Grade: B-
Synopsis: Returned home for their mother’s funeral, four brothers (John Wayne, Dean Martin, Earl Holliman, and Michael Anderson Jr.) investigate the death of their father.
The Sons of Katie Elder is an enjoyable, but not spectacular, western, notable as star John Wayne’s return to acting, just four months after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous lung.
Highlighted by Lucien Ballard’s great widescreen photography and featuring an excellent supporting cast including Paul Fix, George Kennedy, and Rhys Williams, The Sons of Katie Elder breezes through its 122-minute running time.
Unfortunately, the film does have a rather glaring weakness. While John Wayne and Dean Martin are great as the oldest of the titular brothers, the younger Elder brothers are a different story. Earl Holliman barely registers and Michael Anderson Jr. is both one-note and annoying, a fact made all the more frustrating given that the cast also includes an under-utilized Dennis Hopper, who would have been much better in Anderson Jr.’s role. Further, the script does little to help the disparity, as Wayne’s and Martin’s are the only two brothers that are really fleshed out. Still, despite these shortcomings, the combined charisma of Wayne and Martin is enough to compensate.
Bottom Line: While nowhere near the level of Wayne and Martin’s previous teaming, Rio Bravo (1959), The Sons of Katie Elder should please fans of either performer.
One Response on “The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)”:
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dino martin peters said:
Hey pallie Frank, thanks so much for postin’ this review…and your favorable comments ’bout our Dino. Dino and the Duke have such chemistry on the big screen. Indeed, “Sons Of Katie Elder” is no “Rio Bravo,” but how cool to have ‘nother western with both great men starrin’ together. Never was, never will be anyone as cool as the King of Cool. Oh, to return to the days when Dino walked the earth!
