I've always wanted to dive deeper into the Western genre and I've admittedly been in remiss in seeing the classics.
The definition of a sixties western, 1965's THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER is a rip roaring, action-packed classic and a massive box office hit.
Four years before "True Grit", producer Hal Wallis, Director Henry Hathaway and John Wayne teamed up to create this deft blend of traditional cowboys, family loyalties and some good old fashioned, land grabbing bad buys.
As the film opens, ranch owner Katie Elder has passed away and her four sons return to Clearwater, Texas to honor their mother. The legendary John Wayne is oldest son John, a notorious gunfighter. Dean Martin (Airport, The Silencers) is Tom, a hard drinking, card playing cowboy. Earl Holliman (Giant, Forbidden Planet) is Matt, the softest spoken brother and Michael Anderson Jr (Logan's Run) is Bud, the youngest son just back from a first year at college.
They're impressed with the respect and admiration that all the townsfolk have for their Mother, but curious why the large ranch they left behind is no longer theirs. Further mystery surrounds their Father, who was recently shot in the back after a card game that no one wants to talk about.
Hathaway and Wallis are pros. The film never lags and the cast serves up plenty of laughs, more than a few brawls and plenty of suspenseful gunfights.
George Kennedy (Airport) is excellent as Curley, a hired gunfighter brought in by the town gunsmith Morgan Hastings (60's stalwart James Gregory) to keep an eye on those Elder boys.
A very young Dennis Hopper is great as Hastings son Dave, whose moral compass is a bit better than his ruthless Father's. It's a blast to see Hopper here and compare the role to his vicious portrayal of "Moon" in "True Grit" for Wallis in 1969. The years in between show a lot of change in Hopper the actor.
Paul Fix is also excellent as Sheriff Billy Wilson, caught between his respect for the Elders and the power of Hastings and his entourage. Fix (El Dorado, To Kill a Mockingbird, Giant) is perfectly cast and is a pleasure to watch in the role.
Elmer Bernstein's music score is excellent, equaling his themes for "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape". Flawless.
John Wayne rides high, serving up a 100% Wayne performance that he made look easy. He was battling lung cancer just before the shoot began and Hathaway delayed the project long enough for him to recover. It's easy to overlook how good he is here. His Oscar was still four years away.
The ambush by the river is excellent and the finale is even better, guns a-blazing as Bernstein's music soars.
A great western tale, perfectly told, THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER shoots a bullseye, earning an appreciative B+.
(Disney fans with a good eye might recognize that the hearse featured at the funeral of Katie Elder currently resides in front of the Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World!)
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