Heralded as ‘John Ford’s Legend of the Southwest!’ by M-G-M upon release, “3 GODFATHERS” is one of the most impressive collaborations between legends John Wayne and John Ford. The story tells of fugitive bank robbers Robert (John Wayne), William (Harry Carey, Jr.), and Pedro (Pedro Armendariz) stand at a desert grave. Caring for the newborn infant of a woman they just buried will ruin any chance of escape. But they won’t go back on their promise to her. They won’t abandon little Robert William Pedro. Director John Ford’s retelling of the Biblical Three Wise Men tale remains a scenic and thematic masterpiece. Ford adds Technicolor® to his feature-film palette, capturing stunning vistas via cinematographer Winton Hoch, who would win two of his three Academy Awards® for Ford films. Again, populist-minded Ford asserts that even men of dissolute character can follow that inner star of Bethlehem to their own redemption.

Based on the oft-filmed 1913 novel by Peter B. Kyne, this Blu-ray presentation not only contains the 1948 M-G-M Technicolor triumph, but also as a “special feature” the rarely seen, earlier 1936 M-G-M production entitled “THREE GODFATHERS” starring Chester Morris and Lewis Stone, with both the 1936 and 1948 films each meticulously remastered in 1080p HD for unprecedented quality.

For thoughts on 3 Godfathers, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/TWWb5imBhfk?si=hSsgAPFmOM3aoDwF&t=46]

Video Quality

Warner Archive presents 3 Godfathers (1948) with a stunning new 1080p transfer sourced from a new 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative. From the earliest moments of the picture, you can tell that the label has put its standard level of care into this release. When panning over the vast desert landscapes, you are greeted with such fetching texture and clarity within the dirt and dust. The film features some brilliant color photography from Winton C. Hoch which shines off the screen with the perfect amount of natural film grain intact. Black levels are appropriately deep with great stability throughout, and the highlights hold steady with nothing succumbing to blooming. The film is virtually pristine when it comes to damage with no trace of wear and tear or dirt. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such anomalies are nowhere to be found.

If this was not enough, the label also provides the 1936 version of the tale with a terrific 1080p transfer sourced from a new 4K scan of the best preservation elements. Nearly everything said about the more recent adaptation above applies here, and there are fleeting signs of its age when it comes to fine detail and stability. While not working from the Original Camera Negative, this bonus film is treated every bit as well as your typical Warner Archive release. Even with the additional film on the disc, the label’s expert compression does not stumble in the slightest. Warner Archive is simply one of the best in the game.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that captures this journey impeccably. Dialogue always emanates clearly without being overshadowed by competing elements. This and other background noises are rendered with impressive accuracy along with the rewarding score from Richard Hageman. The more bustling moments are handled with great ease as they give the track a bit of life. The restoration has done away with pretty much all instances of distortion or weakness to the track such as hissing, dropouts, and popping. This track always strives to maintain a first-rate level of fidelity. Warner Archive has done some very nice work with this one. There are optional English SDH subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Three Godfathers (1936) (1:20:59): As mentioned above, the full-length 1936 version is provided fully restored in HD with DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio.

Trailers: This disc provides the original theatrical trailers for the 1948 version (3:20) and the 1936 version (1:59).

Final Thoughts

3 Godfathers is a classic Western tale from the great John Ford which reveals a bit of his sentimental side to great effect. John Wayne is in top form leading this trio of performers who each impress in their own way. Some may long for the darker tone of some of the earlier interpretations of the story, but we appreciate the mood struck by the Ford-Wayne collaboration. If you are open-minded enough, you might even count this as a fun new holiday season viewing experience for your household. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray that features a brilliant A/V presentation and an entire second movie. If you are a Western fan, this is a no-brainer. Recommended

3 Godfathers can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.