Two Rode Together (1961)

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Will Cook (novel)
Frank S. Nugent (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 July 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

The West's most violent story... The West's most valiant hour!

Plot:

The US Army is under pressure from the desperate relatives of white prisoners of the Comanches to secure their rescue...

Plot Keywords:

Kidnapping | Rescue | Hanged Boy | Music Box | Son

Awards:

1 win

Cast

James Stewart	...	Marshal Guthrie McCabe
Richard Widmark	...	First Lt. Jim Gary
Shirley Jones	...	Marty Purcell
Linda Cristal	...	Elena de la Madriaga
Andy Devine	...	Sgt. Darius P. Posey
John McIntire	...	Maj. Frazer
Paul Birch	...	Judge Edward Purcell
Willis Bouchey	...	Mr. Harry J. Wringle
Henry Brandon	...	Chief Quanah Parker
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Ortho Clegg
Olive Carey	...	Mrs. Abby Frazer
Ken Curtis	...	Greeley Clegg
Chet Douglas	...	Deputy Ward Corby
Annelle Hayes	...	Belle Aragon
David Kent	...	Running Wolf (Steve Purcell)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (nf) | Spain:T | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #19928) | Argentina:13 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Alamo Village - Highway 674, Brackettville, Texas, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Richard Widmark was initially reluctant to make the film, since he felt he was fifteen years too old for the young lieutenant he played.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Marty gets up from getting water at the creek, the knees of her trousers are wet. However, they are dry in the next shot as she and Jim are walking back to camp.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[Jesus gives Marshal Guthrie a beer]
Marshal Guthrie McCabe: Thank you, Jesus.
Jesus: Senor, the widow Gomez has delivered a son this morning - a boy.
Marshal Guthrie McCabe: Bully for the widow Gomez!
Jesus: But senor, it has been more than a year ago since Senor Antonio Gomez has been buried in the church house.
Marshal Guthrie McCabe: Well, there are some men you just can't trust to stay where you put 'em.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cachorro (2004)

A good movie, but too sad for a western

"Two rode together" has a beautiful, poetic title, it shows the usual John Ford's art, it avails of Stewart's and Widmark's perfect acting, but it is too sad, too depressing to be really loved. There is no patent hate or war between whites and Indians, nevertheless there is no hope for anybody: to escape violence, to have back their beloved relatives, to overcome prejudice, even to find love. And to see Ford's supporting actors, we are so fond of, involved in a beastly lynch-law, this is really tough to bear; however, we respect the will of the artist. In all this sadness, let me remark a little delightful erotic touch. At the beginning of the movie they say that the pretty saloon-keeper is a tough girl, alleged to take a knife in her garter. At the end, to prevent an impending brawl, she quickly raises her skirt and draws the knife... after all it was true that she had a knife in her garter! With this little present the master John Ford improves a bit our mood.