Review of Sons Of Katie Elder, The

Introduction

There actually was a Katie Elder, though she was nothing like the Katie Elder described in the film, The Sons Of Katie Elder. Not a lot is known about her life, which was certainly disreputable, but for a time she was the companion of Doc Holliday, he of the OK Corral fame, and may even have been married to him. But her later life is as mysterious as her origins, though I doubt that it was anything as honourable and upright as depicted in the movie.

The four sons of Katie Elder return home near the turn of the Century to say their farewells at their mother`s funeral. Gambler Tom, quiet Matt and youngest son Bud all make it on time, but notorious gunfighter and eldest brother John stays away from the ceremony to avoid trouble. But trouble is inevitable when the four brothers reunite and head into town to settle their mother`s affairs. Their father was murdered six months previously and their ranch is now in the hands of town businessman Morgan Hastings, who won it in a game of cards. Foul play is all too evident, but without proof the brothers can`t reclaim their heritage. Hastings is determined to protect his ill-gotten gains and has hired a gunman, Curley just in case, and Curley is just a little hotheaded. The three eldest brothers want to fulfil their mother`s last wish and put their youngest sibling through college, whether he wants to or not, and John is trying to set a good example, despite his reputation. But Morgan is getting jittery, especially as the Town Marshal is getting to close to the truth, and the brothers are in for a whole heap of trouble.

Video

The Sons of Katie Elder is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer. The picture is impressive, being sharp and clear. Colours are rich and strong, though they are the strong bright colours of a typical western, rather than anything too realistic. There is the inevitable print damage and just a smidgen of grain, but the cinematography is excellent and the rugged landscapes of the Western genre are put to good use here.

Audio

You get a choice of DD 2.0 mono tracks in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. The sound itself is crisp and well defined, with the dialogue always clear and the action well represented, albeit on a typical mono track. Elmer Bernstein supplies a very Magnificent Seven-esque theme.

Features

A trailer for your viewing pleasure, plus no end of subtitle tracks.

Conclusion

For reasons that are best forgotten, this film was always known as the Sons Of Kate Adie in our house. No idea why, as I can`t recall the intrepid BBC journalist ever strapping on a pair of six-shooters and riding hell for leather into Tiananmen Square. Unfortunately, that is the most positive comment I can make about this film, as The Sons Of Katie Elder is just dull and unexciting. The script is about the worst thing in this film, turgid and uninspiring at the best of times, at others it`s downright nonsensical. The performances are lacklustre to say the least. John Wayne looks too old to be one of the sons, and he seems to just breeze his way through the material. Michael Anderson Jr. is invariably loud as Bud Elder, while Earl Holliman is quiet to the point of absence as Matt Elder. The only actor to come away with any credit is Dean Martin who manages to give Tom Elder a semblance of personality. Even still, the most voluble of the Elder clan has to be the dead mother Katie, who makes her presence felt whenever the camera lingers on her creaking rocking chair, which casts her shadow over the four brothers. Non Elder wise, the performances are not much better, with George Kennedy blustering his way through a by the numbers villain role, and Dennis Hopper whining incessantly as the snivelling son of Morgan Hastings. This certainly isn`t one film to have on your CV.

For a John Wayne movie, the singular lack of humour is the most telling flaw. There are the occasional sparks of excitement in the film, most particularly when Tom Elder decides to auction off his glass eye, and when the brothers get into the inevitable brawl, but these moments are few and far between, and even begin to look out of place with the rest of the film.

The disc itself is blessed with a better than average transfer, Paramount`s lack of extra features notwithstanding, and it certainly better than the treatment that many back catalogue titles get. Unfortunately the film just isn`t worth it.