Trivia and Quotes
Quotes
 [last lines]
Thomas Dunson: When we get back to the ranch, I want you to change the brand. It`ll be like this: The Red River D, and we`ll add an M to it. You don`t mind that, do you?
Matt Garth: No.
Thomas Dunson: You earned it.
[first title cards]
Title crawl: Among the annals of the great state of Texas may be found the story of the first drive on the famous Chisholm Trail. A story of one of the great cattle herds of the world, of a man and a boy - Thomas Dunson and Matthew Garth, the story of the Red River D.
Title crawl: [handwritten pages] Early Tales of Texas
Title crawl: In the year 1851, Thomas Dunson accompaned by a friend, Nadine Groot, left St. Louis and joined a wagon train headed for California. Three weeks on the trail found them near the northern border of Texas. The land to the south looked good to...
Matthew Garth: Buster, where`s Cherry?
Buster McGee: Cherry? Well he figured there was no need two of us coming. One was . . .
Matthew Garth: Is she pretty?
Buster McGee: Oh, Matt, do you remember that little filly I used to own?
Matthew Garth: That`s what I thought.
Teeler Yancy: I shouldn`t have run away. I should have stayed and put a bullet in you. I signed a pledge, sure, but you ain`t the man I signed it with.
Thomas Dunson: You finished?
Teeler Yancy: Yeah, now you can get your Bible and read over us after you shoot us.
[Groot complains about the dust]
Groot Nadine: Bet I ate ten pounds in the last sixteen days. Before this shenanigan is over, I`ll probably eat enough land to incorporate me in the Union. The state of Groot.
[Groot loses his false teeth to Quo in a poker game]
Groot Nadine: Now wait a minute, Quo. You really ain`t gonna take a man`s only set of teeth, are you?
Quo: Uh huh.
Groot Nadine: Yeah, but I gotta use `em for eating!
Quo: Come grub, you get `em.
Groot Nadine: What are you gonna do with `em.
Quo: My name now Two Jaw Quo.
Groot Nadine: Two Jaw Quo. That`s what I get for playing with an injun.
Thomas Dunson: Give me ten years, and I`ll have that brand on the gates of the greatest ranch in Texas. The big house will be down by the river, and the corrals and the barns behind it. It`ll be a good place to live in. Ten years and I`ll have the Red River D on more cattle than you`ve looked at anywhere. I`ll have that brand on enough beef to feed the whole country. Good beef for hungry people. Beef to make `em strong, make `em grow. But it takes work, and it takes sweat, and it takes time, lots of time. It takes years.
[Dunson plans to take Don Diego`s land from him]
Fernandez: Others have thought as you, seņor. Others have tried.
Thomas Dunson: And you`ve always been good enough to stop them?
Fernandez: Amigo, it is my work.
Thomas Dunson: Pretty unhealthy job.
Matt, as a boy: How did you know when he was gonna draw?
Thomas Dunson: By watching his eyes. Remember that.
Matt, as a boy: I will.
Thomas Dunson: Get a shovel and my Bible. I`ll read over him.
Mr. Melville: There`s three times in a man`s life when he has a right to yell at the moon: when he marries, when his children come, and... and when he finishes a job he had to be crazy to start.
Nadine Groot: He didn`t know about money, Matt. He never had none. He didn`t know what to do.
Matt Garth: You mean he just doesn`t know who to fight.
Nadine Groot: Yeah.
Matt Garth: Well that`s all right.
Cherry Valance: You`re fast with that gun, Matt. Awful fast. But your heart`s soft. Too soft. Might get you hurt some day.
Matt Garth: Could be. I wouldn`t count on it.
Mr. Melville: I`ll buy the drinks when it`s over.
Tess Millay: Whoever would have thought that you two could have killed each other.
Thomas Dunson: We brought nothing into this world and it`s certain we can carry nothing out.
Thomas Dunson: Cherry was right. You`re soft, you should have let `em kill me, `cause I`m gonna kill you. I`ll catch up with ya. I don`t know when, but I`ll catch up. Every time you turn around, expect to see me, `cause one time you`ll turn around and I`ll be there. I`m gonna kill ya, Matt.
Thomas Dunson: Take `em to Missouri, Matt!
Sims Reeves: Well, I don`t like to see things goin` good or bad. I like `em in between.
Sims Reeves: Plantin` and readin`, plantin` and readin`. Fill a man full o` lead, stick him in the ground an` then read words on him. Why, when you`ve killed a man, why try to read the Lord in as a partner on the job?
Cherry: There are only two things more beautiful than a gun: a Swiss watch or a woman from anywhere. Ever had a good... Swiss watch?
Nadine Groot: Never liked seeing strangers. Maybe it`s because no stranger ever good newsed me.
Thomas Dunson: Who are you?
Cherry Valance: Some call me one thing, some another.
Thomas Dunson: What do they call you most?
Cherry Valance: By my name. Cherry Valance.
Trivia
The famous scene where Montgomery Clift and John Ireland compare their revolvers was allegedly a reference to the affair they were having in real life.
The only film that father, Harry Carey, and son, Harry Carey Jr. appeared together in.
After seeing John Wayne`s performance in Red River (1948), directed by rival director Howard Hawks, John Ford is quoted as saying, "I never knew the big son of a bitch could act."
Ranked #5 on the American Film Institute`s list of the 10 greatest films in the genre "Western" in June 2008.
Upon completing this movie, Howard Hawks gave John Wayne a belt buckle that featured the Red River D logo (Wayne later wore this as part of his costume in El Dorado (1966)). Wayne later returned the favor and gave Hawks a twin buckle.
This is Montgomery Clift`s debut film, but because it was shelved for 2 years, the first film the public saw of Clift was The Search (1948), which he was Oscar-nominated for.
During production, many members of the cast and crew caught illnesses and injuries. Howard Hawks was hospitalized for several days after being stung by a centipede. John Wayne caught a severe cold. Joanne Dru suffered from influenza.
Cary Grant (who had worked with Howard Hawks on Bringing Up Baby (1938) and Only Angels Have Wings (1939)) turned down the role of gunslinger Cherry Valance, a part that was subsequently minimized in the final film.
The role of Tess Millay was intended for Margaret Sheridan but she became pregnant shortly before filming. Instead she suggested her friend Joanne Dru for the role.
In a 1974 interview, Howard Hawks said that he originally offered the role of Thomas Dunson to Gary Cooper but he had declined it because he didn`t believe the ruthless nature of Dunson`s character would have suited his screen image.
Five dams were built to bring the San Pedro River in Arizona, where the crossings were shot, to flood stage.
There was some concern that John Wayne and Montgomery Clift would not get along since they were diametrically opposed on all political issues, and both were outspoken on their views. According to legend they agreed not to discuss politics and the shooting went smoothly. However both Wayne and Walter Brennan would not get along with Clift since they were aware of his homosexuality, and they stayed away from the young actor when not filming. At one point Wayne tried to have Clift replaced when he heard that his co-star was having an affair with John Ireland. Clift later turned down Dean Martin`s role in Rio Bravo (1959) because he did not want to be reunited with those two actors.
The theme song, "Settle Down" was later used under the title "My Rifle, My Pony and Me" in Rio Bravo (1959), another John Wayne western.
Texas Longhorn cattle had been nearly extinct as a breed for about 50 years when this film was made. Only a few dozen animals were available. In the herd scenes most of the cattle are Hereford crosses with the precious Longhorns prominently placed in crucial scenes.
Filmed in 1946 but held for release for two years, in part due to legal problems with Howard Hughes who claimed it was similar to his The Outlaw (1943).
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