This was the last movie of his that did all that well at the box office, he was rated the #1 male box office draw in '71 for the last time. The rest of his flicks--the Cowboys, Cahill, etc didn't do all that great. What made this one special? Well, nothing really-it's another in the line of those sixties/early 70's 'Superstar John Wayne' flicks ala the War Wagon or Sons of Katie Elder or Chisum, where he trots out the same old faces-Paul Fix, Bruce Cabot, a Mitchum, Hank Worden, beats on baddies, Indians and the younger folks, saves the day, and tosses in some broad humour to boot.
This one adds: more violence, more blood-letting, a motorcycle, a plane, Richard Boone in a fine nasty villain role, and Maureen O'Hara back to the well one more time.
Debits-there are bad continuity booboos galore-in terrain, in the color of the Dawg, in some of the stunts, etc. Both Mitchum and Pat Wayne are so-so at best. Wayne seems bent on beating the younger upstarts down at every turn. You know its made during the Vietnam War even if you didn't know it's release date.
It's a good time though, familiarity in this case doesn't breed contempt. Worth checking out just because. You gotta be a fan of the Duke though.
**1/2 outta ****
Oh they save the kid and Boone is killed at the end.
This one adds: more violence, more blood-letting, a motorcycle, a plane, Richard Boone in a fine nasty villain role, and Maureen O'Hara back to the well one more time.
Debits-there are bad continuity booboos galore-in terrain, in the color of the Dawg, in some of the stunts, etc. Both Mitchum and Pat Wayne are so-so at best. Wayne seems bent on beating the younger upstarts down at every turn. You know its made during the Vietnam War even if you didn't know it's release date.
It's a good time though, familiarity in this case doesn't breed contempt. Worth checking out just because. You gotta be a fan of the Duke though.
**1/2 outta ****
Oh they save the kid and Boone is killed at the end.