Director Howard Hawks’ classic western stars the legendary John Wayne at the peak of his career and Montgomery Clift in his screen debut. Walter Brennan heads the outstanding supporting cast. The film is an account of the first cattle drive over the Chisolm Trail, from deep Texas to Abilene, Kansas. Authentic detail and stunning cinematography bring to life the trials and tribulations of this extraordinary challenge for the men who battled the dust, rain, heat and frustration of the long, hard drive. The demands of this rigorous journey further strain the edgy relationship between the film’s key characters. Tom Dunson (John Wayne) is a self-made cattle king whose single-mindedness has turned him into a cold-blooded executioner, ruthlessly determined to take the cattle to Abilene his way. Arguably the best western ever produced, “Red River” captures both the grandeur of the early West and the sheer determination of its people.
Content notification
Our collection comprises over 40,000 moving image works, acquired and catalogued between the 1940s and early 2000s. As a result, some items may reflect outdated, offensive and possibly harmful views and opinions. ACMI is working to identify and redress such usages.
Learn more about our collection and our collection policy here. If you come across harmful content on our website that you would like to report, let us know.
How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
306342
Language
English
Audience classification
G
Subject categories
Anthropology, Ethnology, Exploration & Travel → Kansas
Sound/audio
Captioned
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)