The Sons of Katie Elder

A western set in the American West. Katie Elder dies. Her four sons come to the funeral; they have been away for years and none of them was with her in her last years. In town they learn what happened: their father was shot at a gambling table and the family ranch changed hands that night. Their mother lived on what was left, a small house, and got by with the help of neighbours. The four brothers are nothing alike. The eldest is known for his gun; one gambles, one is trying to start a business and the youngest is barely more than a boy. They want the ranch back. But years have passed and the deeds appear to be in order. Where the film goes is the brothers coming to know each other again. Old scores between them, their guilt towards their mother and who failed to do what all come out along the way. There is an ambush in the middle and the brothers are pinned down in a creek bed; that passage is the tensest part of the film. John Wayne plays the eldest and Dean Martin the second. Earl Holliman, Michael Anderson Jr., Martha Hyer and Dennis Hopper are in the cast. Henry Hathaway directed. Wayne made this film shortly after surgery on his lung and had health trouble throughout the shoot. A solid choice for anyone who likes classic westerns and family stories. For a viewer wanting something new, the film follows the known patterns of its genre.