The 1950s and 1960s were undoubtedly the golden age of Hollywood Westerns, with an abundance of films emerging from the era that would ultimately attain classic status. However, the sheer volume of these productions also meant that a considerable number of them fell short of excellence, with some even proving to be disappointments despite featuring notable names in both front and behind-the-camera roles. One disappointment is The Sons of Katie Elder, 1965 film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring John Wayne.
Loosely inspired by real events that took place in 1889 Oklahoma concerning the Marlow brothers, the film's plot is set in 1898 Texas. The story begins when four brothers – John Elder (played by John Wayne), a notorious gunslinger; Tom (played by Dean Martin), a professional gambler; Matt (played by Earl Holliman), a failed businessman; and Bud (played by Michael Anderson Jr.), a youth who isn't happy about attending college – return to their hometown of Clearwater to attend the funeral of their mother, Katie. The townsfolk held Katie in high esteem due to her kindness and virtuous life, while her sons were viewed as disappointments and troublemakers.
Upon discovering that Katie died destitute, the brothers learn that their family ranch had been taken over by the wealthy gunsmith Morgan Hastings (played by James Gregory) after a card game with their father, who was subsequently killed in mysterious circumstances. Anticipating trouble and the inevitable questions that would follow, Hastings had already hired the gunslinger Curley (played by George Kennedy) to deal with the Elders. When the town's popular sheriff, Billy Wilson (played by Paul Fix), starts investigating the affair, Hastings has him killed and frames the Elders for the crime.
On paper, The Sons of Katie Elder has all the ingredients for a classic Western, or at least one of the better works of the genre. These include the epic widescreen picture format, the cinematography by Lucien Ballard, which puts the Mexican Durango locations to good use, and the very likeable Western-like music score by veteran composer Elmer Bernstein. However, the most important ingredient is John Wayne, who in the role of the oldest and wisest of all brothers delivers another good performance as the dependable Western hero. Wayne's performance is even more impressive, considering that "the Duke" had been diagnosed with cancer and had parts of his lung removed shortly before the production.
The rest of the cast, however, is not as memorable, with the possible exception of Dean Martin, who had good chemistry with Wayne in the iconic Rio Bravo six years earlier and who here attempts to serve as something of a comic relief. Unfortunately, the efforts of these two actors are compromised by a lacklustre script that makes the plot convoluted and floods it with a large number of characters that are mostly forgettable, one-dimensional, or, like in the case of the young sheriff's deputy, simply undeveloped. The character of the young townswoman, played by Martha Hyer, is introduced only avoid film having an entirely male cast.
Although Hathaway, as an experienced director, delivers a few solid action scenes, the audience must sit through long exposition and some scenes that don't go anywhere, leading to almost two hours of running time that would, at times, test the audience's patience. Even the casting is slightly questionable, with a 57-year-old Wayne being paired with a 21-year-old Michael Anderson Jr., who is simply too young to be convincing as his character's biological brother.
While solid enough to be recommended to fans of Wayne, The Sons of Katie Elder would satisfy mostly viewers who haven't seen any other Western or at least a Western from the golden age of the genre. Four decades later, John Singleton remade the film as Four Brothers, an action film set in modern-day Michigan.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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