Hondo (1953)

Starring: John Wayne and Geraldine Page
Grade: B

Despite being in the middle of a deep conversation with Angie about how he killed someone recently, Hondo hears someone in the willow trees. During this scene, you HAVE to see quickly Hondo draws his gun on Vittorio. Even in the slower scenes, Hondo is given a moment where he reminds everyone that he’s not one to be fucked with.

Summary

Angie Lowe (Page) and her son Johnny (Lee Aaker) are outside their home, and Johnny spots stranger Hondo Lane (Wayne) approaching with his dog Sam. Angie gets her gun ready but hides it under a handkerchief right outside the door. Johnny notes how Hondo doesn’t have a horse, but Angie reminds him that she is to do the talking. Hondo walks up to them, and Angie greets him, saying he looks like he ran into some trouble. He confirms. Apparently, he lost his horse a few days ago after getting away from some Indians. They made dry camp last night above the Llano, but his dog Sam smelled more Apache and let Hondo know, so he started his trek to put some miles between them. Angie wonders why because she thought they were at peace with the Apache since they have a treaty. He agrees but adds that he has to get a new horse now, either borrow or buy one. He can pay in United States script, as he’s riding dispatch for General Crook. With this, they introduce each other. Hondo notes the well she has because he needs some water, and she invites him to have some. After Hondo tells Johnny to watch out for Sam, he asks Angie if she will hire him or sell him a horse. She only has plow horses and two that are half-broken. That hand that was breaking them for her got hurt and had to head into town. Hondo thinks she’s staying there alone and turns towards her, but she explains that her husband is in the hills working some cattle. Just then, Sam growls at Johnny, and Hondo warns Johnny that Sam doesn’t like being petted. Getting back on topic, he asks to see the horses, so Angie points him in the direction of the barn. In the meantime, she will fix him something to eat, which he appreciates. He walks towards the barn and stops once he sees Angie stare at him. They look at each other awkwardly, and Angie runs off. Later, Hondo is inside eating what Angie made, and Sam stares from the doorway. Angie apologizes on her husband’s behalf for choosing that day to go hunting for some lost calves, as he would appreciate having another guy to talk to. Hondo assumes it’s lonely out there for a woman, but she’s cool with it because she was raised there.

She asks what she can feed Sam, but Hondo doesn’t want her to feed him anything because he makes out for himself and can outrun any rabbit in the territory. Angie sees that Hondo doesn’t want Sam to get in the habit of taking food from someone else, so she gives Hondo the plate to give to him. Strangely enough, Hondo says he doesn’t feed him either. Apparently, Sam is independent and doesn’t need anybody. He wants him to stay that way. He compliments her cooking and walks outside. Johnny feeds the goats and goes over to check on Hondo who is working with the horse. The horse gets stuck, so Hondo pulls the horse to the ground. Johnny asks why he didn’t get on him when he was stuck, but Hondo explains how he didn’t want the horse sitting on him from a standing start. He gets on the horse, and it starts jumping around like crazy. Hondo holds on but just barely. Eventually, he holds onto a post to get off the horse, and he crosses back over the fence. Angie points out how he chose the most savage horse they have, as it’s always been a fighter. Hondo can see that, but he doesn’t want a horse that wouldn’t fight either because it lets you down when the going gets tough. He grabs the axe Angie was holding and notes how dull it is. Angie admits she can do almost everything on a ranch but still can’t put an edge on an axe. So, Hondo asks where the grindstone is. She leads him over to it and turns it while Hondo sharpens the axe. They discuss how long the ranch has been there, how she was raised there, her husband was also raised there, and how her husband was an orphan. Apparently, his parents were killed in a wagon train massacre, so her father took him in. Hondo notes the luck considering how there was one guy in 1,000 square miles and a girl in 1,000 square miles, and they fell for each other. Angie agrees it was quite the coincidence, but she hangs onto the thought that the two right people are to meet by an arrangement of destiny. Hondo asks Angie if she truly believes that, and she concurs. He walks by her after simply responding, “Interesting”. Sometime after, Hondo is cutting wood with the axe and tells Johnny to always sink the blade in a log, so it keeps the edge clean.

