The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Talbot Jennings (story)
William H. Wright (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1 July 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

If Texas coundn't tame 'em ...could she?

Plot:

Ranch owner Katie Elder's four sons determine to avenge the murder of their father and the swindling of their mother.

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Murder | Rocking Chair | Exploding Bridge | Shot In The Chest

Awards:

1 win

Cast

John Wayne	...	John Elder
Dean Martin	...	Tom Elder
Martha Hyer	...	Mary Gordon
Michael Anderson Jr.	...	Bud Elder
Earl Holliman	...	Matt Elder
Jeremy Slate	...	Ben Latta
James Gregory	...	Morgan Hastings
Paul Fix	...	Sheriff Billy Wilson
George Kennedy	...	Curley
Dennis Hopper	...	Dave Hastings
Sheldon Allman	...	Harry Evers
John Litel	...	Minister
John Doucette	...	Hyselman
James Westerfield	...	Mr. Vennar
Rhys Williams	...	Charlie Striker

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #20933) | USA:Not Rated (video release) | Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (re-rating) | West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Casa Blanca, Durango, Mexico

Company:

Hal Wallis Productions

Trivia:

Despite this being a big budget movie with a large cast, Karl Swenson was utilized to play two parts. He played "Doc Isdell" and also the bartender in the scene where the Dean Martin character auctioned his eye. The bartender part actually had more lines of dialogue.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the gun battle between the Elder Brothers and Hasting's henchman at the bridge, there aren't enough sounds to match the puffs of smoke from the guns.

Quotes:

Bud Elder: I'm going with you. I can draw pretty fast. We can be famous -- like the Dalton Brothers!
John Elder: They're famous -- but they're just a little bit dead. They were hung!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Edith Head: The Paramount Years (2002) (V)

Another winner from the Duke.

The first scene I think of when I think of this film is the sight of John Wayne belting George Kennedy in the mouth with a 2 by four.It hurts my jaw just to look at it,or even think about it.He deserved it,by the way,as John Wayne once again takes on the bad guys,this time with the help of three brothers,played by Dean Martin,Earl Holliman,and Michael Anderson,Jr.They are not perfect,themselves,mind you,but they feel they, as well as their late parents,were done wrong and set out to make things right again.As for Katie Elder,we never get to meet her,as the film begins with her funeral,but we are told so much about her,that by the end of the film we have painted a pretty vivid picture of her in our minds.This movie is very adventurous,as most Duke films are,sad at times and even takes the time to be comical in places.The film also makes me sad for the Duke personally,because,as some of you may know,that on a break from filming this movie,Duke discovered he was sick with cancer for the first time.This movie is indeed a must have for any John Wayne fan.