The Sons of Katie Elder poster

1965·122 min·Released

The Sons of Katie Elder

“From the four winds they came, the four brothers, their eyes smoking and their fingers itching...”

Western

The four sons of Katie Elder reunite in their hometown of Clearwater, Texas for her funeral and discover that the family ranch is now in the hands of Morgan Hastings, a corrupt businessman who wants to exploit the area around the town.

7.1(306 votes)

Popularity2

Videos

The Sons of Katie Elder - Trailer

Cast & Crew

John Wayne

John Wayne

John Elder

Dean Martin

Dean Martin

Tom Elder

Martha Hyer

Martha Hyer

Mary Gordon

Michael Anderson Jr.

Michael Anderson Jr.

Bud Elder

Earl Holliman

Earl Holliman

Matt Elder

Jeremy Slate

Jeremy Slate

Ben Latta

James Gregory

James Gregory

Morgan Hastings

Paul Fix

Paul Fix

Sheriff Billy Wilson

George Kennedy

George Kennedy

Curley

Dennis Hopper

Dennis Hopper

Dave Hastings

Sheldon Allman

Sheldon Allman

Harry Evers

John Litel

John Litel

Minister

No editorial yet

Guides and articles for this movie will appear here after content sync.

John Chard

Written on 10/4/2015

The Magnificent Four! John, Tom, Matt and Bud, these are the Elder boys, who upon meeting up at the funeral of their recently deceased mother, find that their father may have been murdered over a card game. The boys must cast off sibling rivalries and find out just what has been happening in their childhood town of Clearwater, Texas. Unfairly given harsh treatment upon its release by the critics and beset with behind the scenes problems, The Sons Of Katie Elder actually holds up rather well in this day and age. All the required traits are in the film to make it an oater of some worth, a splendid cast with as much macho beef as you can shake a stick at, a top Elmer Bernstein score, the wonderful use of the Casa Blanca location and a revenge driven plot of some note. So why is it hard to actually sell this picture to the staunch Western crowd? Well coming as it did in 1965 it certainly has something of a modern sheen to it, an uneasy bed fellow with the wild west theme of the picture. The casting of the brothers just about works, but Michael Anderson Jr (Bud) and Earl Holliman (Matt) do seem to be overawed by the presence of John Wayne (John) and Dean Martin (Tom), meaning as a foursome it never quite gets to being a tight acting unit. The length of the picture may also be an issue to some? Long periods of inaction work to me personally because the characters (family unit) are gaining much needed depth, but for those wanting guns a toting at frequent intervals are not exactly catered for. Yet what action there is surely more than makes it worth the viewers patience? From the Duke swinging a nice piece of hickory to a wonderful riverside shootout, Henry Hathaway's Western is not found wanting for memorable sequences, in fact if you ask me then the mere sight of the Duke blasting away with a six shooter in each hand is a truly blood pumping joy, and don't get me started on a delightful Dean Martin scene as he raffles his glass eye! So all in all it's not without its itches, but as 60s Westerns go, The Sons Of Katie Elder is a hugely enjoyable picture to enjoy by the fireside on a Sunday afternoon. 7/10

CinemaSerf

Written on 3/26/2024

When "John" (John Wayne) returns home for the funeral of his mother and to reunite with his three brothers, he sets the cat amongst the pigeons. It turns out that their ranch now belongs to gunsmith "Hastings" (James Gregory) and with their father having been shot in the back, they start to investigate. Now "John" is a notable man with a gun, so tensions heighten when "Curley" (George Kennedy) arrives in town as a bit of muscle for the ambitious "Hastings". It's all a little predictable this but it builds to quite an explosive denouement and there's an enjoyable degree of chemistry between Wayne and kid brothers "Tom" (Dean Martin) and the baby of the pack "Bud" (Michael Anderson Jr) who has a notion to put a marble angel on top of his mother's grave - that or an horse. What ensues delivers quite an entertaining western with plenty of shoot 'em ups, quite a menacing baddie and a pretty wimpish Dennis Hopper in there too. It's a solidly written and paced action adventure that showcases some of the less laudable elements of the pioneering spirit - with plenty of splinters.

Media

ABC Movie promo The Sons of Katie Elder 1970

ABC Movie promo The Sons of Katie Elder 1970

The Sons of Katie Elder - Trailer

The Sons of Katie Elder - Trailer