John Wayne Centenary: The '70s - Big Jake, The Cowboys and The Shootist - Page 2

Big Jake (1971)

The film opens with a brutal kidnapping as we witness a gang of outlaws descend on a ranch and, after killing men, women, and children, they make off with a small boy, leaving behind a ransom note. Deciding that neither the army or the Texas Rangers are up to the task of recovering her grandson, Martha McCandles (Maureen O'Hara making her last appearance with Wayne) comes to the conclusion it “requires an extremely harsh and unpleasant kind of man“ which acts as the perfect introduction to just such a man – Jacob McCandles (Wayne).

It falls to Wayne to deliver the ransom and recover the boy and he’s accompanied by two of McCandles' sons, played by Patrick Wayne and Christopher Mitchum. Also part of the rescue party is Bruce Cabot as an unlikely Indian named Sam Sharpnose.

More violent than the usual John Wayne movie, with lots more ketchup on display, the film still has a strong moral imperative, saving the life of an innocent young boy. Wayne made Rio Bravo as a response to High Noon and it occurred to me while watching the film again for this article that Big Jake was Duke’s response to another film he disliked – The Wild Bunch.

Both films take place in the early years of the 20th century (Big Jake in 1909 and The Wild Bunch in 1913), both feature a band of criminals (and both gangs contain brothers), and both take place in Mexico. In fact, gang leader Richard Boone was one of several actors offered the part of Pike Bishop in Peckinpah’s classic before William Holden was cast.

If Boone’s gang is supposed to represent the Wild Bunch, it’s clear what Wayne thinks of them; these aren’t the sympathetic protagonists of Peckinpah’s film, they are cold-blooded killers. Wayne’s Jacob McCandles, while equally a man whose time has passed, is someone who stands up for what he believes is right no matter what the odds are against him.

This was Wayne’s last big financially successful film and returned the star to the top spot of Quigley Publications' annual list of top money-making stars, a position he hadn’t held since 1954. It’s not an out-and–out classic; its uneven tone (there are a couple of out of place slapstick comedy moments) and average performances from Pat Wayne and Chris Mitchum prevent it from achieving that, but it is one of my personal favourites.

Article Author: Ian Woolstencroft

Ian Woolstencroft was brought up on a diet of John Wayne movies and Marvel Comics and still has a passion for both. Now as a blogcritic he finally understands what Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben meant when he said ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ …

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