The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

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

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 | Swindle | Family Relationships | Gunfight

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
John Qualen	...	Charlie Biller
Rodolfo Acosta	...	Bondie Adams
Strother Martin	...	Jeb Ross
Percy Helton	...	Mr. Peevey
Karl Swenson	...	Doc Isdell
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Glen Anderson	...	(uncredited)
Jerry Gatlin	...	Amboy (uncredited)
Harvey Grant	...	Jeb (uncredited)
Loren Janes	...	Ned Reese (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	...	Burr Sandeman (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Ralph Volkie	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Paul Whitson	...	(uncredited)
Jack Williams	...	Andy Sharp (uncredited)
Henry Wills	...	Gus Dolly (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen	...	Buck Mason (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry Hathaway

Writing credits
Talbot Jennings		(story)
William H. Wright		(screenplay) and
Allan Weiss		(screenplay) and
Harry Essex		(screenplay)

Produced by
Paul Nathan	....	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	producer
Joseph H. Hazen	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
Lucien Ballard

Art Direction by
Hal Pereira
Walter H. Tyler		(as Walter Tyler)

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Loren Cosand	....	makeup artist (as Loren Cossand)
Web Overlander	....	makeup artist (as Webb Overlander)
Dorothy White	....	hair stylist

Production Management
William W. Gray	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael D. Moore	....	assistant director (as D. Michael Moore)
Joselito Rodríguez	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
Harold Lewis	....	sound recordist
Bill Wistrom	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Babcock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Gatlin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Henry Wills	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Head	....	costumes

Editorial Department
Warren Low	....	editorial supervisor

Other crew
'Chema' Hernandez	....	head wrangler: Mexico (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hal Wallis Productions
• Paramount Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• Les Films Paramount (1965) (France) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1965) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1966) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Finnkino (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Hallmark Channel, The (2006) (USA) (TV)
• Paramount Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• TV3 (1990) (Finland) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2005) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)

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:

In western history, there is a famous Katie Elder: "Big Nose" Kate Elder, a prostitute and girlfriend of legendary gunfighter John "Doc" Holliday.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: If you slow motion the sequence where John Elder (Wayne) draws his pistol on the sheriff in the graveyard, you can see that there are two guns, one in his holster, and another in his hand, done (not very well) in an effort to make him look fast on the draw.

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:

Remade as Four Brothers (2005)

Entertaining Wayne Oater!

"The Sons of Katie Elder", though not one of John Wayne's best westerns, is very entertaining nonetheless. Director Henry Hathaway keeps the story moving providing us with breathtaking scenery and a rousing finale. We are also treated to another rousing score from composer Elmer Bernstien.

The story has the four Elder brothers, John (Wayne), Tom (Dean Martin), Matt (Earl Holliman) and Bud (Michael Anderson Jr.) returning home to Clearwater, Texas for their mother's funeral (the "Katie" of the title). It seems that Katie had been held in reverence by the townspeople while eking out a living to enable the youngest, Bud to attend college.

Their father had also died six months earlier and had apparently lost the family ranch in a poker game. Further investigation reveals that he had been murdered by being shot in the back.

Number one suspect is the town gunsmith Morgan Hastings (James Gregory). Hastings it seems, has acquired the Elder ranch and lives there with his spineless son Dave (Dennis Hopper). Hastings has also hired gunfighter Curley (George Kennedy) to help him get rid of the Elders.

When town sheriff Billy Watson (Paul Fix) is murdered Deputy Ben Latta (Jeremy Slate) immediately blames the Elders and arrests them. While transporting his prisoners to another venue they are ambushed and.......

This was the first film for Wayne following his surgery for cancer. You'll notice that he wears a large bandanna over his neck, presumably to hide the scars and/or the jowls. He was now beginning to show his age and the fact that at nearing age 60, he was still playing a character presumably much younger, kind of detracts a little from his credibility in the role. But hey its John Wayne. Who really cared?

As in most of Wayne's films, the cast includes a roster of recognizable faces. Martha Hyer provides window dressing as Wayne's potential love interest. Also in the cast are John Qualen as the jailer, John Litel as the minister, John Doucette as the undertaker, James Westerfield as the banker, Karl Swenson as the bartender, Rhys Williams as Striker the horse rancher, Strother Martin as the guy who "wins" Martin's glass eye, Percy Helton as the storekeeper and Rudolfo Acosta and Chuck Roberson as contends.

The two plus hour running time goes by quickly. Don't miss the scene where Wayne cold cocks Kennedy or the final shootout.