Hondo then decides it’s time to stop stalling and prepares himself to go over to the horse again. Johnny asks if he can play with Sam, but Hondo reminds him that he’s already said twice not to. However, he gives Johnny the decision to do what he wants to do. Johnny reaches over to Sam and is bit. Angie runs over to complain to Hondo about how he knew Sam was going to bite, but Hondo chalks it up as a lesson learned for the kid. Angie tells Johnny to never touch Sam again and sends him in to take his nap. At the same time, Hondo is riding the horse again and is able to calm it down this time around. Later, he puts horseshoes on the horse and tells Angie he will get the plow horses next while he’s at it. Angie brings up her husband taking longer than expected with the stray calves and doesn’t think he will be back until late tonight or even tomorrow after Hondo is gone. She says he will be sorry missing out on one of their few occasional visitors. Hondo responds by calling her a liar. He points out how the horses haven’t been shod in a couple of months, the cinch on the axe hasn’t had an edge on it in the same amount of time, and her five-pound tea can is empty. With this, Hondo can tell Angie’s husband has been gone a long time. He questions why she lied and assumes it’s because she didn’t think she’d be safe with Hondo there and her husband away. Angie admits that’s partly it, prompting Hondo to comment that every woman thinks every man wants them. She storms off, and Hondo goes back to shodding the horses. Sometime after, Angie finds Hondo working again and admits her husband’s return is overdue and how he should have been back for a long time now. Hondo asks if she thinks the Apache killed him, but she refuses to consider this, as there are hundreds of possible explanations. Still, Hondo notes that Indians are one of them. When Angie brings up how they are at peace with the Apache again, Hondo tells her that she should pack up, bring johnny, and come with him because there is trouble brewing in the Apache lodges. He says that their main chief Vittorio (Michael Pate) called a war council.

A full report of it is in the dispatch Hondo is carrying. Angie still says they have gotten along splendidly with the Apache. They usually drink and bring their horses to their spring on their way north to the buffalo hunt. Though she’s never seen Vittorio, she’s seen plenty of Apache.

Hondo however has seen Vittorio before the treaty, and his horse had 40 scalps hung in its mane. Angie still points out how this was before the treaty, but Hondo counters with how the whites broke the treaty. There are no words in the Apache language for “lie”, and they’ve been lied to. Hondo tells her that if they rise, there won’t be a white left in the territory. Angie is still sure they won’t bother her because they get along very well. Hondo relates this to a story about a married couple he knew that were together for 20 years until the wife shot her husband out of nowhere one day. It’s because she got mad, just like how the Apache are mad. Despite hearing all of this, Angie is sure she has nothing to worry about. As Hondo sizes up the horseshoes, he pushes Sam away, so Angie asks about Hondo’s relationship with him. Hondo explains how it’s not really his dog and that Sam really just stays with him. Plus, he can smell an Indian from a half a mile. Angie doesn’t believe Sam can really do so, but Hondo details the process. You get a puppy, you hire a tame Indian, and you cut a willow switch. Then, you get the Indian to beat the puppy with a willow switch 4 or 5 times a day. When the dog grows up, he will always signal when he smells an Indian. Angie can’t believe how cruel this is, but Hondo assures her that’s how they do it. Hondo then adds that Indians can smell white people. In fact, he’s part Indian and can smell Angie when he’s “downwind” of her. She doesn’t think it’s possible, but he gets close and can tell she made fresh bread, she cooked with salt pork, he can smell the soap on her, so he knows she bathed, and on top of all that, he notes how she smells like a woman. He tells her that he can find her in the dark, and he’s only part Indian. Flustered, she leaves. That night, the wind is heavy. Hondo walks over and knocks on the front door, letting Angie know he watered and grained the stock. After she thanks him, he goes to find an area to sleep, but Angie opens the door to stop him. She knows he can’t sleep outside with the storm coming, so she fixed a pallet out in the corner of the living room for him. Hondo walks in and Angie has to point out to the spot on the floor she laid out for him, directing him away from her bedroom.

