El Dorado: it’s rare for a film to have the level of entertainment level of this Howard Hawks‘ classic western. The story, simple as it is in general terms, is nothing new, but the specifics set this apart. As do the gallery of characters and the repartee they share (because of camaraderie, rivalry, or both), which lends this a very valuable light mood and allows for great emotional engagement. The cast is in excellent shape; John Wayne and Robert Mitchum act beautifully off each other, James Caan and Arthur Hunnicutt are fun in their more comic roles. Locations are a beauty, nicely shot by Harold Rosson. Music is great as well, both Nelson Riddle’s title song and the remainder of the score.