Rio Grande (1950)

I have always gotten this confused with Rio Bravo. Other than being named for the same river and featuring John Wayne, they have little in common. In the post Civil War era, Wayne is the colonel on the Texas frontier, tasked with protecting settlers from nearby Apaches. Complications arise when his teenaged private of a son is assigned to the post, followed by his mother and Wayne’s estranged wife Maureen O’Hara. The father-son relationship is reminiscent of Wayne’s role most recently seen in In Harm’s Way. The battles against the Apaches are engaging albeit a bit stereotypical. Despite my general like for her work, O’Hara’s character draws away from the story and is an unnecessary addition.