Hondo takes out his gun and holds it in his hand with his finger on the trigger to go to sleep. She looks at his holster for a moment where his name “Hondo Lane” is embroidered with a first prize award is above it. She drops it in shock, and Hondo gets up in a panic with his gun in hand hearing the noise. Angie points a gun at him from across the room and tells him to put his down, outing him as “Hondo Lane, the gunman”. She heard about how he killed three men in a gunfight last year. He concurs and adds that it was as quick as he could make it. He walks towards her, and she pulls the trigger. However, the gun isn’t loaded. Hondo grabs it from her and notes the empty chamber under the firing pin. Angie admits she keeps it that way because of Johnny, but Hondo loads it for her and gives her the advice of keeping it that way and aiming it high. He goes to leave, but Angie apologizes and pleads with him to stay, acknowledging that he’s a gentleman. He accepts this and lays back down. The next morning, Hondo readies the horse to go, as he’s getting an early start. Angie considers waking up Johnny to say goodbye to him, but Hondo tells her to let him sleep. She says that Johnny loves the whistle he made for him, though she says it’s more like a flute than a whistle because it ranges almost the full scale. Hondo says that he learned to make them when he was living with the Mezcalero. His squaw used to make them for every kid in the lodge, as he lived with the Apache for 5 years. This shocks Angie because he was married, but he passes it off as no big deal. He changes the subject by saying he snatched some rope from her place and offers to pay for it, but Angie lets him have it. She moves the subject back to his living with the Apache, a time he enjoyed. She asks about Hondo’s Indian wife, but he reveals she’s dead. Her name was “Destarte”, which technically means “Morning”, but he says it means more than that. Indian words mean the sound and feel of a word. He goes on about all the sensory things he remembers about her and how it relates to the language, resulting in memories flooding back. Hondo says Angie reminds him of her, though Destarte had gleaming black hair compared to Angie’s blonde hair.

She asks if Hondo loved her, but he’s not sure. Nevertheless, he admits he needed her. Angie presses on and wonders why she reminds Hondo of Destarte. He knows they don’t look alike, but there’s something inside her that he can trust. Destarte had that, and Angie has it too. He pulls Angie close and they kiss, but she stops to remind Hondo that she’s a married woman. Hondo thought about that too and guesses that he kissed her because she reminded him about Destarte, or maybe because he hates to think of her hair hanging from the center pole of an Apache wickiup.

He concludes by saying that he made a rule a long time ago. He lets people do what they want to do. He gets on his horse and calls Sam over. Before Hondo leaves, Angie calls him a strange man, but he just says he’s not sure about that before riding off with Sam following alongside him. Sometime later, Angie is outside getting water from the well and Vittorio arrives with a horde of Apache. After correctly guessing who Vittorio is, she reminds him how his horses have been watered on her ranch previously, but he doesn’t want to hear it. He reminds her that she was told to go, but Angie says she couldn’t leave. After mentioning her husband not being there, she backtracks and brings up how his people water their horses there. Vittorio says something to his righthand man Silva (Rodolfo Acosta), and he tries grabbing Angie until Johnny interrupts and demands they leave Angie alone. He points a gun in their direction. Silva walks towards Johnny, so Johnny shoots at him. They both fall, with Johnny falling from the recoil of the gun. All the Apache laugh at Silva, who gets up pissed off and goes towards Johnny again. Johnny throws the gun at Silva who ducks. They wrestle for a bit, with Silva trying to stab Johnny but Johnny biting his hand. Angie pleads for Vittorio to stop Silva, so he does. Silva drags Johnny over or to them, and Vittorio pushes Silva away and grabs Johnny. Johnny makes it known he doesn’t fear him or the Apache. Vittorio notes how Johnny fears for his mother being hurt but not hurt for himself. He respects it because Johnny is brave like an Apache boy. With this, he cuts Johnny’s thumb and presses his own against his, declaring Johnny as a new blood brother. Vittorio tells Angie that he will call Johnny “Small Warrior”, how he belongs to the Moon Dog Lodge, Chiricahua Apache. He tells Angie to take good care of him because she is now the mother to a Chiricahua warrior. With this, he will allow them to live safely there.

Angie responds by saying she hopes someday someone befriends his sons. Unfortunately, Vittorio tells her that his sons are dead because the white man killed them.

