In 1913, author, Peter B. Kyne published a short story titled, “The Three Godfathers.” After their fellow bank robber is shot and killed, three remaining survivors escape in the wilderness to evade the law. One day, the trio stumble upon a woman in a wagon who’s about to deliver a baby. After the woman dies from complications of childbirth, the men promise to look after the baby as godfathers. Their main objective, find shelter filled with food and water if they want to survive. Thirty-Five Years Later, MGM adapted the short story into a full-length film starring John “The Duke” Wayne in “3 Godfathers.”
Released in 1948, (same year Cheetos and Nesquik were invented) 3 Godfathers earned positive reviews from critics and moviegoers alike. It was also a box office success. It’s officially December. Meaning, Christmas is around the corner. I’m gonna review a few holiday themed reviews throughout the month. I found out 3 Godfathers counts as a Christmas movie. The movie based on the short story predates Satoshi Kon’s “Tokyo Godfathers.” I thought about giving 3 Godfathers a try. Which Christmas movies should I watch and review next? Please leave a comment.
Today’s review contains no SPOILERS
Hot & Cold Aspects
Hot: John “The Duke” Wayne, Pedro Armendáriz & Harry Carey Jr. all did a decent job for their respective performances.
The Duke’s collaborator, John Ford did a solid job directing. He also co-produced the movie along with Merian C. Cooper. The latter’s known for creating “King Kong” & “Mighty Joe Young.”
Cinematography’s shot in stable condition.
Chemistry between the trio serves as the main highlight.
Set Pieces and Costume Designs were manually crafted.
A chase scene in the First Act makes me wanna replay either “Red Dead Redemption” or its sequel. It would be awesome if Rockstar Games worked on a third installment. Maybe someday it will become a reality. Only time will tell.
The movie has biblical elements of “The Three Wise Men.” One of the characters carries a bible reads verses and follows how The Three Wise Men head towards their destination. Although I’m not heavily religious, the biblical theme was handled delicately.
Cold: First Act takes a while until the trio finally become godfathers and look after the baby. Pretty jarring not properly setting up the actual plot. In other words, get to the point.
The Ending felt lighthearted. It’s hard to give it away.
The Final Verdict: B, FOR BRIGHTFUL!
3 Godfathers is a solid western Christmas movie. If you’re looking for something to watch during the holiday season or a fan of westerns, give this one a try. I highly recommend Tokyo Godfathers.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 