The sheer fact that the leading actor in this movie is none other than John Wayne himself makes this Western a class of its own.
On top of that, the producer of the film is Michael Wayne, John Wayne’s eldest son, while Patrick Wayne, another son of John Wayne, also has a part in the film.
In other words, this movie is largely a family affair.
The other cast consists of some very big names that are very popular among moviegoers, such as Maureen O’Hara, and Stephanie Powers.
A thing that I liked and really impressed me in this Western film is that there are not any killings at all, which is very rare for a Western.
Although there are warning shots and a shot with blanks, as well as plenty of boxing and fighting scenes, nobody is actually killed throughout the film.
An Indian chief was the closest to be killed, when he was about to be hang for allegedly abusing a settler’s daughter, when the truth was revealed just in time, and McLintock intervened to save the life of the poor Indian.
This Western film is intended to be a comedy, which explains why any killings were left out of the script.
Other than that, McLintock is the big boss with lots of life wisdom and experience, who seems to have the solution to any problem that comes his way.
He seems to control everything and everyone around him.
He can predict what will happen next, has a quick wit, and acts really fast.
There is one person, however, who believes that he first acts and then thinks.
That person is Catherine, or Kate, as McLintock insists on calling his wife, who no longer lives with him.
When she comes back to ask him to divorce her, and he refuses, she goes mad and hell breaks loose for big McLintock.
Even though he proved to be man enough to face the tribes of mighty Indian warriors, braved the biggest dangers, and never backed down in his life, when he faces his angry wife, he is weak and speechless.
The whole movie revolves around the ups and downs of the relationship between G.W. McLintock and Catherine McLintock, with most of the other characters being on GW’s side, with the exception of their daughter who supports her mother but also cares about her father.
Sources and further reading:
McLintock!
Michael Wayne
Patrick Wayne
Maureen O'Hara
Western (genre)