Following a montage of Apache putting on war paint, Union soldiers riding, and the Apache going into battle, Hondo arrives at the fort and Buffalo Baker (Ward Bond) is surprised to see him because he assumes Hondo’s scalp would be hanging in some Apache wickiup by now. He lost some bets over it. Still, he helps hitch Hondo’s horse, so Hondo can get some water. After he splashes his face with water and Dick greets him, Hondo and Buffalo go to a special tent where someone (Leo Gordon) is arguing with the assistant because he wants to talk to Major Sherry (Paul Fix), not underlings. The assistant says Sherry is asleep and hasn’t slept for 3 days, so he can tell the citizen the same information Sherry can. They haven’t heard anything from up north. The citizen suggests the U.S. Cavalry is scared of Vittorio. Just then, Sherry shows up just as he says this and wants the citizen to finish what he was saying. Uncaring, the citizen goes on about how the cavalry is supposed to support the settlers. He has some cattle up north and he doesn’t intend on losing them. Sherry interrupts to say that C Troop is making a sweep to the north to escort out any settlers they find. On top of that, C Troop is over a week late in returning. That’s all he can tell the citizen, prompting Hondo to interrupt to say C Troop isn’t coming back, giving him a tattered flag as evidence. A saddened Sherry politely asks the citizen to go, but he wants to talk shit until they all yell at him to leave. The citizen tries to storm out, but Sam is in the way. Sam starts barking and Hondo grabs his gun when he sees this, telling the citizen to walk around Sam. At first, he refuses to go out his way for a dog, and Hondo responds by saying a man ought to do what he thinks is best. Seeing how Hondo is unflinching while holding his gun, he ends up walking around Sam anyway to leave. Hondo then goes over and has Sam get out of the way of the exit. Sherry asks Hondo where he got the flag from, and he tells Sherry it was from a half a day’s ride south of Twin Buttes. This is where he took it off a couple of Apache from the Running Dog Lodge of the Mezcaleros. With this in mind, Sherry realizes that all the Apache lodges seem to be involved. Bringing up again how he was south, he wonders if any settlers get in from the North Basin. There were a few the last couple of weeks. However, they were mostly middle aged or elderly people. No one resembled Angie or Johnny. Sherry tells Hondo to get some sleep and lets him use his tent.

Buffalo lets Hondo know that he will move Hondo’s stuff to his tent while he’s sleeping. Standing outside the tent, Buffalo notes that Pete Britton was scouting with C Troop, and he wintered with him before on the divide. He asks if the pennant he got were from dead Indians and Hondo confirms (“Finally”). Buffalo appreciates the answer and closes up the tent.

Later, Hondo walks into the saloon, greets Pete (Rayford Barnes), drinks his drink, and tries to pull him away from the card table momentarily to tell him something. The citizen from earlier refuses Hondo’s intrusion on the game because he’s out $100. He grabs Hondo by the shirt, so Hondo punches him over another table and he punches Buffalo for no reason. From the ground, the citizen pulls out his gun, so Buffalo draws first and tells him to put it away. Hondo goes over and kicks the gun out of the citizen’s hand, picks him up, punches him, and breaks a chair over him. Watching this, Buffalo says there’s no wonder why the Apache call Hondo “Emberato” because it means “bad temper”. After Hondo kicks the citizen out of the building, Buffalo jokes that he should have let him shoot Hondo. Hondo mentions how it’s the second time he has had to tangle with that guy, so he asks Buffalo what his name is. It’s Ed Lowe, prompting Hondo to make the connection. Ed is Angie’s husband! Back at the ranch, Angie calls for Johnny who shows up on a horse led by Vittorio. Johnny excitedly tells her how Vittorio said he will make a good Apache. Angie didn’t even know Johnny was with them because she didn’t hear anything, so Vittorio tells her that the Apache don’t make noises. Johnny shows Angie his lodge token given to him by Vittorio. Vittorio tells Angie that Johnny will ride well, and he’s not afraid. He then sends Johnny into the house, so he can speak with Angie privately. He says her place needs a man. Angie reminds him that her husband will be home any day now, but Vittorio thinks he’s dead. He says Small Warrior should have a father before riding off angrily. At the fort, Ed brings over the sergeant to snitch on Hondo for stealing his horse. Hondo admits the horse is Ed’s because he got it from his ranch. He gets on the horse and says he’s taking it back, and that’s where Ed can get it. The sergeant mentions that the ranch is in Indian territory and there are strict orders to not let any whites inside. Hondo acts like he can’t hear him on account of a bad ear and rides out on Ed’s horse, along with another roped alongside it.

Sam follows too. Ed asks the sergeant if he’s going to put charges on him, but the sergeant knows Hondo isn’t a horse thief, even if he is a son of a bitch. The sergeant refuses to call Hondo a horse thief to his face or back. Once he leaves, Ed and his cohort storm off in the opposite direction. At the ranch, the Apache show up hollering. Angie goes out and jokes that she thought they were silent. However, this isn’t the case when they seek squaw, according to Vittorio. He tells Angie to pick someone out of his group. It’s not good for Small Warrior to grow up without a father teaching him how to be a man. Vittorio brings up Emiliano first. He says he’s very brave, has taken many scalps, has 6 horses, and 2 squaws already, though one is old and will die soon. As he states this, Emiliano rides by on a horse and snatches a chicken from the ground. He’s also a good hunter and is never hungry. Next, Vittorio introduces Kloori (Chuck Roberson), who’s horse falls down while he rides it. He has 10 horses and 1 squaw. Once Vittorio introduces brave singer Sachito, Angie goes back to her house. Vittorio follows and tells Johnny to stand by his horse, and he complies without question. Angie tells Vittorio again that she is married, but he is sure her husband is dead. Even so, he gives her an ultimatum. The rain will come soon. If her husband doesn’t come back by the first rainfall, she is to wed an Apache.

