Le grand McLintock

The Tales of the American West and the Western Film are two inseparable American Cultural Institutions. They are highly visible and closely related to each other. Both are exaggerated and distorted versions of American History. Whatever the images we harbor in the deep recesses of our widdle heads, they are colored by people like Zane Gray, Louis Lamour, William S. Hart and John Ford.

Then of course, we have so many types of western film as we have other kinds of genres of stories. So some films are historically correct, some are strictly fairy tale material. So we even have Western Farce, a subject well represented by today's 'victim', the John Wayne starring vehicle, McLINTOCK (Batjac Productions/United Artists, 1963).

Being an original screenplay, the story is a custom fit for the Duke, whose Batjac Productions made the picture and released it through United Artists. Long on characters and characterizations, the picture uses the slimmest plot as just a reason for presenting political postulates and providing its audience with many a reason to laugh.

OUR STORY………..It is to be a Great Celebration of the 4th of July in the Western Town of McLintock. Having been named after its local patriarch, the Multi-millionaire Rancher/Farmer/Miner, one George Washington McLintock (the Duke), the town and its people have prospered.

Added to the mix we have the return from College "back East" of G.W.'s daughter, Becky McLintock (Stephanie Powers-Woo, woo, woo, woo!). Her affections were being sought after by College Boy and Glee Club Varsity Letterman, Matt Douglas, Jr. (Jerry Van Dyke), the son of U.S. Government Agent, Matt Douglas (Gordon Jones). Jerry Van Dyke does as fine a job as ever in doing comic relief. He gives a Stan Laurelesque interpretation to his character.* The biggest development in the whole chain of happenings is the return of G.W.'s estranged firebrand of a wife, Katherine Gilhooley McLintock (Maureen O'Hara), who has a real love-hate relationship with G.W. The climax of the film has an open air domestic "quarrel" that takes Mrs. Mc down the streets of the town, clad in (strictly non-revealing) foundation under-garments, with G.W. in pursuit, ah, it's true love! Many who have viewed both films agree that this was a sort of obvious attempt to recreate the high spot in John Ford's THE QUIET MAN (Argosy Pictures/Republic Pictures Corporation, 1952), in which both the Duke and Maureen O'Hara also coincidentally were the belligerents.

In the viewing of McLINTOCK!, we witness a real hybrid of a production. As we have mentioned before, we have a particular sort of Horse Opera here. It is a true farce. Unlike Mel Brooks' BLAZING SADDLES (Crossbow Productions/ Warner Brothers, 1974), which was a spoof of the Western, the John Wayne film was a farce, all the way. If anything, we can describe it as a sort of "latter day" or modern, if you will, Mack Sennett Comedy. And it is with confidence we offer this thesis, for it seems to have all the same elements; namely, a central hero having some unusual difficulties, family troubles, bad business conditions and high expectations of his ability to weather the "storm." In the process of getting through the 2 hours, the Duke manages to instruct us on what his ideas were on the way things are and should be.

If you notice, any Governmental Representative is seen with a dim view, not only of his intent, but also of the underlying intent and outright necessity of whatever their function is. He is obviously a Conservative, a believer in self help. His is truly a far cry from the Cradle to Grave, creeping socialism that we see so much today.

One thing we do know about Mr. Marion Michael Morrison was his generosity and his loyalty toward his friends, both old and new. In McLINTOCK! We had a film that could have gotten by with a much smaller cast. But if they did that, so many of Mr. Wayne's friends wouldn't have a pay day. Subsequently we have people like the Director Andrew V. McLaglen (Victor's son) and a host of actors such as: Patrick Wayne, Stephanie Powers, Jack Kruschen, Chill Wills, Yvonne De Carlo, Jerry Van Dyke, Edgar Buchanan, Bruce Cabot, Perry Lopez, Strother Martin, Gordon Jones, Robert Lowery, Hank Worden, Michael Pate, Leo Gordon, Bob Steele and many others.

Whatever the classification, McLINTOCK! is worth taking in. It's never dull, and certainly won't be hard to watch, that's for sure. And we dare you not to have your full share of laughs before it's over!

This is film-making at it's best! Superbly cast and acted, John Wayne stars with Maureen O'Hara, Patrick Wayne, Chill Wills and Strother Martin in a western with a twist of humor. There's some drama and enough action to keep the viewer's interest, but this film contains some hilarious scenes, particularly between O'Hara and Wayne. Those two have worked together (superbly!) before and it shows. Their interaction is perfect and the results provide some real comic relief! This isn't one of Wayne's old "oaters", but a wonderfully written and executed film. Don't miss this film - it's one of the greats!

"McClintock" is loosely based on William Skakespesre's "The Taming of the Shrew". It is not your usual John Wayne western (in fact he doesn't draw his six shooter even once), but is more of a broad comedy with a tip of the hat to John Ford.

This film was the first to be produced by Wayne's son Michael who had basically taken over the running of Wayne's production company Batjac. It also was the first major feature to be directed by Andrew V. McLaglen who had learned his trade as an assistant on previous Wayne features and on TV. He is also the son of former Wayne co-star Victor McLaglan.

The story is simple. G.W. McClintock (Wayne) is rough and tumble hard drinking rancher whose estranged wife of two years, Katherine (Maureen O'Hara) has returned to try to gain custody of their daughter Becky (Stephanie Powers). The conflict between the two forms the basis for the rest of the picture. Into the mix comes a widowed settler Mrs. Warren (Yvonne DeCarlo) and her son Devlin (Patrick Wayne) who becomes enamored of Becky. The chemistry between Wayne and O'Hara makes this film go. The big gruff Wayne vs. the fiery Irish redhead provides much of the humor of the piece.

