Four sons join together to get revenge for the murder of their drunk, habitual gambler father on the wake of the death of their beloved frontier mother, Katie Elder (never seen, but her presence is felt throughout the film anyway; how her memory always returns establishes her importance in the plot). John Wayne, Dean Martin, Earl Holliman (The Forbidden Planet), and Michael Anderson Jr. are the Elder sons who return to their mother's funeral, finding a town who wants no part of them. Wayne, as John Elder, is a known gunfighter while Martin's Tom has a warrant out for his arrest after an incident with a bartender in another town. The Elders are set up for the murder of Clearwater, Texas sheriff, Billy Wilson (Paul Fix, veteran of television), by a conniving, sneaky, no-good gun store owner, Morgan Hastings (character actor James Gregory, a veteran of television, particularly Barney Miller). Hastings is the one responsible for the murder of patriarch Bass Elder, resulting in the loss of land which left Katie without her home. The Elder sons attempt to right the wrongs orchestrated by Hastings.
I admit that "The Sons of Katie Elder" isn't one of my favorite John Wayne westerns, certainly, in regards to his pairing with Dean Martin, not a patch to "Rio Bravo". That said, I found it entertaining for what it was: a story about four men trying to do right by their maw after a life of muddying the name Elder, especially John who is known for the bloodshed as a reputed gunfighter. Katie, a pacifist, loved John, but hated violence, and this provides motivation to try and do something (forcing youngster Bud (Anderson Jr.) to return to school and do Katie's memory justice) that would make her proud.
Katie had a plan to raise cattle, so the Elders attempt to ride them to miners in the Rockies, but this plan is interrupted by Billy's "replacement", the green deputy Ben (Jeremy Slate) who believes they were behind the sheriff's murder, even though this is hogwash considering the Elders were in Pecos receiving the cattle. George Kennedy has a memorable part as Gregory's hired gun, black hat and rattlesnake grin, who will help Hastings in his plan to snuff out the Elders as they are carried, bound in chains, by stagecoach across a bridge. This film also has an early role for Dennis Hopper as Hastings' nervy, sniveling son, Dave. Curiously, the film is absent a lot of action, except two sequences at the end, including a bridge blown apart by dynamite and a gun store exploded, with more emphasis on the Elders attempting to put aside their criminal pasts to restore their family name and allow Katie to have died with some dignity. The film does have a playful brawl between the brothers which erupts when an angered Bud (mad as hell that John didn't draw in a gunfight with Kennedy's Curly in a bar) provokes John inside Katie's old home. I will say that the gunfight at the end, where the Elders must fend off Hastings' men underneath the bridge, is quite thrilling, although, interesting enough, this normally results in the conclusion of the film, but is instead a precursor to the return to town so that John can have one final showdown with Hastings.
I admit that "The Sons of Katie Elder" isn't one of my favorite John Wayne westerns, certainly, in regards to his pairing with Dean Martin, not a patch to "Rio Bravo". That said, I found it entertaining for what it was: a story about four men trying to do right by their maw after a life of muddying the name Elder, especially John who is known for the bloodshed as a reputed gunfighter. Katie, a pacifist, loved John, but hated violence, and this provides motivation to try and do something (forcing youngster Bud (Anderson Jr.) to return to school and do Katie's memory justice) that would make her proud.
Katie had a plan to raise cattle, so the Elders attempt to ride them to miners in the Rockies, but this plan is interrupted by Billy's "replacement", the green deputy Ben (Jeremy Slate) who believes they were behind the sheriff's murder, even though this is hogwash considering the Elders were in Pecos receiving the cattle. George Kennedy has a memorable part as Gregory's hired gun, black hat and rattlesnake grin, who will help Hastings in his plan to snuff out the Elders as they are carried, bound in chains, by stagecoach across a bridge. This film also has an early role for Dennis Hopper as Hastings' nervy, sniveling son, Dave. Curiously, the film is absent a lot of action, except two sequences at the end, including a bridge blown apart by dynamite and a gun store exploded, with more emphasis on the Elders attempting to put aside their criminal pasts to restore their family name and allow Katie to have died with some dignity. The film does have a playful brawl between the brothers which erupts when an angered Bud (mad as hell that John didn't draw in a gunfight with Kennedy's Curly in a bar) provokes John inside Katie's old home. I will say that the gunfight at the end, where the Elders must fend off Hastings' men underneath the bridge, is quite thrilling, although, interesting enough, this normally results in the conclusion of the film, but is instead a precursor to the return to town so that John can have one final showdown with Hastings.