Henry Hathaway is not a particularly good director, but he churned out a number of interesting flicks, especially HATARI and NORTH TO ALASKA with Wayne as the lead - although my favorites are RAWHIDE (1951, with Tyrone Power) and NIAGARA (1953, with Joseph Cotten and Marilyn Monroe).
THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER is a typical 1960s John Wayne Western. In fact, it begins rather well, with everyone waiting for the big guy, John Elder, to make his entrance. Meanwhile, we get introduced to his brothers, the very young Michael Anderson (Bud), the young Earl Holimann (Matt), and the much older Dean Martin, who is still younger than John Wayne, who is easily old enough to be Anderson's grandfather!
George Kennedy and James Gregory make credible villains, but the film's believability is let down by a shootout in what appears to be a mangrove, and Dean Martin surviving what looked like a killer shot at the end.
Photography by Lucien Ballard is always top grade, and it's possibly the single best aspect to this film. Stunts are average, dialogue repetitive, and screenplay rather weak in the final third. Even so, it's good fun in parts. If you've never seen it, and you like John Wayne, you might enjoy this Western. 6/10
THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER is a typical 1960s John Wayne Western. In fact, it begins rather well, with everyone waiting for the big guy, John Elder, to make his entrance. Meanwhile, we get introduced to his brothers, the very young Michael Anderson (Bud), the young Earl Holimann (Matt), and the much older Dean Martin, who is still younger than John Wayne, who is easily old enough to be Anderson's grandfather!
George Kennedy and James Gregory make credible villains, but the film's believability is let down by a shootout in what appears to be a mangrove, and Dean Martin surviving what looked like a killer shot at the end.
Photography by Lucien Ballard is always top grade, and it's possibly the single best aspect to this film. Stunts are average, dialogue repetitive, and screenplay rather weak in the final third. Even so, it's good fun in parts. If you've never seen it, and you like John Wayne, you might enjoy this Western. 6/10