Red river

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 Chisholm 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 (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 made, “Red River” captures both the grandeur of the early West and the sheer determination of its people.