Howard Hawks Saddles Up : Cinemapolis will screen director’s first western, ‘Red River,’ a John Wayne classic.

The French will probably never live down their adoration of Jerry Lewis. But American movie lovers might cut them more slack if they remembered that the French also worshiped Howard Hawks.

His own countrymen, slow in recognizing the director’s greatness, finally gave Hawks an honorary Oscar in 1975 for a body of work that included what are now considered masterpieces: “Scarface,” “Bringing Up Baby,” “To Have and Have Not,” “His Girl Friday,” “The Big Sleep.”

And “Red River.”

That 1948 John Wayne western--which prompted Duke friend and longtime collaborator John Ford to say, “I didn’t know the S.O.B. could act”--will be shown Tuesday night at Cinemapolis in Anaheim Hills.

In his first western (he’d later direct “Rio Bravo” and “El Dorado”), Hawks tells the story of a tyrannical rancher (Wayne) with control issues who clashes with his adoptive son (Montgomery Clift, looking a bit like a wan Tom Cruise) during a crucial cattle drive. For the climax, Clift had to duke it out with the Duke, and Hawks would later remember that it took three or four days for Clift to learn to move and punch properly. Clift does hold his own acting-wise, but it’s Wayne’s portrayal of the complex father figure that is regarded as classic.

The two had expert backup in Walter Brennan (as chuck wagon cook Groot, who loses his teeth in a poker game and only gets to use them when he eats), John Ireland (the ominous gunman Cherry), Noah Beery Jr., Paul Fix, Harry Carey and Harry Carey Jr.

Clift, who had worked only on the stage, didn’t like the movie--or Wayne--but figured it would make him a star. He was right.

Hawks gave each of the major cast members a personalized belt buckle whose design was based on the Red River D brand from the movie. Years later, friends Hawks and Wayne swapped, which is why the statue at John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa doesn’t display Wayne’s initials, but Hawks’ (H.W.H.).

* “Red River” screens Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Cinemapolis, 5635 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Hills. $4.50. (714) 970-6700.

Less-Than-Great Flicks in the Great Outdoors

Newport Dunes’ offerings this weekend in its outdoor Family Flicks series are a few steps below classic, but the kids should be entertained. “Troop Beverly Hills” (1989), one of Shelley Long’s early post-”Cheers” efforts, screens Friday. Long is a rich, clueless troop leader whose Scouts earn patches for shopping and accessorizing but have learned bigger lessons by the closing credits.

Saturday’s movie is last year’s special-effects-heavy “Lost in Space,” a not-very-good remake of a pretty bad TV series.

* “Troop Beverly Hills” (PG) screens at dusk Friday, “Lost in Space” (PG-13) on Saturday, at Newport Dunes Resort, 1131 Backbay Drive, Newport Beach. Parking is $6 per car. (949) 729-DUNE.

A Second Chance at Love

Spanish songwriter-novelist Rafa Russo won the Montreal film festival’s screenplay award for her romantic fable “Twice Upon a Yesterday” (1998), opening Friday at Edwards Town Center in Costa Mesa. Douglas Henshall (“Angels & Insects”) plays a lover who gets his wish to relive a relationship that had failed. The British-Spanish production also stars Elizabeth McGovern (she plays a bartender who might have mystical powers).

* “Twice Upon a Yesterday” opens Friday at Edwards Town Center, 3199 Park Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Running time: 92 minutes. (714) 751-4184.

Cassavetes in the Dark

“The Killing of a Chinese Bookie” (1976), part of UCI Film Society’s Pleasure in the Dark series, isn’t your average thriller, but that’s because it was directed by John Cassavetes, whose semi-improvisational style can be hard to take and who is often described as a self-indulgent director. Ben Gazzara plays a strip-show operator expected to commit murder to erase a mob debt.

* “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie” screens Friday at 7 and 9 p.m. in the Crystal Cove auditorium at UCI’s Student Center, near Pereira and West Peltason drives. Running time: 109 minutes. Rated R. $2.50-$4.50. (949) 824-5588.

Alternate Screen is published on Thursdays. It can be reached by e-mail at OCWeekend@latimes.com.