Hondo is headed in her direction, but Angie’s misguided husband is still fixated on getting revenge on Hondo. With time being of the essence, Angie doesn’t realize how much is riding on Hondo’s shoulders. Actually, neither does he.

My Thoughts:

A favorite amongst John Wayne purists, Hondo is yet another badass western from the acting legend’s prolific filmography. Though it doesn’t have as much substance or as strong of a supporting cast as his other endeavors in the genre, it’s a good action movie complimented by a cool main character, humor, a positive representation of core values from the time period, a score fitting of the events as they unfold, and some great location shooting.

As it is with most John Wayne pictures, the biggest highlight is the movie icon as the main character, Hondo Lane. Minutes into the opening, Hondo enters the picture and Wayne just totally owns the scene, walking the desert with his dog and no horse in sight. He’s a stranger to these people and his weapon is visible, but the viewer can sense he’s a hero. Obviously, it’s John Wayne, so we know he’s not playing a villain or anything, but if someone didn’t know who the actor was, they could still sense the aura of Hondo. There’s a presence to the character that is tough but positive. Though the film itself can be picked apart, the protagonist shouldn’t be because Hondo cannot be fucked with. He’s a man’s man whose conservative values make him an uncompromising, hardened realist that finds himself in the middle of the harsh truth of what’s going on in the west with the whites and the Apache and how he has a better perspective than anyone on the matter because he’s part Indian himself. In-between trips of riding dispatch for the U.S. Army Calvary and evading the attacking Apache, Hondo finds himself at the Lowe residence by chance, as it was the nearest home settlement he could find to regroup. Since Angie helps him with a meal and a temporary place to stay before giving him a horse to ride out on, he helps around the farm once she reveals her husband has been gone for an indeterminate amount of time. It’s the least he could do, and he doesn’t mind helping. However, in letting him stay, you’re getting unapologetically Hondo for all he is worth. He doesn’t change who he is or what he represents. Along with this, he’s right more often than not, making himself at home while spouting his ideals and philosophies on life in the west. Knowing Wayne the person, there is a noted conservative mindset in a lot of the character, but it’s still quite funny because it’s about as “John Wayne” as you’d expect the role to be. In a scene that will live in infamy, Hondo fully owns the 50s dad mindset and launches Angie’s son Johnny into the river once he finds out the kid can’t swim. That’s how he learned, so he figures it’s the best way to teach Johnny. Despite Angie freaking out on Hondo, his method of tough-minded teaching works.

He’s a strong father figure without having to say it, and Johnny takes a liking to Hondo because of how confident he is in his points.

Hondo doesn’t have a “my way or the highway” attitude about things either, but he does influence both Angie and Johnny when they are in need of some help and guidance. Because of his experience and noted assuredness with the way he carries himself, it’s hard not to follow Hondo’s lead. In fact, he practically dares them not to. An important trait of Hondo is his repeated point of ultimately leaving the decision up to who he is dealing with. He will speak his mind on the matter and will go about things the way he sees fit, but he will allow people to do what they want to do. He does it with Angie by warning her to get out of the area because the Apache are looking to make waves since the whites broke their peace treaty, but she turns him down on account of her husband Ed and trusting that her goodwill with the Apache previously should make things okay. Hondo could argue with her and force his help onto her, but he knows his place and accepts her decision regardless of him knowing what could happen. He does it with Johnny too by telling him not to pet Sam because he knows the dog won’t react to it well. Reminding Johnny of his warning, Hondo lets Johnny go through with it anyway because again, people are going to do what they want to do. Once Johnny is bitten seconds after, Hondo shrugs it off to Angie, letting her know it’s a lesson well learned. It’s the 50s dad mindset and very John Wayne. Some may not like it in a modern context, but it’s very entertaining and strengthens the Hondo character’s legend. It’s used to explain how this gunman lives his life. Being by himself, he can’t worry about other’s decisions, even if it may end badly for them. He’s a good enough person to let them know what he thinks when he can offer a word of advice, but that’s as far as Hondo will go, fitting the somewhat nomadic lifestyle of the character. He even acts that way with his dog Sam. To further sell the mindset of Hondo to the viewer, he has this strange friendship with Sam. He doesn’t consider himself Sam’s owner, despite Sam following him everywhere like a pet and aiding him on his quests. He doesn’t feed Sam, which forces the dog to stay independent and find his own food.

