7.2/10
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69 user 29 critic

Big Jake (1971)

GP | | Western | 26 May 1971 (USA)
In 1909, when John Fain's gang kidnaps Big Jake McCandles' grandson and hold him for ransom, Big Jake sets out to rescue the boy.

Directors:

, (uncredited)

Writers:

(story and screenplay), (story and screenplay) (as R.M. Fink)
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1 nomination. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
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Michael McCandles (as Chris Mitchum)
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...
...
...
...
...
...
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Jim Burk ...
Trooper
Robert Warner ...
Will Fain
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Storyline

The McCandles ranch is run over by a gang of cutthroats led by the evil John Fain. They kidnap little Jacob McCandles and hold him for a million dollar ransom. There is only one man who is brave enough and smart enough to bring him back and that man is Big Jake. Written by Christopher D. Ryan <cryan@direct.ca>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Big John = Big Jake = Big Western See more »

Genres:

Western

Certificate:

GP | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

|

Language:

|

Release Date:

26 May 1971 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Million Dollar Kidnapping  »

Filming Locations:

 »

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Box Office

Budget:

$4,800,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$7,500,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,350,000, 31 December 1971
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(photographs in opening credits)| (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Another one of the pictures shown in the opening montage is of "The Breakers," a mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, completed in 1895, the summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr.. See more »

Goofs

Big Jake is bucked off his horse and falls in a mud puddle. Later in the same scene his suit is clean. See more »

Quotes

Martha McCandles: They're very dangerous men. They've already killed ten people, many of them you know... Juan and his family...
Jake: Tina and the little boy?
Martha McCandles: And Moses Brown.
Jake: Old Mose... lousy cook.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Daria: Camp Fear (2001) See more »

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User Reviews

Don't call him "Daddy"!
29 June 2000 | by See all my reviews

A later John Wayne western that contains a surprising amount of graphic violence. This is by no means another "Wild Bunch" but there are more bloody gunshot wounds than usual.

The plot concerns the search and rescue of a kidnapped grandson that Wayne has never seen.

The banter between Jacob McCandles(Wayne) and his estranged sons is the source of many of the film's great lines. When Patrick Wayne tries to provoke the Duke by calling him "Daddy", the retort by the old man is priceless.

A good villan(Richard Boone), another pairing with Maureen O'Hara, some great one-liners and several references to older Wayne films make this a great choice from the westerns section at Blockbuster. Elmer Bernstein's music is wonderful too, sounding much like his "Magnificent Seven" score.


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