Red River (1948), Westward the Women (1951), and Shane (1953)

Hello, and welcome back to Bing’s Basement! This month I have three more great films to share in Vol. 2 of 3 Classic Westerns. If you have not seen Vol. 1, click here!

Each have made great contributions to the genre and continue to inspire westerns today. For more, keep reading!

- Olivia

Red River (1948)- 2 hrs 13 mins

When Thomas Dunson (John Wayne) decides to start his own cattle ranch, he brings along his partner Nadine Groot (Walter Brennan) and a young boy, Matt Garth (Mickey Kuhn and later by Montgomery Clift), the lone survivor of an attacked wagon train. Fourteen years go by, and Dunson is now the proud owner of one of the largest cattle herds in Texas. The only problem is that with the South losing the Civil War, they are no longer able to afford to pay Dunson’s regular beef prices. As a result, Dunson takes Groot and Matt along with a band of newly hired men to move the herd to Missouri, where he can get a good price for his large herd. Over the course of the long journey, the effects of Dunson’s troubled past come out as both he and Matt have different opinions on how to lead. The trouble reaches it peak when Matt leads a mutiny against Dunson’s leadership and only a reminder from Dunson’s past can resolve the tension.

A solid film from start to finish, Red River is a gripping story that shows the dark side of the West as well as Wayne’s acting ability. This film led him to be cast in more serious and demanding roles, such as She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and The Searchers (1956).

Availability: Youtube, Amazon, Googleplay, DVD, and Blu-ray.

Purchase DVD: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/dvd-red-river-john-wayne/3623996/2660418746709?st=PLA&sid=BNB_New+Marketplace+Shopping+Media&sourceId=PLAGoNA&dpid=tdtve346c&2sid=Google_c&gclid=CjwKCAiAyfvhBRBsEiwAe2t_i-sYBPyqm-Q0Ezc6PoNfY93MifNSmGpQitwY4EmeQ78Vjf9va8r0PxoCw3oQAvD_BwE
Purchase Blu-ray: https://www.amazon.com/Red-River-Criterion-Collection-Blu-ray/dp/B079VF7Q9P/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Westward the Women (1951)- 1 hr 58 mins

Now that the California territory has been settled, all that is missing are women. Buck Wyatt (Robert Taylor) is hired to bring a caravan of 100 women from Chicago on the hard journey, and, to his surprise, these women may prove tougher than he thinks.

A blend of comedy and compelling drama, Westward the Women is western that isn’t watched enough!

Availability: Youtube, Amazon video, Googleplay, and DVD.

Purchase DVD: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/a-westward-the-women-dvd-1951/20141155.p?skuId=20141155&ref=212&loc=1&ds_rl=1266837&ref=212&loc=1&ds_rl=1266837&gclid=CjwKCAiAyfvhBRBsEiwAe2t_i8cpIGiR3mt3i-mA_teONIQfQwPn14K2MQ3z6Cpi8zIITaq5PLKRSBoCB0UQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Shane (1953; in color)- 1 hr 58 mins

When a mysterious gunman rides into town ready to work, the Starrett family invites him into their home. The mysterious gunman soon discovers that this only somewhat settled Missouri territory is being harassed by Rufus Ryker (Emile Meyer) and his family, who want to run the landowners out of town. Realizing the need to act, the townspeople, hardly a match for the Rykers, decide to take things into their own hands, but it’s Shane who decides to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Nominated for Best Picture and a noteworthy contribution to the genre, Shane is a sensitive and multi-dimensional tale whose power comes from the Messianic story it reflects.

Availability: Youtube, Amazon video, Googleplay, DVD, and Blu-ray.

Purchase DVD (extremely reasonable!): https://www.amazon.com/Shane-Alan-Ladd/dp/B06XGTG94F/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Purchase Blu-ray (extremely reasonable!): https://www.amazon.com/Shane-Blu-ray-Alan-Ladd/dp/B06XXHSD9Z/ref=asc_df_B06XXHSD9Z/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312230736656&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8846666118050938683&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003967&hvtargid=pla-450799988871&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=58898436941&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312230736656&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8846666118050938683&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003967&hvtargid=pla-450799988871