twiss54
Of course, the Duke delivers, albeit as a caricature of, himself, but the rest of the cast, except Jack Elam and David Huddleston, is a pain to watch. I believe the piece of trivia that said Wayne felt Elam was a scene-stealer. He chewed up the scenery and spit it out. Jennifer O'Neill got a lot better between this film and 'Summer of '42.' I think Howard Hawks was wise to write her out of the last part of this film.
gavin6942
After the Civil War, Cord McNally (John Wayne) searches for the traitor whose perfidy caused the defeat of McNally's unit, a shipment of gold to be stolen, and the loss of a close friend.I loved the beginning with the train robbery. Every part of it was executed perfectly, and the first ten minutes or so are probably the highlight of the film. And then the idea that the yanks and rebels could be friends was questionable but nice... and the shift from the war and the heist to tracking down a traitor, great. But it seemed to have a good deal of turns and subplots that were not quite necessary.The worst was Jennifer O'Neill, who played Shasta. I would gladly give this film another star if it was not for her. Every line was delivered so poorly. I guess Howard Hawks feared John Wayne was too old for the role... I thought Wayne was great. It was O'Neill that was the weak link. She just has no acting ability to speak of.Also, a special nod to Jack Elam, who was the comic relief. His wit and delivery (almost) make up for O'Neill, and on that count I have revised my 6 stars in 2015 to 7 stars in 2016 upon a second viewing. This may not be the best known Hawks-Wayne collaboration, but it certainly has its strong points.
Robert D. Ruplenas
I'm as big of a John Wayne fan as anyone but this has to be one of the worst films I have ever seen in which he starred. I have seen conflicting information in this space about what Hawks thought about his last effort, but it's difficult to believe that the same man who directed The Big Sleep, His Girl Friday, To Have and Have Not, Twentieth Century and Red River turned out this dog. The main problem is the level of the acting. Wayne turns in the only decent performance in the film. The quality of each and every one of the supporting cast is universally abysmal, excepting David Huddleston. Not only that the plot line seems to get bogged down about halfway through. The script is pretty tacky as well. I managed to get about halfway through before I couldn't take anymore.
bucinaus
First, those other reviews that slam the different facets of this movie are probably made by others who have nothing better to do with their time. This flick is really interesting from beginning to end. Starting with the great train robbery and ending with the shoot-out at the ranch, this movie never lets up. The dialogue amongst the actors is typically basic, like a lot of westerns, but it is to the point like most westerns as well. The set designs are also very western and entertaining-looking to the point that I wish I was actually a part of it and enjoying it. The romance between the two actors is funny and very real in a way in terms of a silly but serious man trying to court an almost hysterical but serious woman. The supporting actresses all do a very good job in their roles and are all unusually beautiful but are all rather calm and know how to handle their situations in their worlds on the set. Even the lead bad guy, the new sheriff, doesn't "look" like a typical western bad dude, however he portrays himself as a true leader and seems to be in full control of all the other dudes in his posse. Jack Elam, of course, is the wacky guy, but really knows how to kick ass if pushed, which is the type we need any more these days in our world. But, for a "wacky" dude, he seems to be also a type that is worthy of deep respect in his own right, and that may be because he seems to know what is right for the world and will stand up for it no matter what. I can go on about this flick, but my point in this review is that one needs to just simply watch the movie with your own eyes and just relax and enjoy it for all that it is worth.
AD
