MovieChat Forums > Rio Conchos (1964) Discussion > Visually Stunning!!!

Visually Stunning!!!

posted 9 years ago by jojomack2006
3 replies | jump to latest

My wife gave me this film on my birthday a year or two ago. It's part of a four movie Western film Blu Ray pack. I've seen it before but started it again today when it came on Encore Westerns channel. My Blu Ray copy beats their presentation every time. Killer picture and sound! Until today I'd never noticed how visually awesome this film is! It was shot all over Utah. Wow! The edge of Monument Valley (you can see "the Mittens" in the distance). Know what I like best about Rio Conchos?? It was shot on American soil. I love John Wayne and his movies but he shot too many films in Mexico. I like American Made. This looks as good as anything I've ever seen. It's definitely up near the top of my music list. Good job. John

[–] Lonixcap 8 years ago

Because it was shot by longtime Fox contract cinematographer Joe McDonald, who shot My Darling Clementine for John Ford. He shot one of the first widescreen westerns, Broken Lance in 1954. McDonald also shot many other films for director Edward Dymytryk, including The Young Lions(1958) and The Carpetbaggers (1964).

When Fox switched from CinemaScope to Panavision, Joe McDonald was the cameraman, on Robert Wise's The Sand Pebbles. He helped open up the creative possibilities of widescreen film making, and Rio Conchos is proof of that, despite the limitations of CinemaScope.

I'm such a big fan of the film that my avatar for this webpage is an image of Jim Brown, from his screen debut.

[–] Skye_Reynolds 8 years ago

Because it was shot by longtime Fox contract cinematographer Joe McDonald, who shot My Darling Clementine for John Ford.

Nice.

[–] Jones70 (6195) 2 years ago

Nice! I'll have to watch this sometime!