- 3 Godfathers
Infobox_Film
name = 3 Godfathers
imdb_id = 0040064
producer =Merian C. Cooper
director =John Ford
writer =Peter B. Kyne (story)Frank S. Nugent Laurence Stallings (screenwriter)
starring =John Wayne Harry Carey Jr. Pedro Armendáriz
music =Richard Hageman
cinematography =Winton Hoch
editing =Jack Murray
distributor = MGM
released =December 1 ,1948
runtime = 106 min.
language = English"3 Godfathers" is a 1948 western film directed by
John Ford . The screenplay, written byFrank S. Nugent andLaurence Stallings , is based on the novelette of the same name written by Peter Kyne. Ford had already adapted the film once before in 1919 as "Marked Men." The original silent adaptation by Ford is thought to be lost today.Plot
Robert Hightower (
John Wayne ), Pedro 'Pete' Fuerte (Pedro Armendáriz ), and William Kearney (Harry Carey Jr. ) rob a bank in Arizona and flee from the posse of Sheriff Buck Sweet (Ward Bond ). They eventually lose their horses and end up walking in the desert. They come across a woman (Mildred Natwick ) left in a stuck covered wagon and about to give birth. With the help of the trio, she has a boy, naming him Robert William Pedro. Before dying, she extracts a promise from the baby's three godfathers that they will take care of him.With William wounded from the robbery, they leave with the baby for the town of New Jerusalem. Eventually, William dies. Then, Pete falls and breaks his leg. Robert leaves him his pistol, for "protection from coyotes." As he walks away, he hears a single gunshot.
The film concludes on
Christmas Eve . Robert nearly loses hope, but in his delirium, the ghosts of his two friends appear and refuse to let him give up. He finally reaches New Jerusalem and enters a cantina where people are singingChristmas carol s, and then collapses. Buck arrests Robert, but because of his heroism and refusal to give up custody of the child, the robber is sentenced to the minimum sentence of a year and a day and is given a cordial farewell by the entire town as he leaves to serve his sentence.Points of interest
This film was dedicated to John Ford's friend and early star,
Harry Carey , whose son Harry Carey Jr. played one of the title roles."
Tokyo Godfathers " is partly based on this movie.Cast
External links
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
