However, even from that so-called golden age of Westerns, there are some movies that are among the best of the best and deserve to be appreciated by modern audiences — and when it comes to Wayne’s filmography in particular, films beyond his biggest hits in the genre that more fans should know. One such movie is The Sons of Katie Elder. More than 60 years after it was released, the film still sits at a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score and it’s now available to stream on Paramount+.
The Sons of Katie Elder is John Wayne’s Best, Most Underrated Western
Released in 1965 as the Golden Age of Westerns was ending, The Sons of Katie Elder stars Wayne along with Dean Martin in the story of four brothers who come back to their hometown in Texas for their mother’s funeral. Once there, however, they find that their father had gambled away the family ranch before being killed setting the brothers on a quest for justice as they seek to win back their ranch and, in the process, live up to the standards their late mother had for them.
The Sons of Katie Elder is a simple story of family seeking justice in the American West, but it’s the simplicity that helps to make it such a good movie. It’s a straightforward plot that is well-written and well-acted. While the movie contains all of the elements one would expect from a classic Western, including gunfights, plenty of action and other violence, and a little bit of humor as well, it’s also a remarkably heartfelt and human story. While the brothers are indeed just out to get back the family ranch, there’s something very relatable and emotional about the men also wanting to do right by their beloved mother.
Interestingly enough, however, is that despite the fact that The Sons of Katie Elder is a near perfect Western in every respe3ct, its star wasn’t exactly thrilled with it. Wayne had undergone surgery for lung cancer, which caused the film’s production to be delayed, and later the actor would tell film critic Roger Ebert that he thought he could her himself breathing heavily during his performance, something that bothered him though others said they never noticed. He also had some other issues with the making of the movie, notably nearly contracting pneumonia after he was dragged into a river, and the experience seems to have colored his take on the film as a whole. Despite this, The Sons of Katie Elder stands as an incredible entry in his already phenomenal filmography and it’s a Western that movie fans shouldn’t miss.
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