Red River

[mrsl]

I couldn't resist watching the 1988 made for TV version of Red River with James Arness as Dunston, Bruce Boxlietner as Matthew, and Gregory Harrison as Cherry. Arness would never be a John Wayne, but he didn't do too badly. The rest of it was okay, but again, with something like Red River, I just don't see why anyone bothers. One fun thing however, was, I caught a 'credit' page announcing guest stars: John Lupton (Broken Arrow), Robert Horton (Wagon Train), and Ty Hardin (Bronco Layne). I thought they would be hard to recognize 30 years after their shows were on, but no problem at all, they stood out like little lighthouses over a dark sea.

Anne

[charliechaplinfan]

Occasionally there comes along a western that I love and Red River is one of them, so it must be a classic I can't imagine John Wayne and Montgomery Clift being replaced. Indeed why do they bother re making perfection?

Sometimes there are good reasons to remake a film because technology today can capture more of the realism. Titanic is a good example, although I'm not a fan of the love story, once the ship starts to sink it really brings the tragedy to life.

[stuart.uk]

I thought Bruce Boxlietner was better as Matt than James Arness as Dunsen. I noticed the hired hands called Boxliener Mr. Garth, rather than the informal Matt that Monty Clift got. Also Matt kills Cherry in a gun fight and though in the original it's used as a red herring, the two end up as friends

Arness and Boxliener teamed up for one of the last Gunsmoke movies, of which JA was terrific.

Anne- I was just thinking of the film Maverick and all the guest stars in that. Denver Pyle (The Dukes Of Hazzard), Henry Darrow (The High Chapperal), Doug McGlure (The Virginian) and Robert Fuller (Laramie and Wagon Train).

[MikeBSG]

I think that the original script for "Red River" had Garth kill Cherry Valance. Hawks changed that during filming, supposedly to punish John Ireland, who played Cherry Valance.