A rowdy, fun-filled Western starring old Hollywood friends and costars Wayne and O'Hara as a feuding couple fighting for custody of their children. Common East-West, Civilization-Frontier tension is featured as O'Hara wants her children raised in the city. There is also some 1960s Native-American revision presented in the form of a critical look at the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the 19th century. Strother Martin has no patience with or understanding of the Indians and is made to look like a foolish, paper-pushing bureaucrat. A fine, screeching, performance from him (as always).

O'Hara stomps and fumes and flares her Irish temper at every possible turn. Wayne does not bend -- he fends off his wife, provides proper guidance for his children and defends the Indians at the same time. Speaking of Wayne's children, this movie is produced by his son Michael and stars son Patrick and daughter Aissa. The family-affair nature of the movie demonstrates Wayne's star power and his comfort with it.

This is an early entry in the final stage of Wayne's career, when he began allowing a lighthearted look at his own image. These characterizations culminated, of course, with his award-winning role in True Grit. However, given its respectable Western credentials, with its steady comic undertones and farcical Brouhaha by the quarry, we've got to categorize McClintock! as CAMP.

--JED

Cast:

• John Wayne.... George Washington McLintock
• Maureen O'Hara.... Katherine McLintock
• Patrick Wayne.... Devlin Warren
• Stefanie Powers.... Becky McLintock
• Chill Wills.... Drago
• Yvonne De Carlo.... Mrs. Louise Warren
• Jerry Van Dyke.... Matt Douglas Jr
• Edgar Buchanan.... Bunny Dull
• Bruce Cabot....Ben Sage
• Perry Lopez.... Davey Elk
• Strother Martin.... Agard
• Gordon Jones.... Matt Douglas
• Robert Lowery.... Governor Cuthbert H. Humphrey
• Hank Worden.... Curly Fletcher
• Michael Pate.... Puma