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Rio Bravo

Play trailer Poster for Rio Bravo 1959 2h 21m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
When gunslinger Joe Burdette (Claude Akins) kills a man in a saloon, Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) arrests him with the aid of the town drunk, Dude (Dean Martin). Before long, Burdette's brother, Nathan (John Russell), comes around, indicating that he's prepared to bust his brother out of jail if necessary. Chance decides to make a stand until reinforcements arrive, enlisting Dude, an old cripple named Stumpy (Walter Brennan) and baby-faced cowboy Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson) to help.
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Rio Bravo

Rio Bravo

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Critics Consensus

Rio Bravo finds director Howard Hawks -- and his stellar ensemble cast -- working at peak performance, and the end result is a towering classic of the Western genre.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Brody The New Yorker Apr 23, 2013
The movie is simultaneously an apogee of the classic Western style, with its principled violence in defense of just law, and an eccentrically hyperbolic work of modernism, which yokes both bumptious erotic comedy and soul-searing rawness to the mission. Go to Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Apr 23, 2013
4/4
To watch Rio Bravo is to see a master craftsman at work. The film is seamless. There is not a shot that is wrong. It is uncommonly absorbing, and the 141-minute running time flows past like running water. Go to Full Review TIME Magazine Apr 27, 2009
Wayne, of course, walks off with the show -- not by doing anything in particular, but simply by being what he is: at 51, still one of the most believable he-men in Hollywood. Go to Full Review Moira Walsh The Catholic World Nov 28, 2023
In addition to its excessive length and consequent slow pace the film has other liabilities... Nevertheless the characterizations are unusually solid and get more interesting as they go along. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Aug 10, 2023
4/4
A marvelous motion picture. Go to Full Review Noah Gittell Washington City Paper Jul 21, 2023
It's pure romantic bliss that feels about as far away from a political statement as you could imagine. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Spencer Nielsen Jul 29, 2026 A crowd-pleasing western, that is also a procedural and a hangout movie featuring a wonderful ensemble headed by John Wayne. Howard Hawks’s direction is conspicuously strong here. It does run a bit long. See more Fred Oct 24, 2024 It looked spectacular on the big screen. It's a wonderful film, with a great cast. See more steve May 22, 2023 Great great movie!!! Everyone is wonderful and perfect for their roles.it’s also very funny 🤠🤠🤠 See more Jay A @RT92529899 Sep 22, 2026 Rio Bravo is my fave John Wayne movie. What a cast...Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson & Walter Brennan. Lots of action & great lines..."Anybody Else You Want Besides Joe?" See more bruce F @bruce999 Aug 14, 2026 ok acting, nice drama, and a nice song, with ricky nelson, and dean. See more Bob Z @theyazfan Jul 25, 2026 It was laughable when Ricky Nelson and Dean Martin started to sing during such a serious situation. John Wayne tripping on the staircase and going completely unconscious was a terrible scene. Walter Brennan played such an annoying character. I thought Dean Martin was outstanding. See more Read all reviews
Rio Bravo

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Cast & Crew

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Howard Hawks

Director

John Wayne

Sheriff John T. Chance

Dean Martin

Dude ("Borachón")

Ricky Nelson

Colorado Ryan

Angie Dickinson

Feathers

Walter Brennan

Stumpy

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Rio Bravo

Rio Bravo (1959) Rio Bravo (1959) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis When gunslinger Joe Burdette (Claude Akins) kills a man in a saloon, Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) arrests him with the aid of the town drunk, Dude (Dean Martin). Before long, Burdette's brother, Nathan (John Russell), comes around, indicating that he's prepared to bust his brother out of jail if necessary. Chance decides to make a stand until reinforcements arrive, enlisting Dude, an old cripple named Stumpy (Walter Brennan) and baby-faced cowboy Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson) to help.
Director
Howard Hawks
Producer
Howard Hawks
Screenwriter
B.H. McCampbell, Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett
Distributor
Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.
Production Co
Armada Pictures
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 18, 1959, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 11, 2015
Runtime
2h 21m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Flat (1.85:1)
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