Sheriff John T Chance and his band of mis-fit deputes are under siege as they try to keep a powerful rancher and his men from breaking their prisoner, the ranchers murderous brother, out of the town jail.

This is the perfect movie for lifting your spirits at any time for the simple reason that it has everything. Clear cut good guys, good guys trying to overcome adversity, comedy, action, beautiful heroine, and songs dammit, there's songs!

Director Howard Hawks Rio Bravo is one of my all time favorite movies and I must have seen it dozens of time's now. I've got it on Blu-ray, and anytime it appears on TV everything stops so I can wait for the final showdown when John Wayne calls out in his iconic drawl "Burdette...Nathan Burdette!" to make the trade for his pal Dean Martin's Dude.

All the characters are well played from the always awesome Wayne here at the height of his powers as Sheriff John T Chance, to what is probably Dean Martin's most nuanced performance as the struggling town drunk. Ricky Nelson is cool and of course must sing along with Martin as it is their trade, and Angie Dickson is also great as the love interest with a past. Not to be overlooked either is Walter Brennan as Stumpy, and Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez as Carlos in excellent comedy roles.

Rio Bravo is simply one of the best examples of the classic western that your ever going to see, and just a damn fine film guaranteed to lift your spirits if your feeling down.