3 Godfathers

3 Godfathers
1948 Theatrical Poster
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.
Country	United States
Language	English

Half-height theatrical poster

3 Godfathers is a 1948 American western film directed by John Ford and filmed (although not set) primarily in Death Valley. 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. The story is something of a re-telling of the story of The Three Wise Men in an American western context.^[1]

Plot

Cattle rustlers Robert Hightower, Pedro 'Pete' Rocafuerte, and William Kearney rob a bank in the town of Welcome, Arizona, but Kearney suffers a bullet wound and they have to flee into the desert, pursued by the posse of Sheriff Buck Sweet, who puts a bullet in their water bag. They eventually lose their horses in a desert storm and end up walking. In their search for water, they come across a water hole, which has, however, been destroyed by the misguided efforts of a bumbling tenderfoot. In his covered wagon left nearby lies his wife (actually the niece of Sheriff Sweet), who is very pregnant and about to give birth. With the help of the trio, she has a boy, whom she names Robert William Pedro after her benefactors. Before dying, she extracts a promise from the baby's three godfathers that they will take care of him. Moved by the woman's plight, the three desperados uphold their promise despite the acute lack of water.

With William wounded from the robbery and the sheriff's posse in pursuit, they leave with the baby for the town of New Jerusalem, which lies across a wide expand of desert. After crossing a salt flat, William dies from exhaustion and the effects of his injury; later, Pete falls and breaks his leg. Robert leaves him his pistol, for "protection from coyotes." As he walks away, he hears a single gunshot.

Finally at the end of his strength, 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 and enters a cantina where people are singing Christmas carols, and then collapses right after Buck catches up with him. Robert is arrested, but because of his heroism and refusal to give up custody of his godson in favor of the Sweets (whom he has now befriended), he is viewed by the townspeople as a hero even before the trial comes to its conclusion. In the end, Robert is sentenced to the minimum sentence of a year and a day and, as he leaves to serve his sentence with a promise to return, is given a cordial farewell by the entire town.

Cast

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

Points of interest

This film was dedicated to John Ford's friend and early star, Harry Carey, whose son Harry Carey Jr. played one of the title roles. Tokyo Godfathers is partly based on this film.

See also

• List of American films of 1948

References

External links

• 3 Godfathers at the Internet Movie Database