Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke is posted on the Texas frontier to defend settlers against depredations of marauding Apaches. Col. Yorke is under considerable stress by a serious shortage of troops of his command. Tension is added when Yorke's son (whom he hasn't seen in fifteen years), Trooper Jeff Yorke, is one of 18 recruits sent to the regiment.
Rio Grande is the third film in John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy, and while it features fine performances from John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara with genuine chemistry, it is the weakest of the three entries. The plot is functional but thin — the father-son reunion and marital reconciliation threads feel underdeveloped and the Apache conflict is resolved hastily. Cinematography by Bert Glennon captures Monument Valley adequately but lacks the grandeur of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. The film leans heavily on Sons of the Pioneers musical interludes that slow the pace. As the third installment in an established formula, novelty is low — it recycles Ford cavalry tropes without adding much new. The ending feels rushed and unsatisfying, wrapping up both the military and domestic conflicts too neatly.