Theaters: November 1963
Streaming: July 1997
Rated: NR
Runtime: 127 minutes
Genre: Comedy – Romance – Western
els: 6.0/10
IMDB: 7.3/10
Amazon: 4.5/5 stars
Rotten Tomatoes Critics: 5.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Audience: 3.9/5
Metacritic Metascore: NA/100
Metacritic User Score: NA/10
Awards: NA
Directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen
Written by: James Edward Grant
Music by: Frank De Vol
Cast: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara
Film Locations: Fairbank – Chiricahua National Monument – Duquesne – Harshaw – Klondyke – Las Cienegas National Conservation Area – Lochiel – Nogales – Patagonia – Ruby – San Raphael Valley – San Xavier – Sonoita – Sonoran Desert – Tucson, Arizona, USA
Budget: $4,000,000
Worldwide Box Office: $14,500,000
Katherine Gilhooley McLintock (Maureen O’Hara) after a 2 year absence returns to her husband, G.W. McLintock (John Wayne) and their ranch outside of the western town of the eponymous McLintock to ask for a divorce, custody of their teenage daughter, and alimony. G.W., still confused about why she left in the first place, just says no to all and proceeds to woo Katherine back to his arms and their ranch. While G.W. deals with his recalcitrant wife he also faces challenges from dirt farmers trying to farm the unfarmable high plateau, Indians resisting resettlement to the reservation, along with the worthy and not so worthy suitors pursuing the affections of Becky (Stefanie Powers), his daughter. All matters proceed in a slapdash but charming facetiousness.
This movie is all John Wayne. He chose the director, Andrew V. McLaglen, herded the script through completion with scriptwriter, James Edward Grant, had his son Michael produce the movie, and another son, Patrick star in the slightly incestuous role of a cow-hand courting his movie daughter Becky. The film also marks the beginning of Wayne letting the world know his views on everything from politics to education within the confines of this and his subsequent movies.
The movie reunites John Wayne with his frequent co-star Maureen O’Hara. These two worked together in 4 other movies including the 1950 Rio Grande, the 1952 The Quiet Man, the 1957 The Wings of Eagles, and the 1971 Big Jake. The two had a special working relationship, each able to abide the other’s head strong tendencies, and both could act their parts, from the common “man” to the polish and charm of the upper crust. Their onscreen affection for each other always came through as honest and real, not only a credit to their abilities as actors but also their deportment as a true lady and a true gentleman, all in an age gone by.
A legitimate classic movie with hints of Shakespeare’s comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, the moral education of Father Knows Best, and the real-life tragedy known as the Trail of Tears. John Wayne taming Maureen O’Hara, John Wayne educating his family and friends, John Wayne attempting to reconcile the law with the Indians’ pride and heritage. John Wayne shows a humorous side in this movie but he is still the big man on the set.
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