Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Three Godfathers

Released Mar 6, 1936 1h 22m Western List
50% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 75% Audience Score Fewer than 50 Ratings
In a town called New Jerusalem, bandits Bob Sangster (Chester Morris), Doc Underwood (Lewis Stone) and Gus Barton (Walter Brennan) hold up a bank. After a gun battle with the townspeople, the three robbers retreat into the scorching desert. There, they happen upon an ill woman stranded with her child. As the mother dies, she begs the men to take care of her infant. The fugitives want to save the baby -- but to do so, they'll have to travel back to New Jerusalem, where they are wanted men. Read More Read Less

Critics Reviews

View All (10) Critics Reviews
Kate Cameron New York Daily News Baby Jack and the beautiful and desolate desert scenery are the most important elements of the picture. Rated: 2/4 Apr 17, 2024 Full Review John T. McManus New York Times By its disregard of that modern cinema imperative, the happy ending, The Three Godfathers... succeeds in catching the spirit of the Westerns of two decades back, when bad men could be heroes too. Apr 17, 2024 Full Review Mae Tinee Chicago Tribune The picture has several laughs for which you are grateful. But, on the whole, I'm afraid you'll find The Three Godfathers rather a dull affair. Apr 17, 2024 Full Review Eagle Staff Brooklyn Daily Eagle The first part of the film promises a Western which Is all that a Western should be.... [Then] the action becomes slower, the tragedy thick and improbable so that the final effect is one of tedium. Apr 17, 2024 Full Review Gus McCarthy Motion Picture Herald (Exhibitors Herald) The picture has an impressive quality not ordinarily associated with outdoor western entertainment. While it provides thrill and action, desperation, fear and heroism, it does so more in a manner to play upon the sentimental rather than excitable emotion. Apr 17, 2024 Full Review Leo Townsend Modern Screen There's not a buck in a broncho in this westerner. Instead we have three bad men regenerated by a babe. Sounds like a stiff dose to swallow, but surprisingly enough it's good movie fare. Rated: 2/4 Apr 17, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (3) audience reviews
Audience Member Three Godfather’s 1936 not to be confused with the John Wayne version which I think was 1948. This version was very good too highly recommend it James Welch, Henderson, Arkansas August 15, 2023. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/16/23 Full Review deke p THREE GODFATHERS (1936) 1936!! Excellent. WALTER BRENNAN! LEWIS STONE! & infant boy baby. 3 men wandering desperate in desert with baby. Very good, especially for 1936. Seriously done. Quoting MacBeth. Praying. Hymns. Saw it on The Movie Channel 3.25.2022. Note to self. Watch it again and pay more attention from the beginning to the end. Not to be confused by later, more hokier versions with same name. I give it a 4 1/2 stars on RT. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member ok version of this western Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Three Godfathers

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew
View All Three Godfathers photos

Three Godfathers

Three Godfathers (1936) Three Godfathers (1936) Three Godfathers (1936) Three Godfathers (1936) Three Godfathers (1936) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In a town called New Jerusalem, bandits Bob Sangster (Chester Morris), Doc Underwood (Lewis Stone) and Gus Barton (Walter Brennan) hold up a bank. After a gun battle with the townspeople, the three robbers retreat into the scorching desert. There, they happen upon an ill woman stranded with her child. As the mother dies, she begs the men to take care of her infant. The fugitives want to save the baby -- but to do so, they'll have to travel back to New Jerusalem, where they are wanted men.
Director
Richard Boleslawski
Producer
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 6, 1936, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 2, 2020
Runtime
1h 22m