3 Godfathers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

3 Godfathers
Directed by	John Ford
Produced by	Merian C. Cooper
Written by	Peter B. Kyne (story) Frank S. Nugent Laurence Stallings (screenwriter)
Starring	John Wayne Harry Carey Jr. Pedro Armendáriz
Music by	Richard Hageman
Cinematography	Winton Hoch
Editing by	Jack Murray
Distributed by	MGM
Release date(s)	December 1, 1948
Running time	106 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

3 Godfathers is a 1948 western film directed by John Ford. The screenplay, written by Frank S. Nugent and Laurence 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. Tokyo Godfathers is partly based on this movie.

[edit] 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, entering a cantina where the people are singing Christmas carols before collapsing. 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.

[edit] Cast

Actor	Role
John Wayne	Robert Marmaduke Hightower
Harry Carey Jr.	William Kearney "The Abilene Kid"
Pedro Armendáriz	Pedro "Pete" Fuerte
Mildred Natwick	Mother
Ward Bond	Perley "Buck" Sweet
Mae Marsh	Mrs. Sweet
Jane Darwell	Miss Florie
Guy Kibbee	Judge

[edit] External links

Three Godfathers at the Internet Movie Database

v • d • e The films of John Ford 1910s The Tornado • The Fighting Gringo • The Trail of Hate • The Scrapper • Cheyenne's Pal • The Soul Herder • Straight Shooting • The Secret Man • A Marked Man • Bucking Broadway • The Phantom Riders • Wild Women • Thieves' Gold • The Scarlet Drop • Hell Bent • A Woman's Fool • The Craving (with Francis Ford) • Three Mounted Men • Roped • The Fighting Brothers • A Fight for Love • Rustlers • Bare Fists • Gun Law • By Indian Post • The Gun Packer • Riders of Vengeance • The Last Outlaw • The Outcasts of Poker Flat • Ace of the Saddle • Rider of the Law • A Gun Fightin' Gentleman • Marked Men 1920s The Prince of Avenue A • The Girl in Number 29 • Hitchin' Posts • Just Pals • The Big Punch • The Freeze-Out • The Wallop • Desperate Trails • Action • Sure Fire • Jackie • Little Miss Smiles • Silver Wings (with Edwin Carewe) • The Village Blacksmith • The Face on the Bar-Room Floor • Three Jumps Ahead • Cameo Kirby • North of Hudson Bay • Hoodman Blind • Hearts of Oak • Lightnin' • Kentucky Pride • Thank You • The Fighting Heart • The Shamrock Handicap • 3 Bad Men • Upstream • Four Sons • Napoleon's Barber • Strong Boy • The Black Watch 1930s Men Without Women • Born Reckless • Up the River • Seas Beneath • The Brat • Arrowsmith • Airmail • Pilgrimage • Doctor Bull • The Lost Patrol • The World Moves On • Judge Priest • The Whole Town's Talking • The Informer • Steamboat Round the Bend • The Prisoner of Shark Island • Mary of Scotland • The Plough and the Stars • Wee Willie Winkie • The Hurricane • Four Men and a Prayer • Submarine Patrol • Stagecoach • Young Mr. Lincoln • Drums Along the Mohawk 1940s The Grapes of Wrath • The Long Voyage Home • Tobacco Road • How Green Was My Valley • They Were Expendable • My Darling Clementine • The Fugitive • Fort Apache • 3 Godfathers • Pinky • She Wore a Yellow Ribbon 1950s When Willie Comes Marching Home • Wagon Master • Rio Grande • The Quiet Man • What Price Glory? • The Sun Shines Bright • Mogambo • The Long Gray Line • Mister Roberts (with Mervyn LeRoy) • The Searchers • The Wings of Eagles • The Rising of the Moon • Gideon's Day The Last Hurrah • The Horse Soldiers 1960s Sergeant Rutledge • Two Rode Together • The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance • How the West Was Won (with Henry Hathaway and George Marshall) • Donovan's Reef • Cheyenne Autumn • 7 Women Television "Fireside Theatre" (1949) • The Bamboo Cross (1955) • "Screen Directors Playhouse" (1955) • "Wagon Train" (1957-1965) Productions The Iron Horse (1924) • The Blue Eagle (1926) • Mother Machree (1928) • Hangman's House (1928) • Riley the Cop (1928) • Salute (1929) • Flesh (1932) • The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938) • Young Cassidy (1965) Documentaries Torpedo Squadron • Sex Hygiene (1942) • The Battle of Midway (1942) • December 7th (1943) • We Sail at Midnight (1943) • This Is Korea! (1951) • Korea (1959) • Chesty: A Tribute to a Legend (1976)

v • d • e American films of the 1940s 1940 •1941 •1942 •1943 •1944 •1945 •1946 •1947 •1948 •1949