3 Godfathers

Sentimental and affecting piece from Ford.

Having already made a version of the story in 1919 as Marked Men with Harry Carey, John Ford clearly had a kink for this delightful redemption parable. Opening with a touching tribute to his friend and mentor Carey, who had sadly passed away the previous year (and who also starred in the 1916 version of The Three Godfathers), it was also the first out and out Ford Western to be made in colour.

The story tells of three outlaws - Robert Hightower (John Wayne), Pedro "Pete" Fuerte (Pedro Armendariz) and The Abilene Kid (Harry Carey Junior) - who after robbing a bank in the town of Welcome, are on the run from the law led posse. After hitting problems in a desert sandstorm, the men struggle on to...

It's interesting that Harry Carey was in the first version of this film made in 1916 and now his son takes on the role as the injured "kid" alongside John Wayne's "Robert" and Pedro Armendàriz as "Pedro". These three are outlaws whose one last hit goes a bit awry. Now with the shrewd sheriff "Buck" (Ward Bond) in hot pursuit, they must try to outwit their pursuers before they run out of water. They do manage to steal a bit of a march and make it to a well, but the only water they discover is coming from the eyes of a heavily pregnant woman (Mildred Natwick) who promptly delivers them a godson. Still no better off, and with an added mouth to satiate, the three must now continue to evade capture and struggle on through the desert. It takes qu...