3 Godfathers
3 Godfathers

3 Godfathers

1948Movie102 minEnglish

Three outlaws on the run discover a dying woman and her baby. They swear to bring the infant to safety across the desert, even at the risk of their own lives.

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Insights

IMDb7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes80%
Metacritic66/100
Google Users88%
Director: John FordGenres: Western, Drama

Plot Summary

Three notorious outlaws, Robert Hightower, Pedro

Critical Reception

3 Godfathers was met with generally positive reviews upon its release, with many praising its sentimental story and John Ford's direction. While some critics found its plot overly sentimental, it was a commercial success and is considered a classic of the Western genre. Audience reception has remained largely positive over the decades.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its visual beauty and John Ford's masterful direction.
  • The film's emotional core and its depiction of redemption resonated with audiences.
  • Some critics found the plot's sentimentality a bit excessive.

Google audience: Google users largely appreciate the film's emotional storytelling, the performances of the lead actors, and the classic John Ford Western style. Some viewers found the pacing a little slow in parts but were ultimately moved by the film's themes of friendship and responsibility.

Fun Fact

The film is a remake of the 1919 silent film 'The Three Godfathers', which was itself an adaptation of Peter B. Kyne's 1913 novel of the same name, also adapted by Ford into 'Straight Shooting' (1919) and later 'The Fugitive' (1928).

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

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 l...
John Chard

John Chard

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 fri...