{"id":45479,"date":"2019-11-04T22:21:49","date_gmt":"2019-11-05T05:21:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=45479"},"modified":"2024-06-30T12:40:12","modified_gmt":"2024-06-30T19:40:12","slug":"3-godfathers-1948","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=45479","title":{"rendered":"Three Godfathers (1948)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I want you &#8212; all of you &#8212; to be my baby&#8217;s godfathers.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/3-Godfathers-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/3-Godfathers-Poster-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-45480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/3-Godfathers-Poster-198x300.jpg 198w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/3-Godfathers-Poster-85x128.jpg 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/3-Godfathers-Poster.jpg 654w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen three bank robbers (John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz, and Harry Carrey Jr.) are driven out of town and into the desert by a sheriff (Ward Bond) who&#8217;s shot holes in their water bags, they shortly encounter a pregnant widow (Mildred Natwick) who gives birth to a baby boy and asks the men to be his godfathers.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ben Johnson Films<\/li>\n<li>Cat-and-Mouse<\/li>\n<li>Deserts<\/li>\n<li>Do-Gooders<\/li>\n<li>Father and Child<\/li>\n<li>John Ford Films<\/li>\n<li>Outlaws<\/li>\n<li>Survival<\/li>\n<li>Ward Bond Films<\/li>\n<li>Westerns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that this &#8220;minor John Ford film is, of course, a Christian parable &#8212; the Christmas story&#8221;, and argues that while it&#8217;s &#8220;sentimental, funny, [and] overly symbolic,&#8221; it also &#8220;suffers because of sharp changes in tone&#8221;. He points out that the &#8220;story bears some resemblance to <em>The Searchers<\/em>, in that Wayne plays a character with a shady past who exorcises his bad qualities while returning a child to civilization &#8212; only here Wayne is welcomed (in Welcome, Arizona) with open arms by the citizens because they realize <em>he<\/em> has reformed and can fit into their town.&#8221; I&#8217;m a little fonder than Peary of this quirky tale, which plays as though the Three Wise Men were on the lam in the Wild West trying to survive a dust storm. There&#8217;s a kind of surreal magic in the scenes of the men making their way across desolate landscapes, happening upon a dying widow (Natwick is a tad too old to be playing a first-time mother) who gives birth to a son and therefore to a new life and sense of meaning for the bandits. Their need to care for this helpless creature trumps all other considerations, leading to the unexpectedly happy ending. Beautiful on-location cinematography and typically fine direction by Ford make this a one-time must-see for film fanatics. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Strong direction by Ford<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Still.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Still-1024x659.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"412\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-45488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Still-1024x659.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Still-128x82.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Still-300x193.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Still-768x494.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Still.png 1499w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/3-Godfathers-Still.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/3-Godfathers-Still-1024x718.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"449\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-45481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/3-Godfathers-Still-1024x718.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/3-Godfathers-Still-128x90.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/3-Godfathers-Still-300x210.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/3-Godfathers-Still-768x538.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/3-Godfathers-Still.png 1511w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Excellent on-location cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Cinematography-1024x674.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"421\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-45482\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Cinematography-1024x674.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Cinematography-128x84.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Cinematography-300x197.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Cinematography-768x505.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Cinematography.png 1461w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Many memorable moments<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Newborn.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Newborn-1024x689.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"431\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-45486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Newborn-1024x689.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Newborn-128x86.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Newborn-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Newborn-768x516.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Three-Godfathers-Newborn.png 1453w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a charming film by a master director. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1784#director\">Important Director<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0040064\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/13195\/three-godfathers#articles-reviews?articleId=85251\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s2015wayn.html\">DVD Savant (scroll down)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.combustiblecelluloid.com\/classic\/three_godfathers.shtml\">Combustible Celluloid Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1949\/03\/04\/archives\/the-screen-in-review-john-wayne-harry-carey-jr-in-three-godfathers.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I want you &#8212; all of you &#8212; to be my baby&#8217;s godfathers.&#8221; Synopsis: When three bank robbers (John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz, and Harry Carrey Jr.) are driven out of town and into the desert by a sheriff (Ward Bond) who&#8217;s shot holes in their water bags, they shortly encounter a pregnant widow (Mildred Natwick) who gives birth to a baby boy and asks the men to be his godfathers. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Ben Johnson Films Cat-and-Mouse Deserts&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=45479\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45479"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45479\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98193,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45479\/revisions\/98193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}