seems to me that you've already

got some trouble here.

You're guessing right.

It so happens that part of our load

there is fuel oil and dynamite.

Would you like to have that

sitting next to you?

No, I wouldn't.

They could put them over there

by the creek.

Near the Burdette warehouse.

If it's gonna blow

that's just as good a place as any.

Show them the way, Dude.

You can go along, Colorado.

Is that the way you want it, Mr. Wheeler?

Go ahead.

- Well?

- Let's get out of the middle of the street.

Well, now that you're satisfied

and that the kid's got his guns...

would you mind telling me

what this is all about?

We've got Joe Burdette in here.

- Joe Burdette in jail? Nathan's brother?

- That's right.

What are you holding him for?

They were about to bury the reason

when you were coming in.

- Murder?

- No other word for it.

No wonder this town's in such a mess.

What does Nathan say about this?

Nothing. He's not talking. Just doing.

You saw part of it.

He's got this town so bottled up

that I can't get Joe out or any help in.

Those men over there watching us...

they're his.

I can't make a move

without him knowing it.

Who you got helping you?

You met half of them.

You mean that fellow with the badge

that stopped me, and who else?

Stumpy. You know him.

He's watching Joe and guarding the jail.

A game-legged old man and a drunk.

That's all you got?

That's what I got.

If I ever saw a man holding the bull

by the tail, you're it.

It's a good idea putting my wagons

where they're safe.

Guess I better see they did it.

I'll see you later.

Better get back up there

and watch the road.

You don't look so good.

I feel worse.

Think I'll stop off and get a beer.

I thought you would.

Got some in here. Cold.

Just as long as it's beer.

Stumpy, didn't I tell you

to stay out of sight?

There you go. I never can please you.

I was just covering you in case of trouble.

I'd be in more trouble if you'd have gotten

picked off while standing at that door.

You'd be in trouble?

What about me

if somebody gunned me down?

Don't you never think of me?

Dude, I guess we better get used to it.

Here's a fellow don't think of nobody

but himself.

I told you why I want you back in there...

and you're gonna stay there with

that cage locked when I'm not around.

- You hear me?

- I heard you.

Those windows, did you fix them?

Them shutters is nailed up

tighter than a drum.

Nothing could get in here now.

- Not even some fresh air.

- That's the way I want it.

You can help to change my life.

Can't help it.

Five, six days breathing the same air as

Burdette is apt to make a killer out of me.

You can hear me back there,

can't you, Joe?

I hear you all right, but I won't have

to listen to you for very long.

Now, Joe, that's gratitude for you.

After me fixing up all your cuts

and bruises like I done.

I hope it happens again.

I won't do it, that's all.

- Shut up!

- I take it back, Joe.

If it does happen again,

I'll do just like I done before...

only I hope you have

more cuts and bruises to fix.

Hey, Dude. Dude, come here a minute.

What do you want?

Why don't you sit in here

in place of Stumpy?

I'd rather listen to a drunk than him.

How you holding up, Borrachn?

Got the shakes yet?

That beer won't do you no good. You'll

have to get something stronger than that.

If you're still broke,

I think I got another dollar.

- Chance, you gonna let him do that to me?

- I'll do better than that.

I'll let him have the key to your cell

anytime he wants it.

It'd be too easy.

He's got nobody to back him up.

If he talks out of turn,

throw a bucket of water on him.

I'll throw one in the middle of his bed

and leave him sleep in it.

Want another beer?

You kind of wasted some of that last one.

No, it wasn't wasted,

except I missed him.

- I don't need any more.

- Hey, in the jail.

That's far enough. What do you want?

Mr. Wheeler said to bring this package

to the sheriff.

Hey, Chance, you expecting a package?

Be right out.

- Stumpy?

- Yeah?

Going over to the hotel for a few minutes.

If you don't come back,

me and Joe'II have us a good cry.

Just keep that door locked.

- Thanks for your trouble.

- No trouble at all.

Wheeler said, "Just be careful coming up."

Looks like our friend's still on the job.

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes

Jules Furthman

Jules Furthman (March 5, 1888 – September 22, 1966) was a magazine and newspaper writer before working as a screenwriter. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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