John Wayne’s Rio Lobo contains a fun easter egg callback to an underrated 1953 Western – even though its implications are reality-shaking. John Wayne fronted around 80 Westerns in his career and was very happily typecast as a cowboy. That said, he largely avoided sequels throughout his 50-year career, with the unofficial Rio Bravo trilogy being one of his rare franchises. The reason this trilogy is “unofficial” is that instead of being direct sequels, all three films are riffs on Rio Bravo’s story.
Wayne and director Howard Hawks switched around character traits and themes, but both El Dorado and Rio Lobo are essentially Rio Bravo Remixed. Sadly, the latter is the worst of the trio, with Hawks later dismissing it as “that damn piece of junk;” even Tarantino stated Rio Lobo was the film that convinced him to retire early, as he didn’t want to end his career on a tired note. There’s still some fun to be had with 1970 Western, including a nice meta gag for easter egg hunters.
Rio Lobo’s Hondo Easter Egg References John Wayne’s Acclaimed 1953 Western
Rio Lobo’s surprise easter egg comes at around the 40-minute mark
Rio Lobo’s story involves Wayne’s Colonel McNally hunting down two traitors, with his quest taking him to the titular lawless town. While on the trail, he stops in the town of Blackthorne to meet with the sheriff, and while the two old pals are chatting, a wanted poster for “Hondo Lane” can be seen in the background. Fans of Wayne will know the Hondo character from the 1953 Western of the same name (which sits at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes), which is also notable for being the actor’s sole 3D movie.
Hondo involved Wayne’s Army dispatch rider becoming involved with a homesteading family and features one of the star’s more understated performances. The film meant a lot to Wayne too, since it was one of the first movies produced via production company Batjac, and he was heavily involved in producing it. While John Farrow was credited as the only director, John Ford did uncredited work on Hondo when Farrow had to exit the Western before it wrapped.
Hondo Existing In Rio Lobo Is A Fun John Wayne Paradox
Hondo vs McNally sounds like a better movie than Rio Lobo
Anybody watching Rio Lobo would need to be well-versed in Wayne’s filmography to even catch the Hondo reference, but it’s a nice sight gag. Still, the fact that Hondo Lane and McNally exist in the same world creates something of a paradox. After all, if two men shared John Wayne’s face, drawl and distinctive walk, that wouldn’t have gone unnoticed, even back in the 1860s. In fact, it’s not a great sign that McNally’s sheriff friend Pat (Bill Williams) didn’t notice his resemblance to Hondo from the wanted poster.
The Hondo easter egg also suggests that Lane lived an exciting life before the events of the 1953 film. Since Rio Lobo is set towards the end of the Civil War in 1865 and Hondo takes place in 1870, it appears he had troubles with the law before his time in the Army. Of course, the wanted poster was intended as a throwaway sight gag, and it’s doubtful anybody involved with the film thought about it all that deeply about its implications. Still, McNally hunting down Hondo sounds like a more rousing story than the one Rio Lobo told.