The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

I saw this movie on its first release way back when at a long gone local cinema. 53 years on, it seems somewhat more romanticised, and just a little bit pretentious than way back then. None the less this is a rollicking good cowboy yarn. And nobody sounds more granite strong and with total conviction of the american ideal, than the big man himself John Wayne, boy could he deliver a manly speech. The plot well there is one with bad guy's but oh how that score from Elmer Bernstein soars above the whole movie rousing action-full and stirring! as the movie blasts away with shoot out's a plenty and good old Johnny Cash gruff's out a catchy theme song for good measure - A those good old cowboy movie from days of yore! - and no revisionism here!

. . . that John Wayne and Dean Martin's characters in THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER are stone-cold serial murderers; career criminals who've terrorized the people of Texas, Louisiana, and who knows how many more states. Martin's "Tom" would be on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted List," had the Feds been around in the 1800s. Tom's made a career out of impoverishing normal people with various scams, and slaying any small businessmen who object to his turning their honest establishments into dens of thieves. Martin's movie big brother "John" is far worse, getting two Texas sheriff's killed through his reckless, loose-cannon ways in this brief plot alone. John fatally guns down several more deputies with his own two hands. John's guiding principle seems to be, "When you're in Texas, the thing to do is totally ignore or defy police orders, because all the cops there are gutless wimps." John closes KATIE by setting off a terroristic blast destroying half of Clearwater, TX. Quite a few of "Il Duce's" features climax in this fashion, which is why Wayne's later criticism of Clint Eastwood's ending for HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER is so hypocritical. Clint should have set "Il Duce" straight in that Mr. Eastwood's Modus Operandi is just to retrace Big John's footprints.

Katie Elder has died.Her four sons return to Clearwater, Texas and mourn over her death.They also intend to get the ranch back and revenge for the murder of their father.The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) is directed by Henry Hathaway.The brothers are played by four terrific actors, which are John Wayne (John), Dean Martin (Tom), Michael Anderson, Jr. (Bud) and Earl Holliman (Matt).Martha Hyer is wonderful as Mary Gordon.Jeremy Slate is terrific as Ben Latta.James Gregory is great as Morgan Hastings.The young Dennis Hopper gives a terrific performance as his son Dave.Paul Fix is superb as Sheriff Billy Watson.As the thuggish Curley you can see the marvelous George Kennedy.John Qualen is very good as Charlie Biller.Great job from Strother Martin, who plays Jeb Ross.And also from Karl Swenson as Doc Isdell.If a movie has John Wayne and Dean Martin in the lead, you can't expect a movie of bad quality.And this movie turns out to be a good western with Duke and Dino, but it's not their very best.It's not quite the level of Rio Bravo, which I saw again recently.But it entertains enough, like in the scene where those four brothers fight.And when these brothers fight, they really fight.And the gunfight in the end is a treat.

A bit of research provides this humbling realization--the most improbable parts of this film are the ones based upon reality. The wrongly-accused Marlow brothers DID resist a lynch mob and an ambush assisted by their guards, and in the end, the survivors found legal vindication.A sheriff and his deputy wait at the station for the expected arrival of a brother with a bad reputation. Instead, an obvious hired gun arrives, about whom they worry, about whom they do... nothing. John Wayne, eldest and most formidable of the Elder brothers, comes in the back way and even attends his late mother's funeral at a safe distance. One of the most interesting aspects to this film is Wayne's character's repeated refusals to fall into ambush, to do the stupid thing.Their parents are dead, the family impoverished, the scent of fish slowly rises as Wayne, particularly, but also Martin and a VERY strong cast of supporting actors gradually unspool the plot. A hired gun... an ambitious gunsmith and his son, even in his early days, Dennis Hopper did edgy and creepy with a master's abilities. Who ARE the good guys? The Director is honest enough to let the viewer go with his impulses to trust the Brothers--rightly, as it turns out.George Kennedy makes a creepy, convincing heavy, one with a psychopath's utter lack of concern for legality and a sadist's delight in inflicting pain. There are few scenes to rival his gleeful torturing of an inoffensive undertaker interrupted when he looks up to receive Wayne's pick handle in his face. Seldom is a steaming dish of come-uppance so satisfactorily served.The growing and utter hopelessness of the brothers' cause manifests itself with conviction. The villainy of the scheming antagonist grows more and more manifest until he murders his own son without any particular sign of remorse. There is an intensity here that rewards the careful watcher, there is a breadth to this film worth a bit of slow pacing in the second half.On the whole, a convincingly superior effort.