McLintock!

"I haven't lost my temper in forty years, but pilgrim you caused a lot of trouble this morning, might have got somebody killed... and somebody oughta belt you in the mouth. But I won't, I won't. The *hell* I won't!"

George Washington "G.W." McLintock (J. Wayne) is the richest man in the territory: a cattle baron, mine owner, and owns most of the town that bears his name.  His wife Katherine (O'Hara) walked out 2 years before with no explanation.  She is living in the city and their daughter Becky (Powers) is away at college.  He lives as a bachelor, while tending to his many business ventures.  He is aided by his friend and foreman Drago (Wills) who lives at the house, along with their cook Ching (H.W. Gim).  And he regularly goes into town to play chess with his old friend Jake Birnbaum (Kruschen), who owns the general store.

As they prepare for Becky's return, a new group of farmers arrive in town to settle on the plots of land the government granted them.  He hires Devlin Warren (P. Wayne), a farmer, to work at assorted jobs at the house.  He also hires Devlin's widowed mother Louise (De Carlo) as the new chef, making Ching a member of the family.  He is shocked to learn that Katherine is also in town.  She wants a divorce and to take Becky back to the city with her.

Meanwhile, his old foe Matt Douglas (Jones) is stirring up trouble between the farmers and the Comanches.  The Comanches have come to town to meet their chiefs, who are arriving on the same train as Becky.  The Comanches are supposed to listen to Indian Agent Agard (Martin), but they never do.  Their chiefs, led by Chief Puma (Pate) have no interest in following Agard's rules and ask McLintock to speak for them at the upcoming hearing.  The arrival of headstrong Becky and the hostility from Katherine throw McLintock's life into turmoil.  Can he sort out his family problems while helping his friends?


I have loved this film for years.  It falls at #3 on my Top 10 John Wayne Films list.  It reunites Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.  They made 5 films together: Rio Grande in 1950, The Quiet Man in 1952, The Wings of Eagles in 1957, and Big Jake in 1971.

The film is inspired by William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew."  Producer Michael Wayne (Wayne's oldest son) and director Andrew V. McLagen thought the story would be funnier as a western.  It is a comedy western with an iconic mud fight scene.  All of the main male cast and O'Hara end up covered in "mud" (pictured at the top of this post).

I grew up watching this film and still find it funny.  It is filled with memorable characters (Strother Martin's Agard, Edgar Buchanan's Bunny, Chill Wills' Drago, among others) and funny one-liners.  The film was a critical success in 1963, one of the highest grossing films of the year.  Parts don't hold up well, but it is still an entertaining film, especially if you enjoy Wayne's films.

McLintock! (1963) 127 minutes
Director: Andrew V. McLagen
Starring: John Wayne as George Washington "G.W." McLintock
Maureen O'Hara as Katherine McLintock
Patrick Wayne as Devlin Warren
Stefanie Powers as Becky McLintock
Jack Kruschen as Jake Birnbaum
Chill Wills as Drago
Yvonne De Carlo as Louise Warren
Edgar Buchanan as Bunny Dull
Perry Lopez as Davey Elk
Strother Martin as Agard
Gordon Jones as Matt Douglas
Robert Lowery as Governor Cuthbert Humphrey
Hank Worden as Curly Fletcher
Michael Pate as Puma
Edward Faulkner as Ben Sage Jr.
Chuck Roberson as Sheriff Jeff Lord

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