Rio Bravo (1959) - Directed by Howard Hawks

There’s something so effortless about Hawks’ Rio Bravo….something so utterly smooth about it. Watching it is like being caressed and hugged by something resembling a big warm “western blanket”. When you turn it on, there's this soothing cinematic romanticism, coupled with a professional suave that is irresistible. But there’s also Hawks and his wonderful sense of camaraderie and determination that he puts on display. You want to spend time with these people….Dean Martin, John Wayne, Angie Dickinson, Ricky Nelson and Walter Brennan because they are good people and there’s a dignity about them. Throughout the film's entire running time, one is treated to near perfect cinema with a cast of memorable characters and a script that has you grinning often. It’s got a bit of everything: great action, romance, comedy, pathos, fine music......one could go on.

John Wayne plays Sheriff Chance, who along with his other deputies, Dude, the recovering alcoholic (Dean Martin), and Stumpy, the crippled old man (a hilarious Walter Brennan) have captured the murderous Joe Burdette (Claude Akins), who is brother to a nearby ranch owner. Chance and his deputies must patrol the town and keep order until they can get Joe out of town to meet his justice. They spend several days warding off various ranchers and hired guns who have an eye to get Joe out of jail. In a charming subplot, a woman named Feathers (Angie Dickinson) has arrived in town off the stage and begins to woo Chance with come-hither looks and a no-nonsense attitude, turning Chance into something resembling pudding. It’s a cute subplot that could only work in a Howard Hawks film because he gives the people enough of a dignity to actually make us care whether Chance and Feathers get together. Their wonderful interplay more than justifies the inclusion of this plot element. Just to make things a bit more well rounded, a young gunslinger named Colorado (Ricky Nelson) has come to town and although initially shy of helping out Chance, soon comes around to helping him keep the peace. It seems all rather straightforward, but the execution is simply perfection.

So we have this really nice cross-section of individuals coming together to support each other in a cause. We have young and old, male and female, able bodied and not so able bodied. Because of their determination and hard work together, they’re able to pull through in the end. This sense of determination and camaraderie is so elemental to Hawks and his films. Think of Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, Only Angels Have Wings and one can find this same sense of purposeful determination. John Wayne gives one of his smoothest and most charming performances as Chance. He underplays so nicely that sometimes you’re surprised at how genteel he is. Martin captures a dark, self-destructive streak, and although I never found him to be a great actor, he does well enough to make you believe he was a hot-shot deputy several years before. Angie Dickinson gives a fun and well-timed performance, standing up to Wayne nicely and not letting him overshadow their scenes together. Her talkative and aggressive flirting is infectious. My favorite performance in the film would be from Walter Brennan though. He’s so funny and crotchety and whiny with that domed hat and teeth missing. Half the time you don’t realize what he’s said until he’s done saying it and moved on to the next thing already. I love the moment where after throwing a stick of dynamite at the bad guys he says, “How do you like THEM apples?!”

Rio Bravo is a film that basically all occurs within a short section of town, as the plot hops back and forth between the sheriff’s office and the saloon/hotel. It’s kind of odd, but the way that we become familiar with the surroundings and with the sets begins to feel somewhat comforting after awhile, even though you hardly ever move on from the sets. Another interesting element is the long running time. At 141 minutes, the film doesn’t feel so much epic, as it does lived-in. With the long running time, Hawks is able to develop the dialogue, rhythm and interactive dynamics that are so emblematic of his work. This simply requires time and space and it can’t be rushed or earned any other way. I can’t imagine the film without the breathing spaces, the off-handed comedic moments, and the seemingly innocuous moments that add up to something greater than their parts. The sum of these parts is clearly one of the greatest westerns of all time.

Only Angels Have Wings (1939) - Directed by Howard Hawks

Howard Hawks’s films always seem to have a way of making me feel at home when watching them. He was often able to capture a camaraderie among actors that makes me want to spend time with them and get to know them. I’ve seen talk of films that are referred to as “Hang-Out Films”-----films that you watch to hang out with the characters in the film, meaning you like the characters so much that you want to spend time with them. I would also extend this to films in which the characters themselves do a lot of hanging out, or in which the plot of said film is centered around people talking a great deal and you just want to watch them and listen to them. Tarantino certainly has incorporated this vibe into many of his films, as has Richard Linklater among others. What is absolutely essential in this type of film is the dialogue. It has to snap and it has to ring true. Hawks was a terrific capturer and nurturer of cinematic dialogue, that which the viewer could watch and enjoy just listening to the actors and be entertained and moved by their interaction.

Only Angels Have Wings is a terrific example of Hawks’s abilities as a director. He’s able to take a basic plot and fill in the colorful characters that make us care. The story is set in Barranca in South America in the Andes. Jean Arthur plays Bonnie Lee who gets off a boat and meanders her way into meeting a few Americans. They all end up at the Bar. She finds out that some of these folks are pilots, who fly dangerous routes through the Andes to deliver and pick up mail. Cary Grant plays Geoff Carter, who is the manager of the group of pilots and a rather ace pilot himself. Bonnie and Geoff have a mutual attraction and she decides to hang around the post for awhile. Geoff and his friend Kid (Thomas Mitchell) have several wonderful scenes together talking piloting and life. A strange pilot arrives later in the film with some personal baggage and a wife (Rita Hayworth) who is Geoff’s ex-flame. It’s all a swirl of personal demons and triumphs, love affairs and misunderstandings, and some rather suspenseful events regarding flights over the Andes. What matters here, though, is the camaraderie and the dialogue.

There is terrific chemistry in the film from the ensemble cast. Everyone plays their part and each contributes essential pieces to the whole. Jean Arthur plays the plucky and resilient blonde, who sees right through Cary Grant’s character and challenges him to be a better person. Cary Grant plays the smart pilot, who’s been burned one too many times by flying and by women. Thomas Mitchell gives one of the finest performances of his career as Kid, an aging pilot with bad eyes. There’s a fantastic moment where he realizes he can’t see well enough to fly anymore. He stands facing away from Cary Grant, rubbing his cigarette on the edge of a cigarette tray for about 10 seconds, as he admits he can no longer fly. It’s a fantastically played scene by this veteran character actor. Richard Bartelmess strikes just the right note of mystery regarding his past. Rita Hayworth strains a bit in the emotional scenes, but does better in a moment where she’s drunk and Grant pours water over her head.

Hawks and Jules Furthman’s script is rich throughout. Each scene sparkles as you watch it and it’s a scene-to-scene kind of film. Every scene is whole and complete unto itself. You’re not necessarily waiting for some kind of pay-off or some big conclusion, but you simply revel in the joys of the moment throughout the running time. I think the best thing about the film is just watching the actors and listening to them. I could listen to these people talk all day and Hawks allows the actors time to interact. He doesn't rush anything and there is a relaxed vibe to the film, much like another great "hang-out" film of his, Rio Bravo (1959). Only Angels Have Wings is filled with plenty of chatting---moments where you really get to understand these people and that’s why this film works so well---because these characters are so well drawn. It’s hard to find any real flaws with the film. It’s one of Hawks’s best works and gets better with each viewing.