Red River (1948) – Filming Locations
Western · Directed by Howard Hawks · Starring John Wayne, Joanne Dru
Following the Civil War, headstrong rancher Thomas Dunson decides to lead a perilous cattle drive from Texas to Missouri. During the exhausting journey, his persistence becomes tyrannical in the eyes of Matthew Garth, his adopted son and protégé.
Where was Red River filmed?
- Elgin, Arizona, United States, Elgin – Opening sequences establishing the cattle ranch and early frontier life. The Arizona ranching landscape provided authentic backdrop for the film's opening scenes depicting frontier settlement and cattle ranching operations
- Monument Valley, Arizona-Utah, United States, Monument Valley – The main cattle drive sequences through iconic desert landscape with towering rock formations. The distinctive buttes and mesas of Monument Valley served as the primary location for the lengthy cattle drive sequences, chosen for its dramatic and unmistakable landscape
- Wichita, Kansas, United States, Wichita – Arrival at the cattle market destination; final confrontation between Tom Dunson and Matthew Garth in town. Wichita was the historical endpoint of the Chisholm Trail cattle drives, making it the natural and authentic choice for the film's climactic market scenes
- San Angelo, Texas, United States, San Angelo – Various ranch sequences and cattle herding scenes. Texas ranch country provided authentic settings for scenes depicting the source of the massive cattle herd at the film's beginning