This is a straightforward western with John Wayne complemented by Geraldine Page, who plays Angie Lowe. An army scout named Hondo Lane, comes across Angie Lowe and her son, living in the middle of Apache country. Hondo asks her where her husband is and she says he’s out hunting. Before leaving, Wayne tells her to be careful, and heads into town. After Hondo leaves, the Apaches visit Geraldine Page and the chief makes her son a blood brother. Hondo finds trouble in town, when he runs into Ed Lowe, the husband of Angie Lowe. They get into a fight, which Wayne wins. Wayne later runs into him again, when he rescues him from Apaches. Instead of being grateful, he pulls a gun on Hondo. Wayne’s character shoots and kills him. Hondo finds a picture in his belongings of his son, and rides back to tell Lowe’s wife, that he’s dead.
While riding to Angie Lowe’s ranch, Hondo is attacked by Apaches. He kills a few but is overwhelmed, and captured. They are going to torture and kill him, because he’s an army scout. The Apaches find a picture of Johnny Lowe, in Wayne’s belongings. They decide that since he has a picture, of an Apache blood brother, he can have a chance to live. They arrange a knife fight, to the death, with a sub chief, Silva. Wayne wins the fight, but lets Silva live. During the fight, Hondo is injured. The Apaches take him to Angie Lowe. They ask if Wayne is her husband. She says yes, and they give Hondo to her, to take care of his wound.
Wayne is nursed back to health by Geraldine Page, and the two fall in love. Hondo tells her that he killed her husband in self defense. Angie Lowe admits that her husband, wasn’t a good man. Wayne says he wants to tell her son. She says that he’ll find out in time, and Wayne agrees. Geraldine Page is great in this scene with John Wayne, as well as the entire film. Wayne appeared in films with many A list actresses, but she nearly tops all of them in this movie. After Hondo has recovered, the army asks if he wants to come with them. He says no. The soldiers come back later, after they’ve been ambushed by the Apaches. The Lt. is seriously wounded, but says that Vittorio, the chief, was killed. Hondo convinces Angie that it’s not safe to remain at the ranch. They leave with the army, to find safe haven. On the journey, they are attacked by the Apaches. This time, the army fights them off, and they retreat, after their new chief, Silva is killed. The Lt says that the general will return in a month, with reinforcements. He says that they will be beaten and their way of life will end. Hondo states that its a shame. Hondo, Angie and her son, move out with the army for a safer place.
Hondo is one of John Wayne’s best films. He just does very simple things with the character, to make him stand out. Many of Wayne’s later films bordered on being comedic. In this movie, he gives a strong performance as a father figure to Johnny Lowe. This is shown when Hondo gives Johnny fishing tips. Wayne made many movies, mostly westerns, many were standard. This film is not. It shows the Apaches fighting for what they consider their land. It also has the chief looking out for the son and his mother. Hondo also laments that the Apache way of life will soon be gone.
John Wayne can’t be faulted for making westerns that weren’t all like Hondo and True Grit. He followed the motto “Give the people what they want.” He did this for many years and made money, becoming a top box office draw for decades. This strategy also made him a Hollywood and American icon.
Hondo is also helped by a very good script by James Grant. He wrote several more screenplays for John Wayne films, but this is one of his best. John Farrow’s direction helps the film. The camera pans on Wayne in the beginning, as he goes to the well for a drink. Also done well is the knife fight between Silva and Hondo. He saves the best for last with the well staged battle between the army and the Apaches. Also cast in this film, are some of John Wayne’s buddies, Ward Bond and Paul Fix. Ward Bond is sporting a beard in this film, and plays Hondo’s scout buddy, Buffalo Baker. Bond always helped Wayne’s films as a character actor, and lends for some comedy in this one.
Hondo is an A rate western. It shows why westerns, if done well, are a true movie art form. It is also a film that anyone who appreciates movies should see.