It’s how Hondo likes it and he stresses to Angie that he wants it stay that way, making sure she doesn’t feed Sam either. Again, in a modern context, people would balk at a character trait like this, but it works for this old school western. For some reason, it totally fits with how Hondo presents himself and it actually does make a great deal of sense with how he explains it.

The same can be said for how he trained the dog to sniff out Indians from long distances. It’s the way Hondo lives, and it works for him, so who is Angie or anyone else for that matter to tell him any different? If they don’t like it, that’s fine. People will still do what they want to do, but Hondo is going to do just the same. Even so, the short time he spent on that farm does mean something to him, and it goes without saying that he started to feel the chemistry brewing with Angie. Mentioning his deceased squaw in her presence and how they are similar, he can’t help but tease the thought of being with Angie. Nevertheless, she’s married, so he tips his hat and goes back to work. Initially, Hondo goes right back into his routine at the fort, but Angie and Johnny are still on his mind, which is why he asks if anyone resembling the two were taken out of the territory by the Calvary in hopes they made it to safety to avoid the Apache. Only when he realizes they are still at home does Hondo change his routine for seemingly the first time. It’s because the connection he had with Angie in that short period of time was very real. Even if nothing can happen between them, Hondo’s heroic heart forces him to go back to protect them from danger. He’s only given more of a reason after meeting Angie’s prick of a husband in person. It’s not that he’s out there cheating or anything, but Ed is taking his sweet time in coming back. In just a few scenes, it’s obvious Ed isn’t as focused on coming home as he should be for a husband and father and is perfectly willing to wait longer, despite it not being a secret that the Apache could attack his home. That doesn’t sit right with Hondo. He knows Johnny needs a father in his life to teach him, and Angie needs someone to help her on the farm. Once he sees Ed gambling and starting fights at the blink of an eye, Hondo is practically disgusted, especially knowing how good the rest of Ed’s family is. It’s why he’s so shocked once he finds out Ed’s last name in a great moment at the saloon. Following this, Hondo makes the decision on his volition to go back to check on Angie and Johnny while riding the horse he got from Ed’s farm.

After he opens the movie stone-facing most of his lines to an almost comical degree, Wayne settles into the character as time moves on. Once he does, he shows the dimensions of Hondo Lane and portrays it well in being a romantic, a fighter, a leader, and even a pseudo father (“The other night, after you went to sleep, he crawled into my bunk and put his arms around my neck. Made me feel kinda funny, like he was depending on me. All the things I’d rather do than this”). Plus, his badassery knows no bounds. Though he may play coy, Hondo rides in, fucks the girl, kills her husband, takes the man’s family from him, and kills more Apache than we can count. This is an oversimplification of the events that unfold, but it’s not far off from the truth. We just kind of accept it because that’s Hondo. Still, he’s not the only person who finds themselves entrenched in the lives of the Lowe family, as Apache leader Vittorio also acts a pseudo father to Johnny while he deals with his duties as Chief. Despite this potential war about to happen, he sees Johnny fatherless and refuses to accept this, especially after seeing how tough the kid is when he tries to shoot Silva, with child actor Lee Aaker doing a wonderful job in his performance. Vittorio respects the kid too much for him to have no guidance and adds to the tension by giving Angie a timeline of producing her husband soon before she is forced to wed someone in their tribe. It’s a unique problem for the characters to have. Admittedly, it doesn’t provide much other than some humor, but it does give the viewer a lot of insight into Vittorio. Even after Angie lies and says that the wounded Hondo is her husband to save him from the Apache, Vittorio departs by telling her to teach Johnny well “or die”. He’s so blunt in his delivery that it’s funny. Instead of just being the cliché Native American antagonist for Hondo to take out, he shows a lot of traits of a respected leader and warrior. The baffling decision regarding the supporting character doesn’t come until the third act. After dedicating all this time to develop the character and how he relates to the situation, standing as the figure between the U.S. Cavalry who wants to take him out and Hondo, Angie, and Johnny who come to an understanding with him and want to maintain their uneasy friendship with out of respect, they kill Vittorio offscreen to set up the big climax and it’s rather disappointing.

It makes sense for someone bloodthirsty like Silva to be the shit-stirrer who initiates an attack, but Vittorio’s character was too compelling to get thrown to the wayside like that.

