Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Kidskycom It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

JohnHowardReid An Argosy Picture, dedicated to Harry Carey, "the bright star of the early Western sky." Copyright 17 November 1948 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer release. New York opening at the Capitol: 3 March 1949. U.S. release: 14 January 1949. U.K. release: 2 May 1949. Australian release: 22 September 1949. 9,551 feet. 106 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Three ben make their getaway in a hail of bullets after robbing the bank in the frontier town of Welcome, Arizona. Heading into the desert, the fugitives make for Terrapin Wells. En route, they come upon a surprising sight: a covered wagon stalled in the wilderness. Inside the wagon, they find a newborn baby. NOTES: Previously filmed as Three Godfathers (1916) starring Harry Carey, directed by Edward J. LeSaint; Marked Men (1919) again with Harry Carey, this time directed by John Ford; Hell's Heroes (1930) with Charles Bickford, directed by William Wyler; and Three Godfathers (1936) with Chester Morris, directed by Richard Boleslawski... Location scenes filmed in Death Valley, California.COMMENT: Not one of my favorite Fords; but I don't want to fill IMDb just with my favorites. And this edition of Three Godfathers certainly has its irers, not least of all Bosley Crowther of The New York Times who commends the film in his supplementary list of the Best Films of 1949. (Incidentally, in his actual review, Crowther correctly points out that the script is based not so much on Kyne's novelette as on Bret Harte's extremely similar short story, "The Luck of Roaring Camp", with all its Biblical parallels). Frankly, I thought it a banal allegory of the Nativity in which the Three Wise Men are turned into three foolish but well-meaning bandits. The trite lines which Wayne, Armendariz and the junior Carey are called upon to deliver are only rivalled by the plot's unconvincing situations and gross sentimentality. Not even the Ford Stock Company of seasoned players like John Wayne, Ward Bond, Mae Marsh, Hank Worden, Jack Pennick, Jane Darwell, Ben Johnson and Francis Ford can wholly save this one, though it must be itted the picture is not half bad when it gets away from its fatuous Biblical transformations and its rustic antics of what-to-do-with-the-baby.And of course there is always the beautifully-hued color photography of Winton C. Hoch and Charles Boyle.OTHER VIEWS: The film was finely shot with some remarkable scenes set in the Mojave Desert, but the script's sentimentality and rather clumsy Biblical parallels made the picture's total impression lifeless and disappointing. (Lindsay Anderson).

