El Dorado

Awesome treatment of an awesome classic Hawks film in bluray. I had this film years ago in dvd but moved up to bluray . Excellent commentary by Peter Bogdanovich and other historical commentary made me appreciate the film and Hawks filmmaking techniques ( which are thoroughly documented). For instance I now realize that I have loved Mitchums work in this film: one commentator remarked that Mitchums timing, rhythm and cadence was a perfect match for Hawks slower, more deliberate style. Also Hawks let Mitchum work at his own pace and appreciated his fine work as an actor. Thats just one example. In my opinion this is the only film in Waynes career that the co-star equalled him in on screen presence -- Lee Marvin in Liberty Valence not quite doing it for me. In bluray the painstaking lighting and cinematography is just splendid, soundtrack is great though monophonic,the action intense and meaningful, and the comedy deep, plentiful and based on astute observations. Arthur Hunnicuts possibly best performance as Bull the bugle blowing Indian Fighter is a treat at every viewing.

Movie was fine. The delivery stunk. It was sent to eastern PA (I live in west PA) then to D.C. then to NC then finally west PA & I got it 2 days later, about 5 or 6 days later than the latest suggested date.

Bought through Amazon.com at a great price, El Dorado is the only movie to co-star John Wayne and Robert Mitchum and feature a young James Caan. This is the scond version of the same story by Howard Hawks. In the first, Rio Bravo, Wayne was the sheriff, Dean Martin the drunken sidekick and Ricky Nelson the young gunfighter. The third version was Rio Lobo. When Hawks brought up the script Wayne he asked if he got to play the drunk in this one. Nope. Here he is the gunfighter. Regardless of the sameness, there are more than enough twists to El Dorado to make it a humorous, rough and tumble, action-filled ride for Wayne and Mitchum fans and a nice addition to any westerns collection.

In this one, John Wayne is a hired gun, deputized at the last act of the film. Theres a cavalry-trilogy, and a sheriff-trilogy. Rio Bravo(59); El Dorado(66); and Rio Lobo(70) are Howard Hawks latter. John Waynes character is---pretty much---the same, as are the drunk [sheriff this time] and singing sidekick nicknamed after a state. In both movies, The Duke helps an old, drunken deputy/sheriff friend, and an older comic-relief, deputy, sidekick, keep a bad guy in jail. Drunken sheriff: Robert Mitchum (El Dorado) has a slight edge over Dean Martins (Rio Bravo). Sidekick: James Caans Mississippi (in El Dorado) is more likable than the Ricky Nelson (Rio Bravo) Colorado. Crusty OLD deputy: Walter Brennan (Rio Bravo) towers over---though good---Arthur Hunnicutt (El Dorado). Ladyfriend: Angie Dickinson (Rio Bravo) wins over whatever the other actresss name was in the other flick. Prisoner: Ed Asner over Claude Aikens... but just because Ed plays it like Mister Grant on THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW. Get em all: RIO BRAVO; EL DORADO; and RIO LOBO. All widescreen, but the last two are 5.1 Surround Sound to boot!

El Dorado is my favorite John Wayne movie — and my favorite Western for that matter. People usually rank Rio Bravo higher but I disagree. The Duke is always solid and although they cant sing, Robert Mitchum & James Caan are both better actors than Dean Martin & Ricky Nelson. And even though Walter Brennan was a great actor, Arthur Honeycutt is more believable, not so over-the-top, and just as funny. Also Charlene Holt is a hands-down better actress than Angie Dickinson and imho much more attractive. Plus, Michele Carey is solid and adds even more to the scenery. Regarding the script, I think El Dorado takes the prize across the board. Its tight and always moving the story forward. Plus, its chock-full of wit and laugh-out-loud humor. Finally, I think El Dorado contains the greatest John Wayne line in history: Im looking at a tin star with a drunk pinned on it. The way hes standing, the look on his face, and everything about his voice and delivery is 100% pure John Wayne.

Really enjoy the movie.

every once and a while me and my father will buy a classic western no matter how cheesy or weird it may look, today he came home with this movie El Dorado, at first i was expecting not too much due to how many westerns that were made, though i should have thought better whenever i saw that it starred two great film actors John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. i may be young but i know good actors when i watch them on screen these two played beautifully off each other and so did another great actor James Caan all the characters were played to perfection, even though anyone can play an alcoholic sheriff with a broken-heart Mitchum really made the role shine, of course John Wayne did wonderful as The Hired Gun, but my favorite role was that of Mississipi played by James Caan, in my opinion he did an astonishing job in this role and the scenes with him and Wayne were glorious. in a lil side note the action scenes were done really well and there was also a slight editing issue during one of the scenes Im sure youll notice(but you must take into consideration the time when the movie was made) thank you and you really must see this movie that could never be done today due to the fight between stars in leading roles.

As with every John Wayne movie you get nothing but first class entertainment. It doesnt matter if El Dorado is a remake of Rio Bravo; it was marvelous watching the early acting efforts of James Caan and Michele Carey. The Blu Ray played excellently. No problems at all. Also considering the age of the film; you couldnt ask for a better picture.

It a great show all star cast what more can i say

Legendary gunslinger Cole Thornton (John Wayne) is back in the town of El Dorado, called in by shady rancher Bart Jason (Ed Asner) to settle a few things with the McDonald family. Thornton’s old friend, sheriff J.P. Harrah (Robert Mitchum) stops to pay his old buddy a visit, informing him that the whole arrangement isn’t kosher, and that it would inevitably pit them against each other. Wisely, Thornton passes the job, but still manages to receive a crippling, wounded by a headstrong member of the McDonald family (played the beautiful Michele Carey) in the process. Some months later, Thornton meets up with a young greenhorn called Mississippi (James Caan) who is out to settle a debt with a scar-faced scoundrel by the name of McLeod. Smoothing things out as best he can before the shit really hits the fan, Thornton learns that McLeod has filled the post he himself left behind. Worse still, our aging hero discovers that his old pal Harrah has since become an inveterate alcoholic, and that he would be no match against McLeod and his men. And so, Thornton and Mississippi head back to El Dorado to sober Harrah up (leading to one of the funniest moments in film) and to take on the bad guys. Arthur Hunnicutt turns in a memorable performance as Harrah’s ornery horn-tooting deputy Bull and Charlene Holt is on hand as the platonic love interest for both of the old cowboys. Say hello to a brilliant breakout performance by young James Caan as Alan Bourdillion “Mississippi” Traherne, and the great Christopher George as the sinister McLeod. The new High-Def 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation has never looked better, with very little debris to distract the viewer whatsoever and a color schematic that is well-balanced. As I watch Wayne, Mitchum, Caan, and Hunnicutt now sneaking down the dark city streets, I can’t help but say to myself, “Yes, this is good. Damn good.”