The scene for which this film is probably best remembered is the fight at the top of a mud slide Most of the combatants, including the two stars wind up going down the slide into a pool of mud below. And then there's the climatic chase through the streets.

The film features most of the members of the John Wayne stock company. Chill Wills plays Wayne's foreman Drago, Bruce Cabot as a rival rancher, Hank Worden as "Curley", Ed Faulkner as Cabot's son, Chuck Roberson as the Sheriff and Bob Steele as a train engineer.

Other familiar faces include Jack Kruschen as storekeeper Jake Birnbaum, Jerry Van Dyke as Junior a rival suitor for Becky, Perry Lopez as Davey Elk an educated Indian, Strother Martin as Agard the Indian agent, Gordon Jones as Douglas, McClintock's longtime nemesis, Robert Lowery as the governor, Michael Pate as Puma the Commanche chief, Marie Blanchard as saloon girl Camille and Leo Gordon as the settler who is the first to go down the famous mud slide.

A little devoid of action (there are no gunfights or saloon brawls), McClintock remains one of Wayne's most popular films.

The Paramount DVD release is billed as the "Authentic" Collector's Edition. Some years ago, the film somehow fell into the public domain and an inferior version of the film has been floating about the bargain bins as a result. This release however, restores the film to its widescreen aspect ratio as well as, showing its rich and vibrant colors. There is also interviews with the ageless Maureen O'Hara (still looking as beautiful as ever in her 80s) and Stephanie Powers who looks better now than she did in the film. Leonard Maltin hosts the various segments and provides a feature length commentary along with film historian Frank Thompson, O'Hara, Powers and Michael Pate.

Great fun.

I am a John Wayne fan, but have never heard much "buzz" about this movie. Indeed, I hesitated over it a number of times before renting it for my family's weekly movie. I almost introduced it apologetically.

No worries, though! This movie is CLASSIC John Wayne. There are SO many elements to like in it. You get some good and timely philosophical comments about self-reliance versus dependency, some other good points on what goes into a marriage; but then there are truly funny comic moments, scenes, lines. Very un-PC, very memorable.

In fact, this movie has so many great lines it will require more viewings. We re-ran several as it was.

Put that together with a uniformly strong supporting class, and I think you've got vintage Wayne.

Whatever you think of John Wayne's politics, they were never better expressed more convincingly or with more entertainment than they are in McLintock. At first glance this film is a rough house western version of The Taming of the Shrew. But it is far more than that, it is the closest thing we have to a film manifesto of the world as John Wayne saw it.

As G.W. McLintock, the Duke is the American dream personified. The man who came west and by dint of his own sweat and labor built a cattle empire. He did it without the government's help and note how he tells the settlers the government doesn't 'give' anything away. One of the three people identified as villains in his world view is land agent Gordon Jones. He's a liberal in McLintock, peddling the view that government help is the answer to all of our problems.

McLintock rather broadly satirizes other people who Wayne considers liberals. The know-it-all college kid Jerry Van Dyke, the tanglefooted bureaucrat Indian agent Strother Martin, the oily politician Robert Lowery these people get quite a going over.

Wayne doesn't 'give' anybody anything. As he says to son Patrick Wayne in my favorite line in all John Wayne movies, "I don't give jobs, I hire men." That's a creed he followed in real life as well.

Sad to say though the world isn't as simple as McLintock would have us believe. McLintock takes place in the age of the robber barons and those folks were not as noble in character as G.W. McLintock. Maybe the world ought to be like it is in McLintock, but it ain't.

McLintock is one grand piece of entertainment though. The comedy is as broad and unsophisticated as you would find in any John Ford film and with good reason as Wayne and Director Andrew McLaglen learned the movie trade from him.

In addition to dealing with the assorted 'liberals' mentioned above, the Duke has some domestic concerns. Wife Maureen O'Hara has left him, but is back over where their daughter Stefanie Powers will reside. Maureen is playing the same role she did in Rio Grande and later on in Big Jake, the estranged wife who circumstances force her back with Wayne. In the case of McLintock though these are circumstances that Wayne makes on his own with some inspiration from The Taming of the Shrew.

The cast is populated with a grand cast of regulars from previous Wayne films like Chill Wills, Edgar Buchanan, Hank Worden, Leo Gordon, Michael Pate, and some already mentioned.

Jack Kruschen makes his one and only film appearance in a Wayne film here. He does very well as the kindly, benevolent and obviously Jewish storekeeper. He's got an important function also here, as another self made American success story in the same film.

Yvonne DeCarlo got cast in this film after her husband who was a stunt man was injured badly on another film. She had heavy duty medical expenses and Wayne was not about charity. But he was legendary for taking care of fellow performers giving them a pay day in his films if they needed it. He didn't give jobs, he hired men and women. Yvonne is Pat Wayne's mother in the film who Maureen suspects of being Wayne's mistress when she's hired as a housekeeper.

We also get an economics lecture from the Duke as well. He works for "every man who goes to a butcher shop and wants a T-Bone steak." And Pat Wayne works for him. It's what makes the capitalist system go.

If you take some of the politics expressed with a critical eye, McLintock is fabulous entertainment, one of the Duke's best films.