Borden Chase

C+ (Okay).

A marksman pursues another marksman for revenge.

It did the things it needed to do, with some suspense and action and an unexpectedly amoral Jimmy Stewart (and an unexpectedly amoral ending for the Hays code period). But I don't think it's a movie I'll ever feel a need to watch a second time.

(Apr. 2026)

Classic 1948 Western about an epic cattle drive around 1865 of over 9,000 head over 1,000 miles--and featuring a young Montgomery Clift and John Wayne. Yes, Wayne basically plays the same character in every movie I've seen him in--but his standard personality fits this character well, a Western rancher combination of Captains Bligh and Ahab--Wayne does obsession and scary well. And Clift was terrific--as were almost all the supporting players. Quite gripping and enjoyable--and I'm not even show more particularly a fan of Westerns or Wayne. show less

A ruthless rancher heads a cattle drive.

Pretty darn exciting. Even when it slows down, there's usually still a lot of interesting stuff going on. (For instance, I wonder if John Wayne realized that all of these cowboys either are or want to be having sex with each other.) There's a heap of big problems with it, though - very uneven writing.

Concept: B
Story: C
Characters: B
Dialog: C
Pacing: B
Cinematography: A
Special effects/design: B
Acting: B
Music: C

Enjoyment: B

GPA: 2.8/4

Dunson leads a cattle drive, the culmination of over 14 years of work, to its destination in Missouri. His tyrannical behavior along the Missouri, however, causes a mutiny led by his adpted son. That's the plot setup. These are the majestic central portions of a tragic rivalry. What we eventually remember is not the silly happy ending. I've read quite a few references to the ending and how it should have been an "unhappy" one. The screenwriter, Borden Chase, was also very unhappy with it. show more The original ending was John Wayne's death. Hawks changed the ending and Chase never spoke to him again. show less