El Dorado

El Dorado, released States-side in 1967, is very loosely based on a novel titled The Stars in Their Courses by some literary cat named Harry Brown. I opened with that to get it out of the way. What happened was that the fantastic screenwriter (and creator of Eric John Stark, interplanetary swashbuckler!) Leigh Brackett, when she adapted book to celluloid, excised most of what Brown had wrought and so created a more rollicking narrative. Yep, El Dorado is director Howard Hawks' first remake of his earlier banging western Rio Bravo (1959), a movie so awesome and so influential it inspired a second remake by Hawks in Rio Lobo (1970), as well as countless other movies not by Hawks, most notably, Assault on Precinct 13 (1976).I count El Dorado a bonafide classic, but maybe not quite the classic that Rio Bravo is. It's absent of that original freshness. This cast is essentially a reprise of the cast in Rio Bravo. Still, Robert Mitchum brings his own droll swerve to Dean Martin's discarded drunk. James Caan's "Mississippi" exudes more personality than Ricky Nelson's "Colorado," only, Caan slyly slings poetry instead of winsomely warbling a tune. An alluring dame in the saloon hospitality business pines once more for our star, and Charlene Holt's Maudie is perfectly fine even if she's not as memorable as Angie Dickinson's Feathers. Yo, there's bugle-tootin' Arthur Hunnicutt mustering up his best ornery Walter Brennan impersonation. And, above all, there's John Wayne playing John Wayne, oh, a tad longer in the tooth but still tall in the saddle and very much capable of coming to the aid of a beleaguered old friend. Wayne's role of aging gun-for-hire, Cole Thornton, is made even more interesting by a bullet lodged next to his spine, a messed-up state that causes hurtful spasms and temporary paralysis in the most inopportune moments.The plot, in short, concerns a range feud over water rights. The action beats pit a covetous land owner and his nasty hired guns against "two cripples, a green kid, and a noisy old Indian-fighter." The shoot-'em-up sequences are dope, mind you. Duke, Mitchum, and Caan are asskickers of the first order. But I was equally invested in Cole Thornton's relationships with the peeps around him. Duke is in his wheelhouse when he's reacting to other actors and when he's playing the cranky and baffled straight man. Mitchum, Caan, and Hunnicutt provide generous doses of levity, with Caan very startled to learn that his was a comic role. He afterwards called out Hawks on it: "Why didn't you tell me I was playing a comic part?" Hawks's reponse: "You'd have spoiled it. You'd have tried to be funny." Caan is a hoot. Mississippi sure 'nuff has got sand. He can handle himself in a scrap. But it's amusing that he's such a bad shot he has to resort to blasting with a sawed-off shotgun. And, 1ord, how he kept quoting from Poe's poem, "Eldorado," but kept on misquoting the verse "Ride, boldly ride" as "Ride, Bodie, ride." The funniest sequence has to be when the boys were trying to sober up Sheriff J.P. Harrah (Mitchum), him what's been prodigiously three sheets to the wind these two months running. By the by, I dare you to try Mississippi's infamous concoction to cure a tipsy state - ingredients include cayenne pepper, hot mustard, gunpowder, croton oil (which induces diarrhea), and asafoetida. I don't know if that spicy junk'll counter inebriation but I'd for sure like it to douse my daily breakfast burrito with.But what an entertaining film - a colorful, raucous, action-packed, old-timey watch. Some say El Dorado lacks the focus of Rio Bravo, that it rambles around. But, to me, the plot's meanderings meant more opportunity to explore the characters, to allow us more time to know them during the minutiae of their everyday livin'. Wayne is such a big presence, he towers above all, although Mitchum isn't too far behind. It's these two impeccable screen veterans that make the thing work so beautifully. They lend gravitas to whatever's happening onscreen and a convincing sense of history between their characters, it's that kind of synergy between them. And when the time came to quit speechifyin' and commence to slapping leather, well, they're convincing there, too. And I loved the topsy-turvy manner in which Wayne's damaged (but pragmatic) gunfighter bested his big bad. When I first saw that ending, it floored me because I didn't expect Wayne to stoop to... well, go see the movie. Not quite as good as Rio Bravo, but it kicks other westerns to the curb.Trivia time: Did you know that the paintings in the credits were painted by Olaf Wieghorst, who plays Swede Larsen - he supplied Mississippi with his mini-cannon - in the movie?

this is my favorite old time movie the duke, mitchum and caan were brilliant glad i bought it

Very good western with great actors. Good Friday nite movie to just sit down and watch and have some popcorn. Anything with John Wayne is Great and throwing Robert Mitchum in the mix is like really good.

good movie to look at

Highly recommended.

It’s a good rental. I decent balance of action and humor.

