The Sons of Katie Elder

Starring: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Earl Holliman, Michael Anderson Jr., Martha Hyer, Dennis Hopper
Directed by: Henry Hathaway
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Western
1965

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: After Katie Elder dies, her four sons (John Wayne, Dean Martin, Earl Holliman, Michael Anderson Jr.) come home to pay their respects. While there, they begin to suspect something amiss as they learn their mother had lost her property, and their father was mysteriously murdered. They decide to stick around and find out the truth.

Review:

Tim: I liked this movie, possibly more than I should have. I really enjoyed seeing the four main actors (Wayne, Martin, Holliman, and Anderson Jr.) interacting as brothers. These are the best scenes of the movie (the fight is hilarious). However, the rest of the movie is only what you'd come to expect from a Wayne Western, and not much more.

John Wayne is very good in his first post-cancer role. It is amazing to see him acting in this film with essentially one lung. This film comes near the twilight of his career and is one of the last very good ones. I also liked seeing Dean Martin. He and Wayne are always great together (like in Rio Bravo). The rest of the cast is decent, but mostly forgettable. I didn't even remember that Dennis Hopper was in the film, although he has a very large role!

The film balances out action with a few good dramatic scenes. There is very little extremely memorable or unique here. The film's strength comes from the four brothers coming together after years apart and working to bring some justice to their family's past. The Sons of Katie Elder is an entertaining Western. It is not John Wayne's best, but it serves as a good film that is well worth watching.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Rio Bravo, True Grit, The Searchers