The John Wayne & Howard Hawks Western That’s “No Story, Just Characters”

While his name isn’t floated around as frequently as contemporaries like John Ford or John Huston, the great director Howard Hawks certainly deserves to be heralded as one of the finest filmmakers in cinematic history. Hawks almost single-handedly created the template for the modern romantic comedy with his classic films His Girl Friday and Bringing Up Baby, and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Director for his work on the classic biopic Sergeant York. While he was a versatile storyteller who often played within many genres, Hawks was able to create a unique style of Westerns that emphasized character development and thematic depth over traditionally satisfying narratives. When pitching his latest Western to his skeptical star, Hawks described his new filmEl Dorado as “no story, just characters.”

El Dorado (1967)

Cole Thornton, a gunfighter for hire, joins forces with old friend, Sheriff J.P. Hara. Together with an old Indian fighter and a gambler, they help a rancher and his family fight a rival rancher who’s trying to steal their water.

Release Date

June 7, 1967

Director

Howard Hawks

Cast

John Wayne , Robert Mitchum , James Caan , Charlene Holt , Paul Fix , Arthur Hunnicutt , Michele Carey

Runtime

126 Minutes

Main Genre

Western

Writers

Leigh Brackett

Budget

$4.6 Million

Studio(s)

Laurel Productons

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures

What Is Howard Hawks’ Western ‘El Dorado’ About?

While he was best known for his collaborations with Ford, John Wayne developed a strong working relationship with Hawks on a series of classic Westerns. Unlike Ford, who often cast Wayne as a heroic figure, Hawks was willing to let “the Duke” play more morally ambiguous characters in subversive films. Hawks allowed Wayne to play a dogmatic antagonist in the classic Western Red River, but the origins of El Dorado lie in their subsequent film Rio Bravo. Produced as part of a rivalry with the Fred Zimmeman Western High Noon, Rio Bravo was essentially a “hangout” movie about Western gunslingers protecting a dangerous criminal as enemy forces arrive.

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Though it was not a direct sequel or remake, El Dorado featured a very similar “hangout” approach to the Western genre as Rio Bravo had. Set in a small town dominated by the wealthy landowner Bart Jason (Ed Asner), the film focuses on the friendship between the well-meaning Sheriff J.P. Harrah (Robert Mitchum) and the charismatic gunslinger Cole Thornton (Wayne). Harrah reveals to his old ally that, despite his prominence within El Dorado’s community, Jason has malicious intentions; he wants to steal the ranch and property of the honest farmer Kevin MacDonald (R. G. Armstrong), who lives with his wife Josephine (Michele Carey) and two sons Luke (Johnny Crawford) and Matt (Adam Roarke). The innocent family is helpless to defend themselves, giving Cole and Harrah the opportunity to step in and lay down the law.

While there are certainly a few memorable gunfights, El Dorado is a Western that focuses on the mundanity of heroism. Most of Harrah and Cole’s responsibilities revolve around settling disputes and using their reputations to squash feuds before they emerge. This shows how “civilizing” a potentially dangerous situation is often more challenging than coming in with guns blazing. El Dorado contains an important message about the corrupt nature of greed and the fragility of communities dominated by one powerful figure, but still contains a lot of great humor. Screenwriter Leigh Brackett, who also penned Rio Bravo and The Big Sleep, added a great deal of comedic banter between the characters that perfectly fit within Hawks’ style of filmmaking.

‘El Dorado’ Is a Great « Hangout » Movie

Although much of the film’s success can be traced back to the script, the characters in El Dorado feel so memorable thanks to the lively performances by the cast. Even though Wayne has appeared in a number of Westerns, Cole is a character different from the rest. He begins the story as a wannabe gun-for-hire, and only begins to accept his own heroism as he is caught between the conflict between MacDonald and Jason. The film was released at the tail end of Wayne’s career, and impressively, he accepts that he is playing an aging character. It is indicated through his performance that Cole has come to accept the burden that his career has put on him, and that he will be forced to live with the consequences of his actions. It’s a nuanced performance that allows Wayne to get uncharacteristically intimate.

Robert Mitchum was a critical favorite for his roles in noirs, but he proved himself as a Western pro with his charismatic performance in El Dorado. While playing a character of immense integrity could have easily slipped into cliché, Mitchum added idiosyncrasies to Harrah that made him more interesting. A running joke about him constantly being drunk, for example, allowed Mitchum to add a lot of physical comedy to the film. Given that Hawks wasn’t interested in the story, the film spends a lot of time just letting Wayne and Mitchum banter with each other. Watching these two legendary performers trade stories, insight, and even insults with each other is part of the reason why El Dorado is so rewatchable.

While it certainly allowed Wayne and Mitchum the chance to do something new with their careers, El Dorado also featured a breakout performance from a young James Caan. The future Thief and The Godfather star appears as an energetic gunslinger known as Mississippi, whose supreme confidence catches both Cole and Harrah by surprise. Although they’re initially skeptical that their new companion has the experience to back up his arrogance, Mississippi quickly proves to be a valuable member of the team.

John Wayne’s ‘El Dorado’ Marked the End of an Era

The 1950s and ‘60s featured many great films within the genre. Western cinema was also evolving during the time El Dorado was released. The more classical approach to the genre pioneered by Hawks and Ford was beginning to be less relevant, as audiences were enamored by “Spaghetti Westerns” like Django and A Fistful of Dollars. As a result, El Dorado feels like a touching “end of an era” that serves as a tribute to a much different version of the Western landscape.

Given the film’s rather straightforward narrative, El Dorado is a somewhat underrated entry in the Western canon.It might not always be ranked among the greatest Westerns of all-time, but the sharp dialogue and memorable performances have made El Dorado age very well. It’s a welcome alternative for those that prefer more laid-back, comedic Westerns.

El Dorado is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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