It's a John Wayne movie what more do I need to say

Actor's

One of my favourite westerns and on blu-ray it's even better. The picture is sharp the colours are bright and the detail pops. Bearing in mind it does depend on what you are watching it on and playing it with (I have a Panasonic DMP-BDT320 blu-ray player matched to a Philips 55OLED903/12 TV) For a 50+ film it really is a great picture. I wish they could do something similar for my 50+ looks

Tucked between 1959's masterpiece Rio Bravo and his final, hugely underrated film Rio Lobo, this 1967 Howard Hawks movie is more of a true western than either, Bravo being as much a 'chamber comedy' as anything else, and Lobo a Civil War saga. But with El Dorado, you get just about every western trope throw into the mix, from the black-hatted baddie to the flirty goodtime gal, from the gamblers in the saloon to the boisterous shoot-out.Yet it's all controlled with such relaxed assurance by the director, with a slew of superb performances from Wayne, Mitchum, Caan {as 'Mississippi'}, Paul Fix, Ed Asner {baddie in black hat}, Charlene Holt {goodtime gal}, Christopher George {an amaible scarred good-bad guy}, and Michele Carey as a sharp-shootin' wild-haired tomboy. The acting is so uniformly good that one forgets to even think about it. Of course, the whole thing is a partial remake of Rio Bravo, but at the same time it's a very different film, even though Wayne, Mitch, Caan and Arthur Hunnicutt {as grizzled old Bull} are holed up in the town gaol, Mitch {as J.P Harrah} is a hopeless drunk on a lengthy bender, Duke is an unsentimental friend, and Charlene Holt as Maudie {voluptuous shades of Ann-Margret in this actress} acts as both love interest and unfussy helper when things get tough.Mitchum was a terrific actor if given a good script and director, and here he had both. Mitch knew all too well what it was like to be both drunk and hungover, but it's one thing to be drunk, another to act drunk. He never puts a foot wrong, you believe every moment. It's a wonderful feat of acting, so natural and so honest. Wayne is pitch perfect as ever, and James Caan, in his first major role, is a pint-sized ball of energy {and a lot more credible than Ricky Nelson's 'Colorado' in Rio Bravo}.Hawks hit gold when he cast Holt & Carey as the two women, one a smart, worldly woman, the other an impetuous yet soulful girl. But then, Hawks liked the women in his movies ~ Bacall, Hepburn, Angie Dickinson, Jean Arthur, etc ~ to give as good as they get.The plot is a little more convoluted than Rio Bravo's, but a town requires cleaning up, and rival factions need weeding out. That's about it, though the devil is in the details, of which Hawks was a master. Duke & Mitch are just great together {as were Duke & Martin in Bravo}, and the whole thing is two hours of frontier heaven. The final scene is hilarious, with Mitchum's final line a throwaway hoot.At his best, nobody made better westerns than Hawks. But then, at his best no one made better films than Hawks.This one's a good 'un!

Released for the first time on the 'Blu-ray' format this 'Howard Hawks' offering see's'Cole Thornton' (John Wayne) rides into 'El-Dorado' he's been offered a job by thelocal land-baron 'Bart Jason'.....'Cole' is a Gunman of some repute.In town he comes across the Sheriff, alcoholic 'J.P.Harrah' (Robert Mitchum) who heused to ride with, 'J.P. tells 'Cole' a very different version of why his gun is requiredby 'Jason''Cole' is convinced by his old pal to ride out to 'Jason's' ranch and withdraw his services.Returning to 'El Dorado' 'Cole' has a run in with the 'Macdonald's' which results in himshooting the youngest son, then being wounded himself at the hands of 'Joey Macdonald''Cole' decides to move on, ending up in a boarder town where he comes to the aid of'Mississippi' (James Caan) and comes face to face with 'Nelse Mcleod' and his side-kicks,'Cole' learns that they arei heading to 'El Dorado' as 'guns' for 'Jason' (The job 'Cole' hadturned down)Well, 'Cole' decides his place is back in 'El Dorado' supporting his friend 'J.P' he is joinedby the Knife-Throwing 'Mississippi' (who can't use a gun....yet)A range war is brewing back in 'El Dorado' ...'Bart Jason' plans to run the 'Macdonald's' offtheir land, getting rid of the alcoholic Sheriff is also on his mind.'Cole' will need 'J.P' sober for the challenge ahead.Some great gun-play a little brawling and plenty of humour leading up to the climax.Great performances from 'Robert Mitchum' and the usual 'cool' performance from the 'Duke'Well worth viewing on the Blu-ray format....A decent HD upgrade.Extra's -* Commentary by 'Peter Bogdanovich'* Commentary by film historian and critic 'Richard Schickel' and author 'Todd McCarthy'* Ride, Boldly ride:-The journey to El Dorado.* The artist and the American west.* Behind the gates: 'A.C.Lyles' remembers 'John Wayne'Currently available to order on Amazon direct from the U.S. (again, good news for thoseinterested buying this 'Classic -Western' the film is 'Multi-Region'

Have always loved this film since I saw it on television Christmas 1973.It looks absolutely stunning in blu Ray.The film is classic John Wayne/Howard Hawks.A traditional good guys verses bad guys western with a great teaming of Wayne and Mitchum.They work so well together it’s a pity they didn’t make more films together.The supporting cast are all superb as well and the whole film comes together as a classic western.

Although not immediately obvious from the packaging, this latest Blu-ray offers several fine extras including an audio commentary and a substantial documentary on the making of this venerable Western.The film itself is great fun and serves as a compendium of many themes and situations from earlier Howard Hawks movies, including RIO BRAVO and THE BIG SLEEP.