3 Godfathers

3 Godfathers is a 1948 American Western film directed by John Ford and filmed although not set primarily in Death Valley, California. The screenplay, written by Frank S. Nugent and Laurence Stallings, is based on the novelette of the same name written by Peter B. Kyne. Ford had already adapted the film once before in 1919 as Marked Men. The original silent adaptation by Ford is thought to be lost today. The story is something of a retelling of the story of The Three Wise Men in an American western context. Ford decided to remake the story in Technicolor and dedicate the film to the memory of longtime friend Harry Carey who starred in the 1919 film Marked Men. Careys son, Harry Carey Jr., plays one of the title roles in this 1948 film.

With William wounded from the robbery and Sheriff Sweets posse in pursuit, they leave with the baby for the town of New Jerusalem, which lies across a wide expanse of desert. After crossing a salt flat, William dies of exhaustion and the effects of his injury later, Pete falls and breaks his leg. Robert leaves him his pistol, for protection from coyotes. As he walks away, he hears a single gunshot.Finally at the end of his strength, Robert nearly loses hope, but in his delirium the ghosts of his two friends appear and refuse to let him give up. He finally reaches New Jerusalem and enters a cantina where people are singing Christmas carols, and then collapses right after Sheriff Sweet catches up with him. He is arrested, but because of his heroism and refusal to give up custody of his godson in favor of the Sweets whom he has now befriended, he is viewed by the townspeople as a hero even before the trial comes to its conclusion. In the end, he is sentenced to the minimum of a year and a day and, as he leaves to serve it with a promise to return, he is given a rousing farewell by the entire town. ........

Source: Wikipedia