MovieChat Forums > McLintock! (1963) Discussion > The Duke's Most Personal film

The Duke's Most Personal film

posted 21 years ago by bkoganbing
11 replies | jump to latest

Whatever you think of John Wayne's politics, they're are sure served up enter-
tainingly in this film. At first glance this is just The Taming of the Shrew
set out west. And it's good comedy, but there's far more to it.

The characters created in the film by Robert Lowery, Strother Martin, and Jerry
Van Dyke are Wayne's view of what liberals are. The political hack governor
(Lowery), the know-it-all college kid(Van Dyke), and the meddling bureaucrat
(Martin), are the villains of this piece. Wayne, by contrast, is the conservative hero, the self-made millionaire who is also a wise and benevolent
employer. Government is the cause of all the problems here, from re-settling
the Indians to opening the range to the homesteaders.

Wayne also lectures us on economics and social stratification in his talk with
Pat Wayne about him working for the Duke and the Duke in turn working for
"everyone who goes to a butcher shop for T-Bone steak."

The Duke slipped a lot more of his personal views into this film than in others that were out and out propaganda.

The movie is great fun, but it's also sad in a way. This takes place in the
never-neverland of the Hollywood western. Cattle barons, robber barons, just
weren't as noble as John Wayne would have you believe in the Gilded Age. He
could never have made this film in a setting remotely grounded in reality.

But if nothing else Wayne was a man true to his convictions. It was the projection of his own integrity that the audiences loved about him.

Watch McLintock, enjoy McLintock, it's great entertainment. However look at it
with a critical eye.

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] acowboy 21 years ago

Anyone know about the 2 versions on DVD ?

I saw the one that has the picture of his face and the quality was poor.
There is another one that shows him spanking ....

[–] kak122760 20 years ago

I know this is an old post, but supposedly it will be realeased later this year on DVD, that has the Wayne family approval. I have a copy already and it's not the best. Hopefully the approved DVD will be better quality.

As for the original poster, it's just a movie. Meant to be entertaining.

[–] ijonesiii 19 years ago

I have loved this movie ever since I was a kid and I didn't give a damn about the Duke's political views. The movie made me laugh and that's all that was important and I would watch it anytime it came on...the only John Wayne film that I have seen more than once. I was so afraid I was going to come to see this board and find no posts regarding this almost forgotten gem and was so pleased to find three pages of posts. Thrilled to know there are others who appreciate this film the way I did and still do.

[–] Altho73 18 years ago

I read that John Wayne (whose company Batjac produced this film) insisted that the role of the weak, insipid Governor be called Cuthbert H Humphrey, with the intention that he be seen as a parody of left wing Senator Hubert Humphrey whom Wayne intensley disliked.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] hugobm 16 years ago

Edward Grant wrote the script for "McLintock!", and a lot of the political views expressed were his (although John Wayne happened to agree with most of the statements made by his character).

[–] freyw 16 years ago

It definitely has a conversative/libertarian utopian vision. I like to think the Duke is in a place like that right now.

[–] Captain_Augustus_McCrae 15 years ago

And I hope to go there as well, one day.

"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's living!!!"
Augustus McCrae

[–] doobienick 12 years ago

No, he's dead and buried, long gone worm food. It's Mans fear of death that answers to the infantile need for a god and glorious afterlife.

I spend my money on dope, sex and cheap thrills.
The rest of it, I waste.

[–] jonmac-78418 8 years ago

Of course, your thoughts on the subject could very well be based on your own personal fear(s). The fear that ones soul may face judgement, of which the findings determine how ones eternity is spent, after departing earth.

While I have always believed that ones view of faith, and/or faith itself, is a truly personal belief, better kept private when it comes to ordinary, everyday conversation but, also deserving of a deep respect for each individuals opinion or what they believe(or don't believe in some cases) which contributes signifigantly in establishing ones own version and definition of faith. Ones own faith should only face challenges from within and never carry the label of being wrong, by anyone.

Personally, I do not consider myself a person who practices any specific religion, nor one to generally voice my own feelings on such a matter but, I do take issue with folks who consider themselves experts concerning faith(while possessing none themself). I can't imagine the arrogance one must possess that allows for the condemnation of others you deem ignorant, simply for lacking knowledge of that which is unknown. By inserting yourself, and the "enlightenment" you ignorantly claim to have been gifted, into such a simple discussion, with little or no religious tone, your own fears are revealed. The belief system others choose to follow can have profound effects on their life and how they live it. Each is unique and established through personal experiences and the specific value placed, by each and every person differently, on hope. Attempts to shattter the hopes of another, just because it differs from your own, requires someone having an unachievably high opinion of themself in combination with a definite lack of character and morality.