Joanne Dru being annoying in Red River

clw-5 asked in the first post: "The only reason to put her in there was because she was married to John Ireland. How about that for a reason?? She sure didn't add anything to the movie."

She did not marry John Ireland until 1949 -- three years after the filming of Red River. So unless Howard Hawkes put her in there because Ireland wanted her -- unlikely -- then she earned the role on her merits or because Hawkes had other motives.

Furthermore, there are other threads here that suggest a gay relationship between Clift and Ireland. Ireland was married at the time, and a father -- would Joanne Dru have been attracted to a married man who was also bisexual? This whole gay/bi thing is greatly overstated, I think. Maybe Montgomery Clift was gay or bi, he is not here anymore to either confirm nor deny the charge. But maybe John Wayne was just a little bit too sensitive when working with a young and very handsome actor who was also politically liberal? I'm a great fan of the Duke; I sympathize more with his political views than those of the pro-communist left; still, I'm sure Wayne knew lots of gay actors and worked with them in nearly every movie, so it had to be Clift's politics rather than his sexual proclivities that irked Wayne.

Her acting was terrible. But then, so was Wayne's. Clift was compelling.

Joanne Dru was married to Dick Haymes at the time she was cast in "Red River." She only met Ireland on the set. They began their romance there but did not marry until 1949. She was cast because she was the leggy, aggressive model type with limited or no movie experience that Hawks invariably cast as his archetypical vision of the heroine. Pat Clark, Margaret Sheridan, Charlene Holt, Elizabeth Threat, Angie Dickinson, and especially Lauren Bacall all originally came from that same mold with varying success.

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I've always felt she was doing a low-rent Lauren Bacall impression.

I agree with the op. Still, this movie is great when she's not on screen.

Not sure it was Dru's fault--she didn't write and direct the film--but boy, did her character ever screw up this movie. If this had been science fiction, it would have been worthy of a Mystery Science Theater treatment! What producer on this film said, "yes, this is a harrowing cattle drive full of danger and existential angst and conflict, but what we need here is a love interest"? Dunson should have shot him! It was so ridiculous. As if they couldn't just go with and commit to what they had. There seemed to be an attempt to capture some realism in this film, then all of the sudden there's a clean, coiffed, beautiful woman quipping it up, while Indians are shooting at her! Ha ha, look, I got clipped by an arrow but I can still flirt and smack Monty around. Absurd! With her character, the dialogue seemed to take some clipped Hemingwayesque turn and she sounded like she was doing a bad Bacall in To Have or Have Not. Except she talked WAY more. Then she is instrumental in bringing about a crazy, quick resolution--oh, yes, after this extremely long, grueling journey to kill Matt, thanks for reminding me I love him--and oh btw, here's our new brand. As one poster said, too bad they couldn't figure out a way to edit out that character. On the other hand, I must admit I am always as fascinated by the bad as I am by the good in cinema and the insertion of this character into the film was kind of fascinating.

Wow! She was terrible. I think a box of cereal could've done a better acting job!

"Red River" is one of the great Westerns! But, how anyone could let someone so supremely untalented have an important part in a movie like this is beyond me.

I. Drink. Your. Milkshake! [slurp!] I DRINK IT UP! - Daniel Plainview - There Will Be Blood