Chisum (1970)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writer:

Andrew J. Fenady (written by)

Release Date:

29 July 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

THE HERO - John Wayne is "Chisum"

Plot:

Cattle baron John Chisum joins forces with Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett to fight the Lincoln County land war.

Plot Keywords:

Cattle | Billy The Kid | Pat Garrett | Range War | Wilhelm Scream

Awards:

1 win

US TV Schedule:

Tue. July 14	5:30 PM	AMC
Thur. July 23	11:00 PM	AMC
Fri. July 24	2:30 PM	AMC

Cast

John Wayne	...	John Simpson Chisum
Forrest Tucker	...	Lawrence Murphy
Christopher George	...	Dan Nodeen
Ben Johnson	...	James Pepper
Glenn Corbett	...	Pat Garrett
Bruce Cabot	...	Sheriff Brady
Andrew Prine	...	Alex McSween
Patric Knowles	...	J. Henry Tunstall
Richard Jaeckel	...	Jess Evans
Lynda Day George	...	Sue McSween (as Lynda Day)
Geoffrey Deuel	...	Billy 'The Kid' Bonney
Pamela McMyler	...	Sallie Chisum
John Agar	...	Amos Patton
Lloyd Battista	...	Neemo
Robert Donner	...	Bradley Morton - Deputy sheriff

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-11 (new rating: 2001) | Finland:K-12 (original rating) | France:U | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 (theatrical rating: 1970) | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Durango, Mexico

Company:

Batjac Productions

Trivia:

John Wayne was very disappointed that his stunt double was so obvious in the final fight with Forrest Tucker.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the gunfight at the store/bank, when the scene changes from nighttime to daylight two curtains on the outside of the store change lengths.

Quotes:

John Simpson Chisum: We may have to be neighbors, but I don't have to be neighborly.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Rundown (2003)

Soundtrack:

Turn Me Around

Old Style Western entertainment

One of the last of the old-style Westerns (it always amazes me that it was made as late as it was). John Wayne doing his stuff as only he can - huge shoot-outs, classic fist fights, goodies and baddies amazingly clearly defined, thumping score, oh and that amazing landscape.

If you like Wayne you'll love this, if you don't then you'll hate it. Simple as that. Ben Johnson is superb - as ever, a much underrated character actor.

Someone mentioned the 'silly' title song. I have to disagree. I love those amazingly long opening titles and the grandiose pomposity of the theme tune and its voice-over. All moving into that classic opening shot of Wayne like an immovable great rock on horseback and the horizon. Probably (no definitely) my favourite opening to a movie.

True to history - if it ever is then its by accident. But what do you expect - its a classic old-style western! Finally, was this the last US movie to feature characters with (allegedly) British accents as heroes. ;-)