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Good start, but then it gets ruined

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I love a good western and actors like John Wayne personify the western genre. Hondo Lane played by superstar John Wayne at the age of 44 is a lone cowboy travelling with what Hondo calls Sam, his independent dog who has a prominent scar running across his face and down the bridge of his snout. Most likely from fighting off a cougar or a bear. After surviving an attack by Apache Indians Hondo walks a few miles after losing his horse in the battle with the Apaches to the farm house of Mrs. Angie Lowe (played superbly by stage actress Geraldine Page in her first on screen performance). There Hondo is provided food, water, shelter and also provided with an opportunity to break a wild horse that Mrs. Lowe's absent husband has not yet broken.The film focuses on the rugged Hondo who although he remains very independent, Hondo admits to Mrs. Lowe that he had spent five (5) years living with an Apache tribe and taking on a squaw Indian as his partner, not as his love interest. Now Angie has a ten (10) year old son named Johnny (Lee Aaker) who is desperate for a male figure in his life with his father nowhere to be seen so young Johnny looks up to the rugged Hondo who teaches Johnny very quickly to be wary of his independent dog Sam who will not hesitate to bite Johnny if he gets too close, and he also shares with Johnny very quickly the tricks to fishing and swimming.There is an also excellent cast of supporting characters such as the army Indian scout Buffalo Baker (Ward Bond of the subsequent 1957 TV's Wagon Train series), Major Sherry (Paul Fix of 1958 TV's Rifleman series), Apache Chief Vittorio (Michael Pate), Apache hothead Silva (Rodolfo Acosta) who hates Hondo and wants to kill him, a mean spirited army Indian scout named Lennie (James Arness of the subsequent 1955 TV's Gunsmoke fame), and the well known hulking character actor Leo Gordon who usually plays the villain plays Angie's absentee no good husband Ed Lowe, who actually has abandoned his wife Angie and his 10 year old son Johnny. This strong supporting cast along with lead actors John Wayne and Geraldine Page provide an endless supply of great characters who are attempting to survive and thrive on land previously dominated by the various tribes of the Apache nation.Yes, there are plenty of fights between the cowboys and Apache's, and a few fights between the cowboys themselves, but what makes this another great John Wayne western are the complex personalities of Hondo Lane, Angie Lowe and Apache chief Vittorio. The scenery of the western plains is grand and director John Farrow utilizes his backdrop to the viewers benefit making us believe we are definitely on the wide open expansive spaces with sandy steep hills that the horsemen do not have the easiest time travelling over as the chases between the cowboys, cavalry and Apaches are harrowing to say the least.This film does not use romantic songs to pull us in, nor does it use excessive violence, instead director John Farrow relies on the strong performances between his two main stars Angie Lowe and Hondo Lane. Geraldine Page and John Wayne were excellent star crossed lovers who overcome early settlers adversity and the Apaches and we are provided with a sense of relief that they survive multiple Apache war raids in the open prairies and that Johnny learns to become a man with the support of a strong male figure who will remain in his life, Hondo Lane and he will be proud to call Johnny his son.I give this western classic Hondo, a very good 8 out of 10 rating.

. . . admits Western actor John Wayne's son Michael during a "tour" of "The Duke's" "film vault"--which looks Exactly like my old 5' X10' storage unit from years ago--for the TV show ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT in 1994. (This is one of several "extras" on the 2005 HONDO DVD release). In the 1900s, film reviewer Leonard Maltin was working for ET, and Lenny joins Mike in drooling over the chaps worn by Pops Wayne in as least three Westerns (STAGECOACH, RED RIVER, and HONDO). There's also Wayne's HONDO hat on the same shelf, along with his sawed-off long gun from STAGECOACH. All of this stuff, plus what looks to be scores of round film cannisters, is crammed into the 150 square feet of "Vault" (or $10 a month storage unit) #332. (I assume that by now most of this moldy and\or rusty material has been sold off, since I saw a Promo for "Male Collectibles" on a different, more recent DVD from Wayne Enterprises.) I've also watched what professional film restoration looks like, such as the effort that went into restoring ROMAN HOLIDAY, which won an Oscar for Wayne's Real Life Arch-Enemy, writer Dalton Trumbo (please see TRUMBO for more details--it's been nominated for this year's Oscar, too!). Actual film preservation involves large, sterile rooms filled with banks of computers. It is NOT something you can accomplish with a box of Q-Tips!

No need to repeat the plot or echo consensus remarks. This is the film that reestablished Wayne's popularity coming off Hollywood's reverse blacklist. Wayne was one of those political righties who assisted in Hollywood's well-known purge of industry lefties. It's not generally known, but many actors who publicly denounced the lefties had their own trouble finding work afterward. Likely that's a main reason Wayne co-produced this indie film instead of waiting for a studio offer. Anyway, other informally listed righties included such notables as Ginger Rogers, Robert Taylor, and Walter Pigeon. The movie itself is generally an underrated Wayne western, perhaps because John Ford is not credited as director. After all, it's the Ford-Wayne cavalry trilogy that's treated as iconic by critics. Still, this feature blends human interest skillfully with battle scenes, including the last massed scene that's a real doozy. Page proves an excellent choice as a homesteader's abandoned wife. Her Mrs. Lowe is not only plain-faced (a real oddity for westerns), but sun- burned to boot. She's not exactly the standard feminine lead, if they could only leave off the lipstick. About Wayne's role, I have mixed feelings. His Hondo Lane is just a little too masterful and all-knowing to be believable, at least for me. The actor carries the self- assurance well, but still the constancy does get tiresome. Nonetheless, he and Page bring off their hesitant romantic scenes quite well.Perhaps the movie's most lasting feature is a refusal to dehumanize the Apaches. Instead, they're portrayed as worthy adversaries with their own customs and wisdom. This was one of the first A-westerns to break with the Hollywood tradition of treating Indians as little else than target practice savages. All in all, the movie's a first-rate oater, managing to combine poignant moments, personal honor, and grand-scale action into a highly entertaining package.

This is a John Wayne Western that has been Overlooked Somewhat, maybe because it was Unavailable for almost 40 Years, but More Likely because it wasn't Directed by Ford or Hawks. It was also Overshadowed by the Overrated Shane that came out about the Same Time. As a Whole and Scene for Scene it is a Better Movie than Shane and is Richer and has a Broader Scope, is More Violent and Action Packed and is just More Entertaining. The Violence in Hondo is Blunt and a Bit Brutal at Times. The Battles with the Indians Show some Very Effective Fighting and there are also Scenes of Fistitcuffs and Knife Wielding that are Up Close and Personal. Sam, the Dog has Many Memorable Scenes and One is a Clincher.Geraldine Page does Fine as the Western Widow and Her Scenes with the Duke are Outstanding. The Kid is not as Irritating as the Kid in Shane just to put an Amen to it. Overall this is One of John Wayne's Best and is a Colorful, Thoughtful, and Well Written Movie that is the Duke at His Most Likable.