The singing scene
with Dean & Ricky. I think it was fantastic.
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yep, it sure was.
shareAside from the final shootout, the best scene in the movie.
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MovieChat Forums > Rio Bravo (1959) Discussion > The singing scene
A thing of beauty is a joy forever, and that scene is a thing of beauty.
"Wolf? Gypsy woman? Murder? What is this?"
In the past decade I've had to re-examine my thoughts on crooner's like Dean and Sinatra.
Clearly when you grow up and see them in the 1970's you're not seeing or hearing them in their prime. I just thought they were Vegas hacks. Then I started listening to their earlier works and was blown away how good they were.
Not only was Dean talented, he was very intelligent. Dean had a very rich voice no matter when he was singing or speaking.
As fantastic as they are, I thought the scene detracted from the film. It had no place, it was shoved in just so they could have Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson singing.
shareI think it's a wonderful scene that adds a lot to the film's charm.
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I have always enjoyed that scene as well. Showed a lot of courage for John Wayne to just sit back and let his costars shine for that little bit. He knew that Dino and Ricky were singing stars and let them do their thing.
There is more Gravy about you then the Grave. Scrooge.
If you have two pop singers in a film, you better by gawd let them sing, I don't care if it's HAMLET and they're playing Rosencranz and Guildenstern.
"May I bone your kipper, Mademoiselle?"
At first I thought this was like Harpo killing the momentum of the film. Then I thought- that Dean Martin has a real nice voice. Then I thought- what a warm charming weird piece of film history. In its own way it fits.
shareSinging together was a common entertainment until the advent of TV. Every home had a piano, and in any gathering, there'd be someone who could play a piano, and most people could read music, sing parts and harmonize. A lot more people could play instruments like the ukelele, guitar, banjo or accordion than today. Cowboys singing round a campfires was the rule; cowboys would sing to cattle on a cattle drive to reassure them.
The average person would buy the latest sheet music the way they bought CDs a few years ago.
The only unusual thing with the singing scene is that John Wayne didn't join in.
Absurdity: A Statement or belief inconsistent with my opinion.
The only unusual thing with the singing scene is that John Wayne didn't join in.
It's rather interesting that you should mention that. I have a book of Howard Hawks interviews and he said that the reason John Wayne didn't join in the singing was because he could not keep a tune. According to Hawks, Wayne was a terrible singer.
I love the singing scene in Rio Bravo. There's such a sweet sense of fun to it. I believe Hawks was right to include it.
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Absolutely, great scene! And, sure, Dino was a great singer, but Ricky Nelson, as well, was more than just a teen idol - he was no Fabian or Frankie Avalon, Ricky was the real deal! The tune AFTER My rifle, Pony and Me is pretty cool too!
"Everything's so green..."
Great scene, really tastefully done in context with the rest of the film.
shareShowed a lot of courage for John Wayne to just sit back and let his costars shine for that little bit.
Did John Wayne have another choice? Did the movie makers ask him before if he was fine with that?
English is not my first language. Any corrections are welcome. share
I think it was done as a deliberate mood changer, the film is quite tense for long periods. The duet was a sort of "interlude".
That, and if you have two big, popular music stars in our film, why not use them?
Hey, Ricky Nelson, Dean Martin...Ricky Martin. That's kind of weird.
By the way, I loved the singing scene too and I lifted this idea from Wayne's World.
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I did sixty in five minutes once...
It is a such a great moment of male bonding.
It is thematically relevant and pure joy to watch.
It is my second favorite musical interlude only to "Tiny Dancer" moment in ALMOST FAMOUS.
Keep The Change Bob.
"The Maestro says its Mozart, when it sounds like bubblegum."
After seeing the movie Paint Your Wagon, I generally became opposed to all singing, all the time. That being said, I found the singing in Rio Bravo to be tolerable.
Too bad they couldn't get Walter Brennan and John Wayne to sing, "I wanna be a Cowboy."
shareIt's a huge myth that John Wayne couldn't sing.
He COULD sing, he just wasn't a GREAT singer, like a Dean Martin, Sinatra, or a Ken Curtis (who, BTW, was Sinatra's replacement in the Tommy Dorsey band AND sang with the Sons of the Pioneers).
He used to feign singing off-key a lot to keep Pappy Ford happy, and as we all know, you ALWAYS kept John Ford happy, or NO ONE was happy.
It was just easier that way. He was a star in his own right, and there were dozens of crooners. The world didn't need another one...
I don't act...I react. John Wayne
Now I know what Three Amigos! was parodying when they broke out into song!
shareI just re-watched the movie today, with commentary by John Carpenter, and he was pretty negative about the singing scene, basically saying it was pretty common in westerns from that time period (late 50's). I generally don't like these kinds of scenes, but I liked this. I was impressed by Dean Martin, both his singing and acting. Too bad he didn't do more dramatic acting.
"My girlfriend sucked 37 d*cks!"
"In a row?"
I surprised myself by liking it. I'm a sucker for harmonies. I was sure it was going to be cheesy, but I actually said Stumpy's line before Stumpy did - it shore wuz purty.
I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.
I was surprised to hear such good singing coming out of what I figured were just actors. I assumed they were just lip-sync'ing to a studio recording done by professional singers. It wasn't until I checked the credits that I realized who they were. I know their names, and have heard their music (especially Ricky Nelson's music), but they aren't people I recognize by sight.
I was right that they were lip-sync'ing to a studio recording done by professional singers, except, they themselves were the professional singers.