Rent The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

Routine 60s Western - The Sons of Katie Elder review by GI

A typical John Wayne vehicle from the mid 60s and made just after he had had major surgery as part of his cancer treatment. It's a mildly entertaining western that doesn't try and do anything with the genre other than allow Wayne and his cast to have some roustabout punch ups, some comedy thrown in and a climactic shoot out. It's essentially the age old story of the old west coming up against the new west. When their mother dies four brothers reunite for her funeral and find she has been conned out of her land and money by a rich businessman who probably also murdered their father. Wayne is the reputed gunfighter, John, Dean Martin the second brother who is wanted for murder and Earl Holliman and Michael Anderson Jr the two youngest. The age difference between them is obvious and unrealistic but this is just a film that is designed to be nothing more than a bit of fun and a release for the then highly popular Wayne. Henry Hathaway directs but he utilises Fordian styles in the presentation and in many ways this is an example of the western as it was starting to fade in popularity and just as the spaghetti western phase was beginning as the genre began a key revisionist period. It's all good fun but not Wayne's best by any stretch.