“THAT Is The Reality”: 1948 John Wayne Western Gets One Survival Trick Right, Expert Is Thrilled

3 Godfathers depicts one desert survival trick very accurately, much to the excitement of survival expert Les Stroud. Released in 1948, the Western film stars John Wayne, Pedro Armendáriz, and Harry Carey Jr. who become godfathers to a newborn baby they find stranded in the desert. The film, which was directed by the legendary John Ford, takes place primarily in the American Southwest desert as the three characters struggle to protect the child from the harsh environment.