weezeralfalfa Pedro(Armendariz) turned out to be right. The 3 ben should have stuck with their cattle rustling, and abandoned John Wayne's ambition to rob the bank in Welcome, AZ. Robbing the bank in broad daylight wasn't a good idea, and 'the kid'(Harry Carey, Jr.) was wounded as they made their getaway. Sheriff Sweet(Ward Bond) and aids chased them into the desert on a buckboard. Sweet hit their main water bag, leaving them with little water. When an aid complained that he hadn't hit the men, he quipped "I'm not paid to kill folks". He seemed unconcerned about giving up the chase because he was sure where they would head(the water tank for the train). For the rest of the film, we periodically switch back and forth between the 3(or less) desperados and Sweet with his posse, who initially wait at the several known water sources, then actively hunt them when they aren't found. Their status as desperados is magnified when Sweet visits Terrapin Tank to discover that the spring has been destroyed by dynamiting, and his niece and her husband aren't to be found, despite the presence of their covered wagon. He finds the discarded vest of one of the desperados, hence assumes that they are responsible for these additional crimes. Thus, when Sweet finally catches up with Wayne, on Christmas, several days later, in the New Jerusalem saloon, he immediately demands that he engage Sweet in a gun duel. Fortunately, Wayne is too weak to respond, and Sweet is shown the infant that Wayne has 'nursed' through his trials in the desert. Sweet, presumably after hearing Wayne's full story, takes an entirely different attitude toward him, beginning to treat him like a prodigal son.This was John Ford's first color film, he generally preferring B&W. Not as stunning as the Monument Valley backdrops in his next color film: "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon", but a welcomed plus. Filming locations include several spots in the Death Valley region, the Mohave Desert, and the Alabama Hills region of Owens Valley, with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada sometimes in the background. Their initial journey clearly was in the spectacular, if not very colorful, erosional badlands of Zabriskie Point, on the east side of Death Valley. Next, they were tested by an extended sand storm in Death Valley's sand dunes region. Later, they have to cross a large salt flats, presumably in Death Valley, before Wayne has to climb a high mountain range, then descend to New Jerusalem, his partners having died in the sweltering salt flats crossing(crazy to cross it by day!) It's a challenge to try to correctly decipher all of the intended symbolism. I will guess that their trials in the desert represent the trials of Moses and the Israelites as they wandered the Sinai deserts, as punishment for their sins, before the chosen ones(only Wayne, in this case) were allowed to enter the 'land of milk and honey':New Jerusalem, in Wayne's case. The 3 desperados, of course, represent the traditional 3 magi(The bible doesn't say there were 3!) and the baby they deliver represents Christ(Thus, it must be male, although the actual infant clearly is female!). In being faced with the responsibility of delivering and caring for an infant in the wilderness, the 3 outlaws are, in a sense, reborn themselves, as caring fathers. They largely atone for their past sins by saving the babe's life.(No clue why the mother was so sure she would soon die, except it was in the script!). The big 'star' they saw probably was Venus, although the 'star 'that guided the biblical magi(which only they could see!) clearly was a divinely prescribed manifestation of God. The miraculous appearance of a donkey and her young to Wayne when he is about at the end of his strength, soon after reading about such in his deceased partner's bible, presumably is a device to cement his questionable faith in God.One of Ford's key beliefs, manifested in some of his films, was that criminals are mostly molded by their unfortunate circumstances and experiences, rather than being an inborn trait, and thus are often reformable, given the right guidance and opportunities. This is clearly the main message of this film. History proves this is only sometimes the case.Another key point, clearly expressed in this and certain films by other directors("The Return of Frank James", "The Last Wagon", "The Bend in the River") is that judges and juries should be flexible in their sentencing of wrong doers, taking into consideration their overall character and the positive things they have done. Thus, to me, the best part of the film is the last part, where Wayne's character is undergoing sentencing and he is arguing with the judge(Guy Kibbee, in his last film role) and Sheriff Sweet about the disposition of the infant. He even attracts some female irers, who anticipate his return from his minimal prison sentence.Despite all the highly improbable events and abundant sentimental corn, I think Harry Carey, Sr., to whom this film was dedicated, would be pleased. I was.The western "Yellow Sky", also released in '48, has a similar theme , with a gang of bank robbers also taking refuge in the Death Valley salt flats.

Spikeopath 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 friend and mentor Carey, who had sadly ed away the previous year (and who also starred in the 1916 version of The Three Godfathers), it was also the first out and out Ford Western to be made in colour.The story tells of three outlaws - Robert Hightower (John Wayne), Pedro "Pete" Fuerte (Pedro Armendariz) and The Abilene Kid (Harry Carey Junior) - who after robbing a bank in the town of Welcome, are on the run from the law led posse. After hitting problems in a desert sandstorm, the men struggle on to Terrapin Tanks, where they happen across a woman in labour. Giving birth to her child, but sadly on her death bed, the woman begs the men to take care of her baby. They agree and embark on a perilous journey to get the child safely to "New Jerusalem"...It's an odd sort of Western, but in a good way. Backed up by the usual high standard of location work from Ford and the irrepressible Winton Hoch. And with customary staunch work from Ward Bond as the Sheriff, 3 Godfathers is a must see in relation to the careers of John Ford and John Wayne. It has a mixed reputation from fans of the two Johns, which is understandable given the flighty nature of the picture, but one thing that is true about the piece is that once viewed, it's unlikely to be forgotten. 7/10

emmerich-mazakarini A really touching, naive, heart-warming Christmas movie, even if it may be quite a tear-jerker, especially at it's end: great cinematography - watch out for the wonderful impressions of the desert (the director of cinematography started with documentaries) -, great direction and one of John Wayne's best performances - this man was not only a big star, he was a wonderful actor, too!!! Between the end of the forties and the end of the fifties Ford knew how to lead Wayne to an artistic peak. And, not to forget of course: Hank Worden, Ben Johnson, Ward Bond, Pedro Armendariz, Harry Carey jr, ... what an ensemble did Ford build up around himself!!! Highly recommended to all those who want their hearts to be touched in rough times during a cold winter evening ...