“The Sons of Katie Elder” (1966) starring John Wayne & Dean Martin / Z-View

The Sons of Katie Elder (1966)

Director:  Henry Hathaway

Screenplay:  William H. Wright, Allan Weiss, Harry Essex; based on story by Talbot Jennings

Stars: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Martha Hyer, Michael Anderson Jr., Earl Holliman, Jeremy Slate, James Gregory, Paul Fix, George Kennedy, Dennis Hopper, John Doucette, James Westerfield, Rhys Williams, John Qualen, Rodolfo Acosta and Strother Martin.

Tagline: From the four winds they came, the four brothers, their eyes smoking and their fingers itching…

The Plot…

The year is 1888.  Katie Elder’s four grown sons have come home for her funeral.  Home is the small frontier town of Clearwater.  John (Wayne), the oldest, is an infamous gunfighter. Tom (Martin) is a professional gambler who drifts from town to town.  Matt (Hollimann) is a store owner.  Bud (Anderson) just graduated high school.

The three oldest brothers had left years ago.  They had been sending their mom money since dad died six months ago.  They were unaware that their father had been murdered.  Or that their mom had the family ranch stolen from her.

But they know now.  And they’re going to right those wrongs.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It has always bugged me that Katie Elder had four sons that ranged in age from about 60 to 17. How young was she when she had her first child?  Because her eldest son was about 40 years older than the youngest!?! (The film’s conceit was that her eldest son was in his late 30’s.  John Wayne was in his late 50s when he played the part.)

The Sons of Katie Elder was John Wayne’s first film after surgery for lung cancer.  He had the cancer and two ribs removed just four months earlier.  The production was initially set to film in October of 1964, but was postponed until January 1965!

The hearse used to transport Katie Elder now resides in front of the Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World.

Tommy (Old Yeller) Kirk was originally cast as the youngest brother.  After Kirk was arrested for possession of marijuana the role was recast.

Three actors played two roles in The Sons of Katie Elder.  Karl Swenson played both Doctor Isdell and the bartender.  Jerry Gatlin is uncredited but played one of the Hasting’s gunmen and the railroad worker.  Boyd ‘Red’ Morgan, also uncredited played a member of the posse and the blacksmith.

Doc Holliday’s woman known as Big Nose Kate sometimes went under the alias Kate Elder.  Her real name was Mary Katherine Horony Cummings.

The Sons of Katie Elder (1966) rates 3 of 5 stars.