First of all, how do you not even show the man’s death onscreen after being treated like the third main character at that point in the narrative? The treatment of his death is more shocking than the death itself. That was just a poor decision. Secondly, how does he not figure into the third act considering how important he is to both sides? Knowing the difference in philosophies and personality that he has with Silva, there could have easily been one scene where we are privy to the power struggle at play between him and Silva over leadership. Depending on how you play it, this moment of drama between the two could result in either Silva killing him, taking control of the tribe, and declaring they are to attack the whites, or it could be an inadvertent moment where Vittorio dies or a sneak attack by the U.S. Cavalry that leads to Vittorio’s death that sets it all up. At the very least, they could have just shown a moment from the Cavalry’s proclaimed attack to show Vittorio’s death. Then again, I would still argue he deserved to live to lead the fight into the climax, even though “Everybody gets dead. It was his turn”. This would add a great deal of emotion in the final fight in the middle of the shootout because Hondo would have to reluctantly take on Vittorio because of the Apache attack on the wagons. In the final minutes of the movie, a somber Hondo could talk about doing what he had to do while taking off his hat in respect, following it up by leading the wagons back on track like how he did in the movie only a tinge sadder. Though his intense battle with Silva during the climax is still one worth noting, it just doesn’t feel as gripping as one with Vittorio may have been since he was so crucial to a chunk of the narrative. Silva is too much of a secondary antagonist with little to no depth, so it’s not as suspenseful of a moment when Hondo faces off with him in the climax. Their one-on-one fight scene earlier following Hondo’s capture was perfect for a character like that. Actually, I would argue that their fight scene trumps the climax in comparison, despite the latter being directed by John Ford as a favor from Wayne.

There are some cool moments like Hondo knocking Silva off the horse with the gun, but it doesn’t feel like the payoff the movie was building to. It’s a grand spectacle that fits the definition of a climax, but there’s something missing in the midst of the shootout.

A lot of it is smoke and mirrors with random people dying, supporting characters shooting guns, and the wagons going into a circle, which somehow helps them for some inexplicable reason. It’s not boring or anything, but it was more confusing and arguably unbelievable. Hondo being stuck on foot in the middle of it was exciting, as was his rematch with Silva. However, we’re just supposed to believe that the Apache won’t fight when their leader is taken out and they just retreat? They had the heroes by the balls! One guy dies, and they call it? Usually, this would never bother me, but I NEED to know if this is historically accurate. If it wasn’t and this was just a decision made from a creative standpoint, it was dumb. Cinematically, it’s cool because it allows for Hondo to take out their leader, but they were outnumbered and outgunned before and after their fight. From a military perspective, the Apache retreating over this didn’t make any sense, irking the hell out of me in the closing moments of the film. Of course, I would have to accept it if it’s confirmed that this was something the Apache actually practiced. In that case, I have no right to complain, though the abrupt end after Hondo’s final speech was still awkward (“Yeah, end of a way of life. It’s too bad. It’s a good way…”). Regardless of this, not enough praise can be given to the first fight scene between an all-alone Hondo against Silva with the entire tribe watching. The climax may have been Hondo’s “hero” moment with his leadership skills on full display, but this grizzly wrestling match Hondo has for survival is the character at his best. It’s the protagonist proving himself as the man he says he is. He wasn’t looking for a fight. In fact, he was actively trying to avoid the Apache because he respects their abilities, knows of Vittorio’s mindset because he was there at the treaty council at Fort Meade, and how serious the Apache are as a result of this moment in time. Following a frenetic chase sequence where he’s stopped from every angle and tackled by a member of the Apache off of his horse, he’s taken as prisoner. Once he’s captured and his back is against the wall, Hondo directs Sam to run away once he hears them speak in their language and faces the music by himself like a fucking man.

It’s in this sequence we are reminded how cool westerns used to be. Right there, the real Hondo Lane comes out. The same gunfighter who killed those three men, who sleeps with a gun across his chest with a finger on the trigger, and won the first prize for the Winchester arms.

