John Wayne is just one of those actors I love. He’s made so many great movies. My personal favorites are RIO BRAVO, TRUE GRIT, BIG JAKE, THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER, THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE, THE SEARCHERS, THE QUIET MAN, RED RIVER, THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS and STAGECOACH. But hell, there are so many great ones not listed above. He just knew how to play tough, honorable, flawed men in his uniquely John Wayne way. When I hit play on a John Wayne film, I know I’m in for a good time.
The 1953 John Wayne movie HONDO starts with a man and his dog walking through a dusty, rocky landscape on their way towards a pond and a rough looking farmhouse. He’s greeted by a woman and her young son. The man, Hondo Lane (Oscar winner John Wayne), is a scout for the U.S. Cavalry who’s just escaped from Apaches but lost his horse in the process. The woman, Angie Lowe (Oscar winner Geraldine Page), allows Hondo to stay at her ranch to rest and get something to eat. She tells him that her husband is away in the hills chasing wildcats for the day, and he asks her if he can buy a horse to get back to his cavalry post. Hondo ends up having to stay a few days at the ranch in order to break a wild, rambunctious horse before it can be ridden. While there, Hondo learns that Angie doesn’t really know where her husband is, as he left months ago and has never returned. Hondo and Angie share some nice conversation and even a kiss. Before he leaves, he tells her that she’s not safe at her remote ranch. It seems that the U.S. government has broken their treaty with the Apaches and no one is safe in the area. Angie refuses to leave her farm as the Apaches have always treated her well, using her spring for water. Hondo heads back to his post and is barely out of sight when the Apaches show up. Will they scalp Angie and her son, Johnny? Will Angie’s husband ever show back up? Will Hondo come back to the ranch and kiss her again in the moonlight? Will Hondo teach Johnny how to swim by throwing him into the pond? Will Hondo have to save a regiment of pony soldiers and settlers from marauding Apaches? It’s my guess that you probably know the answers to these questions, and that’s part of the fun of watching John Wayne movies.
It should come as no surprise that I enjoyed HONDO. John Wayne plays a variation of his normal tough, honorable, honest character, and I like that character. Geraldine Page was nominated for her first Oscar for her performance as Angie Lowe. It was the first of eight nominations she would receive in her career. She’s an interesting actress. She’s not conventional at all in this role yet she absolutely nails it. I haven’t watched much of her work so I need to check some more of her stuff out. Ward Bond shows up as fellow cavalry scout Buffalo Baker. It’s always fun to see Wayne and Bond work together. They go together like peas and carrots. Leo Gordon is effectively slimy as the deserter Ed Lowe, and James Arness shows up as cocky young man who’s humbled and then redeems himself through battle. It’s a fine cast that helps in the fun factor.
It’s not a perfect film, especially by the social standards of 2024, but it’s a fun and entertaining western. I liked it.
Through the Shattered Lens 
Just saw this for the first time last year, after deciding to tackle the huge catalogue of American Western movies that I “should have” seen, but didn’t. Bucket List, challenge accepted! The name “Hondo” is an means “war” and “fighter” ‘Hondo’ was the title of a classic (aren’t they all?) Louis L’Amour short story, and then novel. It was made into a John Wayne movie from 1953, co-starring Geraldine Page. It was a name given to his character by the Apaches, after Hondo took an Apache bride. Long story short, his bride was killed by the U.S. Army and Hondo tries to be a peacemaker whereever he goes, but trouble often finds him. There was a ’70s tv series of ‘S.W.A.T.’ and big alpha actor Steve Forrest was called ‘Hondo’ (last name Harrelson) by his fellow officers. Shemar Moore plays the same rebooted character, but with some DEI shine. He’s a real leader, strong and makes hard decisions. Very few could be S.W.A.T., let alone team leader. Cool! Also, side note, the tv show was produced through MGM, which was owned by Kirk Kerkorian (several times). MGM had acquired a bunch of tv productions, including S.W.A.T. and they own the stories so it is incredibly cheap to just rewrite the existing episodes. In the end, this business is about money. But there is room for art, and the female lead in the 1953, Geraldine Page, got an Academy Award nomination for Hondo. She was a Communist, so didn’t work for 10 years after that. Just saw her in ‘Toys In The Attic’ (1963) with Dean Martin, a Southern Gothic story about confused family loyalties, if you know what I mean and I think you do. She was in another Southern Gothic story, also based on a novel, ‘The Beguiled’ (1971) starring Clint Eastwood and directed by Don Siegel. I’m new to her work, and find her very compelling, and also always like John Wayne. Wayne’s USC football teammate Ward Bond is also in Hondo, as Brad noted they work well together. Thank you, Brad Crain, you are putting a lot of work in and your readers are grateful!
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Wow! Thanks for the additional context, John! I’m having fun so it’s not feeling like work!
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One last bit of Hondo trivia, the L.A. Dodgers had a giant 6’6″ Rookie of the Year in 1960, the year I was born, named Frank Howard. His first year, he hit 23 home runs, and earned the nickname ‘Hondo’. For many years, my father told me that John Wayne’s movie was named after Frank Howard. And I did not figure out that he was joking until last year, when I saw the movie made in 1953. Please don’t tell anyone, it is too embarrassing!:-)
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Your secret is safe with me, until I share it on Facebook! 🙂
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