Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973)

A tough Marshal has a difficult task when his two sons join a gang and rob a bank.

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writers:

Harry Julian Fink (screenplay), Rita M. Fink (screenplay)

Stars:

John Wayne, George Kennedy, Gary Grimes

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Wayne	...	J. D. Cahill
George Kennedy	...	Fraser
Gary Grimes	...	Danny
Neville Brand	...	Lightfoot
Clay O'Brien	...	Billy Joe
Marie Windsor	...	Mrs. Green
Morgan Paull	...	Struther
Dan Vadis	...	Brownie
Royal Dano	...	MacDonald
Scott Walker	...	Ben Tildy
Denver Pyle	...	Denver
Jackie Coogan	...	Charlie
Rayford Barnes	...	Pee Wee Simser
Dan Kemp	...	Joe Meehan
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Hank

Storyline

J.D. Cahill is the toughest U.S. Marshal they've got, just the sound of his name makes bad guys stop in their tracks, so when his two young boys want to get his attention they decide to rob a bank. They end up getting more than they bargained for.

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Plot Keywords:

boy | u.s. marshal | apache | comanche | teenage boy | 

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Taglines:

A lawman and his sons face the ultimate test of courage.

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 July 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

CAHILL United States Marshall

Filming Locations:

Chihuahua, Mexico

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.,Batjac Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Andrew V. McLaglen said that the film is "not the usual John Wayne movie. It's a very deep, personal story about children neglected by a father who is just trying to do his job."

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Goofs

After Cahill is onto his sons' involvement in the bank robbery, we see him and Lightfoot watching the boys fishing. Later, after the boys have traveled awhile in the buckboard, we see the two men watching the boys again. The medium shot of Wayne and Brand reveals that they are sitting on their horses in the very place from which they had been watching the boys fishing.

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Quotes

J.D. Cahill: Any of you want to surrender?
Ben Tildy, Outlaw: Now what did you say?
J.D. Cahill: I said, 'Any of you want to surrender?'
Ben Tildy, Outlaw: Five of us and one of you! I'll say one thing for you, J.D., you got style! Yes sir, you got style!

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Connections

Featured in 100 Years of John Wayne (2007)

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Soundtracks

A Man Gets To Thinkin'
Music by Elmer Bernstein
Lyrics by Don Black
Sung by Charlie Rich
(Courtesy of Epic Records)

User Reviews

Thematically strong, but executed with little gusto.

"If you don't like the treatment, then don't rob banks"

J.D. Cahill is a fearsome Marshal, his reputation goes before him where ever he roams, but when his two sibling boys decide to get his attention by way of joining a gang and then robbing a bank, he is perhaps faced with his toughest challenge.

This is not a great John Wayne film, in fact it's distinctly average, but at its heart, the tale of a single father trying to balance his work and bring up his children properly, is interestingly watchable. Unfortunately after a brisk and entertaining opening the film ambles along without any wish to up the ante. John Wayne, and chief bad guy George Kennedy appear to merely be going through the motions, and some of the technical work here only compounds the cheap feel that cloaks the story. It's ultimately mostly unforgettable stuff, but it deserves a watch because it does at least say a bit more than at first thought, it's just real sad that it's not put together very well. 5/10