The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

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

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

William H. Wright (screenplay), Allan Weiss (screenplay)

Stars:

John Wayne, Dean Martin, Martha Hyer

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

The Elder boys return to Clearwater, Texas for their Mother's funeral. John, the eldest, is a well-known gunfighter and trouble follows him wherever he goes. The boys try to get their ranch back from the town's gunsmith who won it from their father in a card game, after which he was murdered. Troubles come, however, just because they carry the Elder name.

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Plot Keywords:

gunfighter | small town | murder | villain | shootout | 

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Taglines:

From the four winds they came, the four brothers, their eyes smoking and their fingers itching...

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Before John Wayne signed on for the film in June 1964, Charlton Heston had been sought to play John Elder.

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Goofs

When Tom and Bud dive back into the water at the bridge after retrieving some rifles and shells, Bud is only carrying a couple rifles and no shells, yet when they surface under the bridge, Bud's arms are full with rifles and boxes of shells.

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Quotes

John Elder: All we want to do is make you end up rich and respectable. You fight us every step of the way.
Bud Elder: I don't want to be rich and respectable. I want to be just like the rest of you.

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Connections

Referenced in 42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Notorious Street (2015)

User Reviews

The Magnificent Four!

John, Tom, Matt and Bud, these are the Elder boys, who upon meeting up at the funeral of their recently deceased mother, find that their father may have been murdered over a card game. The boys must cast off sibling rivalries and find out just what has been happening in their childhood town of Clearwater, Texas.

Unfairly given harsh treatment upon its release by the critics and beset with behind the scenes problems, The Sons Of Katie Elder actually holds up rather well in this day and age. All the required traits are in the film to make it an oater of some worth, a splendid cast with as much macho beef as you can shake a stick at, a top Elmer Bernstein score, the wonderful use of the Casa Blanca location and a revenge driven plot of some note. So why is it hard to actually sell this picture to the staunch Western crowd? Well coming as it did in 1965 it certainly has something of a modern sheen to it, an uneasy bed fellow with the wild west theme of the picture. The casting of the brothers just about works, but Michael Anderson Jr (Bud) and Earl Holliman (Matt) do seem to be overawed by the presence of John Wayne (John) and Dean Martin (Tom), meaning as a foursome it never quite gets to being a tight acting unit. The length of the picture may also be an issue to some? Long periods of inaction work to me personally because the characters (family unit) are gaining much needed depth, but for those wanting guns a toting at frequent intervals are not exactly catered for.

Yet what action there is surely more than makes it worth the viewers patience? From the Duke swinging a nice piece of hickory to a wonderful riverside shootout, Henry Hathaway's Western is not found wanting for memorable sequences, in fact if you ask me then the mere sight of the Duke blasting away with a six shooter in each hand is a truly blood pumping joy, and don't get me started on a delightful Dean Martin scene as he raffles his glass eye! So all in all it's not without its itches, but as 60s Westerns go, The Sons Of Katie Elder is a hugely enjoyable picture to enjoy by the fireside on a Sunday afternoon. 7/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 July 1965 (Canada)

Also Known As:

The Sons of Katie Elder

Filming Locations:

Hereford, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wallis-Hazen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1