The year 1948 was unusually fruitful for excellent westerns made in Hollywood. The following films have been released: John Huston’s Oscar-winning neo-western “The Treasures of the Sierra Madre”, Norman MacLeod’s comedy western “Pale Face”, George Sherman’s “Ruthless”, William Wellman’s “Yellow Sky”, Howard Hawks’s “Red River” (5th place in the top ten greatest westerns), “Fort Apache” – The opener of John Ford’s cavalry trilogy. And, finally, closer to Christmas – “The 3 Godfathers” (Three Godfathers) by the same John Ford.
The literary source of the Godfathers, Peter Kain’s short story of the same name (first published in 1912), had already had three film adaptations by that time, in two of which the main role was played by the most sought-after silent film cowboy Harry Carey Sr. The dedication to him is “Bright star of the early western sky…” and the John Ford tape begins. Not yet presented in detail to the audience, the trio of central characters prance into a certain town, somewhere in Arizona. We are not at all clear about the purpose that led them to a hitherto unfamiliar place. Stopping the horses at one of the houses, they enter into a joking dialogue with an elderly couple, laughing at the name of the landlord – Sweet (in the Russian voice acting, its analogue was successfully found – “milok”). However, their giggles stop as soon as Perly Sweet puts on a vest with a sheriff’s star.
In this scene, imbued with warm humor, we get acquainted with the hunter (on guard of the law) and his game – three cowboys, on whom he will open a hunt as soon as they rob a local bank. Perhaps we will not further spoiler, especially since the plot collisions of “3 Godfathers” refer viewers to the well-known plot from the Gospel of Matthew about the three Magi. Only now the cowboy trio from the movie, who went on the run, can rather be called the magi involuntarily. And the operation designed by the sheriff to capture them is somewhat reminiscent of the plot of Vladimir Vysotsky’s famous song “Hunting Wolves.”
Once famous in the 1930s – 1940s, the hero of the westerns of class “B” the Singing Cowboy Gene Autry formulated the ten commandments of the screen cowboy. And all ten of the following provisions of this decalogue in a cowboy way correspond exactly to the characteristics of the three cowboy godparents from the John Ford tape.
The Ten Commandments of the Screen Cowboy
1. A cowboy cannot commit a dishonest act (note that what remains behind the scenes, the robbery of a bank by a trio of heroes, does not happen for profit as such, but so that each of them has the means to realize their calloused dreams)
2. A cowboy will never deceive anyone’s trust (which is easily confirmed by the fulfillment of the oath that each of the three mothers of their unexpected godson give)
3. The cowboy always tells the truth (in this tape it is, but the mysteriously contradictory heroes of Sergioleon’s or Klintiswood’s westerns are often laconic or completely silent, like the stranger from Sergio Corbucci‘s The Great Silence)
4. The cowboy is affectionate with children, old people and animals (the trinity of godparents from the high road simply competes with each other, showing hyper-concern for the newborn godson)
5. The cowboy is devoid of racial and religious prejudices (the proof is obvious here, because one of the three godparents united by mutual sympathy is Mexican Pete, as his friends call him in their own way, played by the outstanding Mexican actor Pedro Armendaris, known to many for the second Bond film “From Russia with Love”)
6. The cowboy will lend a helping hand to everyone who is in trouble (as the unfortunate robbers demonstrate when, after a sandstorm, they stumble upon an abandoned van with a pregnant woman)
7. A cowboy is a good worker (probably three screen godfathers are endowed with this quality, only we find them in a situation of not being able to confirm what we are looking for)
8. The cowboy is clean – both outwardly and in his thoughts, words and actions (those who watch “3 Godfathers”, I think, will agree that this item of the cowboy decalogue can be written in their favor)
9. A cowboy respects women, parents and the laws of his country (there is no doubt about the fair sex here, we don’t know the parents of the trinity of godparents, but they respect the laws of their country, even though they violate them, which is clearly seen in the scene of the trial of Robert Hightower, who was played in the film by the most exemplary American movie cowboy John Wayne)
10. Cowboy patriot (perhaps this feeling is the sum of all the previous nine points and it was more than owned, for example, both on the screen and in life by John Wayne and the youngest of the trio – the son of the one to whom this film is dedicated – Harry Carey Jr.)
It remains to add that the cameraman who shot this film was Winton Hawk, who was awarded an Oscar statuette three times in the late 40s and early 50s, including for two works with John Ford.
So the “3 Godfathers” will absolutely be able to give Western connoisseurs a wonderful Christmas mood in the old spirit. And, as the poet-Nobel laureate, who connected Russia and America with his life, said: “Everyone is a little wise at Christmas.”
