RIO GRANDE

 A masterpiece. "Rio Grande" was the last in what became known as John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy and, of course, it's deeply sentimental in the very best Ford tradition. It's also one of the greatest westerns ever made. The plot may be flimsy but it's beautifully written by James Kevin McGuinness, superbly shot in black and white by the great Bert Glennon and has one of the best casts in the Ford canon. Wayne is still in charge as Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke, (it's a great performance), Maureen O'Hara is the long absent wife suddenly reunited with Wayne when their young son, (Claude Jarman Jr.), is posted to Wayne's command. Then there's the obligatory Ford stock company; Victor McLaglen, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., not to mention the Sons of the Pioneers bursting into song at every opportunity while the fairly broad comedy and the sentiment go beautifully hand-in-hand. There's also enough action to satisfy any western aficionado and the set pieces are splendid.