Defiant and strong as can be knowing he’s at their mercy, he still talks shit. He lambasts their scalp taking and accuses Silva of getting all of his from squaws, papoose, and dogs and gets kicked for the comment. Refusing to divulge the whereabouts of the “pony soldiers” or why he’s on Apache land, he is given the chance to prove he’s a cougar or a coyote. Essentially, can he back up his shit talking? For a second, it looks like they’re about to crucify him until Vittorio finds the tin with Johnny’s picture that Hondo took from Ed’s body. Since he has immense respect for the kid, but Hondo is still responsible for killing Silva’s brother in the excellent shootout sequence involving the Apache and Ed that was yet another defining moment of the Hondo character, they let him fight. Two knives are placed between Hondo and Silva, and on Vittorio’s word, they have a close quarters knife fight. It’s my favorite sequence of the film, and it’s filled with POV shots taking place of the opponent while they lung for the other and vice versa, the crowd reacting, and the intensity between the two (“Forget your blood right or join your brother!”). This sequence directly following the shootout with the Apache and Ed near the river was a great decision from a pacing standpoint. Plus, it was a special way to show Hondo and Ed’s true colors when it came down to it, a defining character moment for both of them and why the viewer is more likely to accept such a quick turnaround in Angie’s life. With that being said, Angie’s reaction to the news of Ed’s demise could have been a tad more emotional. Even if the endgame is to get her with Hondo, her reacting to this person she started a family with by commenting “Funny, I’m not surprised” is somewhat outrageous. It’s true she could have knew deep in her subconscious and just didn’t want to admit it to herself, but no one comes to terms with it IMMEDIATELY. They don’t ignore this constantly used trope of “instant love” either. It actually leads to a great exchange between the main characters.

Angie: “I love you. I suppose I shouldn’t have said that with my husband dead so short a time.”

Hondo: “I don’t guess people’s hearts got anything to do with a calendar.”

Late in the second act, the audience is introduced to Lt. McKay, and you can tell how the scene is designed for the older crowd, with Hondo and Buffalo Baker smelling the inexperience emanating from him. After Hondo defends Vittorio for letting them stay there and McKay passing Vittorio off as a coward because Vittorio apparently ran from them for 200 miles, Hondo details an Indian story about a hunter chasing a wild cat until he caught it and then it was the other way around. In a relatable conversation still seen in today’s age, the younger McKay fresh out of his graduating class corrects him with some fact-checking, saying the story goes back further and is actually attributed to the first Roman army to enter Tartary. Adding that it was one of Col. Mayes’s favorite stories, as Mayes taught cavalry tactics, and how the story is worldwide, Hondo makes him feel like an asshole by bypassing all of this and asking how long he’s been out of school for. Once it’s established that it’s only been a year, you can tell Hondo and Baker dismiss him with just this being revealed. It’s very amusing, one of the purest examples on the divide between the older and younger generations that we see at every level even today. I’d bet any money this conversation got big laughs in the theater back in the 50s for this reason alone. In addition, it probably made them cheer when the seasoned adults are proven right about their warnings to McKay and have to save the day.

Buffalo and Hondo talking about his ranch in California being similar to Angie’s and Angie asking more about it was a meaningless and directionless scene, but it does lead to the scene after where Hondo punches Lenny for threatening to snitch. Of all the meandering scenes that don’t go anywhere of interest, this scene was a great one in particular and made Lennie a meaningful character in an instant. You can’t help but love Hondo even more after Lennie mentions how he’s known him for 10 years and he’s never said a friendly word to him. Without a moment’s hesitation, Hondo tells him directly “I don’t like you”. Well, that’s Hondo for you. The only grip I have with this scene is Angie finding out the truth by walking over to three men and overhearing Lennie revealing everything. Buffalo is facing Angie’s direction! There’s no way he didn’t see her coming because he was looking in the direction she came from the entire time! Why didn’t he say anything? Another unique attribute of Hondo, especially for the time period, is how Hondo and Angie both agree that they need to keep the truth of Ed’s demise from him (“You and your silly ideals! You think truth is the most important thing?”). You rarely get justification for a lie for the characters on the side of good in a movie, but this is one of those instances that you see their point. Hondo sees the truth as being the measure of a man, but even he has to concede to Angie’s insistence once she lays out the facts. Telling Johnny while he’s only 6 years old that his favorite “Emberato” killed his dad would 100% scar him for life. This is indeed one of those times where you should just probably avoid talking about it. It’s his mother’s idea too, so don’t get mad at us. Knowing Ed only married Angie to get the ranch and then deserted them, they SHOULD lie for Johnny’s benefit. Otherwise, a revenge sequel when the character is aged up would be the only solution. Wait a minute. I may have just thought of an idea for a graphic novel!

Hondo shines as an all-around entertaining western, with awesome action, a decent romantic story, and a main character that shines. Truthfully, the protagonist is better than the movie as a whole. This doesn’t mean that the movie is subpar, but John Wayne has starred in better. Even so, the production is a worthy addition to Wayne’s catalogue.

No matter what the final grade is, this movie will no doubt live on “varlebena”. For those that have seen Hondo, they know this means “forever”.