The 'Secret' John Wayne Classic
When New Hollywood gave Wayne the Oscar for "True Grit" in 1969, they thought he was old and out of it and would just "go away."
But he made 11 more films before his poignant final one in 1976: "The Shootist."
Admittedly, some of the 70's Wayne Westerns were rather routine entertainments (I'm sure we have fans of "The Train Robbers" and "Cahill" around here, but there were only OK.) His attempts to do "Dirty Harry" cop movies ("McQ" and the London-based "Brannigan") were not that major, either.
Still, it was great to have the Duke alive and working all the time in anything, and occasionally, he made a real good one in the 70's. "The Cowboys" and "The Shootist" are the two serious good films.
And "Big Jake" is the fun one.
The screenplay for "Big Jake" was written by folks who wrote a draft or two of "Dirty Harry," and if you listen, you can hear some of the same "tone": Harry's "Do You Feel Lucky?" speech is rather like Fain's "Your fault, my fault, nobody's fault" speech. And there is the great repeater line in "Big Jake" of: "I thought you was dead." Everybody who meets Wayne's Big Jake in this movie thought he was dead.
The story is a Western thriller, updated to the "Wild Bunch" era of motorcars and bursting blood bags that were all the rage. Wayne is "Big Jake" McCandles, the long-exiled head of a family now run by his estranged wife, Maureen O'Hara. Big Jake's grandson is kidnapped by a large gang led by Richard Boone; many employees of the ranch are killed in the process. O'Hara sends for Big Jake to save the boy and kill the gang: "This is going to be an exceedingly harsh and unpleasant business, and it is going to require the services of an exceedingly harsh and unpleasant man."
"Big Jake" is a Family Reunion of a Western. Wayne reunites with O'Hara. One grown son (Patrick) plays his son; the other child son (Ethan) plays his grandson. Robert Mitchum's son Chris plays another Wayne son, and longtime Wayne sidekick Bruce Cabot (of "King Kong" fame) is his faithful Indian companion. And "Dog" is his faithful dog.
Richard Boone -- a great actor and star in his own right -- had turned down a few bad guy parts in earlier Wayne westerns, but liked how bad this one was, and how many great lines he had, and said "yes", giving Wayne what one critic called: "the best villain in any John Wayne Western," with Lee Marvin in "Liberty Valance" one behind because Boone was a more wily adversary. Wayne and Boone only have two scenes together, but they are fantastic.
Veteran George Sherman is listed as the director, but it is believed that Wayne himself directed this one. The production values are not at the level of "The Cowboys" or "The Shootist" to follow; but it is the script and the acting that drives this very funny, very violent, and very exciting Western thriller.
A few lines I like:
(Wayne sees that Boone has him surrounded): "You must think I'm a real...dangerous...man."
Boone to Wayne: "Anything goes wrong, your fault, my fault, nobody's fault...and I'll send that kid home to you in a box."
Wayne to Boone: I've been sent to return the boy alive or you and your men dead. It doesn't make any difference to me which, but it's be easier to get the boy back.
Wayne to Patrick Wayne: Don't call me daddy.
Boone to O'Hara's foreman: The problem with money is, there's always someone wants to take it away from you. But that's the only problem with it, and ain't that the bloody truth (shoots foreman.)
Wayne to Boone: Anything goes wrong, your fault, my fault, nobody's fault...I'm gonna blow your head off.
Wayne to Patrick Wayne: (After being called "daddy" yet again) Well, if you can't learn to respect your elders, it's time you respected your betters. (Decks him.)
And:
Boone: Who are you?
Wayne: Jacob McCandles.
Boone: I thought you was dead.
Wayne: Not hardly.
"Big Jake": it's a lot of fun, but it means something...about family.