Aside from sharing some of the same stars, Howard Hawks’ Red River bears little resemblance to his later Rio Bravo — which I discussed recently — except that politics were almost an issue even in this earlier film:
There was some concern that John Wayne and Montgomery Clift would not get along since they were diametrically opposed on most political issues, and both were outspoken on their views. According to legend they agreed not to discuss politics and the shooting went smoothly.
An amusing bit of trivia:
Texas Longhorn cattle had been nearly extinct as a breed for about 50 years when this film was made. Only a few dozen animals were available. In the herd scenes most of the cattle are Hereford crosses with the precious Longhorns prominently placed in crucial scenes.
Another bit of trivia:
Filmed in 1946 but held for release for two years, in part due to legal problems with Howard Hughes, who claimed it was similar to his The Outlaw (1943).