Big Jake

While a changing demographic turned to films of a different sort in the early 1970s, Hollywood icon John Wayne remained steadfastly tied to his machismo past, and 1971's Big Jake proved he was still a significant box-office draw. A family affair, with two of Wayne's own kids in key roles, and a third (Michael Wayne) filling the producer slot, the film finds the Duke playing aging rancher and famed gunfighter Jacob McCandles, who returns to the family he abandoned 18 years earlier—estranged wife Martha (Maureen O'Hara) and sons James (Patrick Wayne), Michael (Christopher Mitchell), and Jeff (singer Bobby Vinton)—after grandson Little Jake (8-year-old Ethan Wayne) is kidnapped for ransom by a gang of outlaws led by the notorious John Fain (Richard Boone). McCandles and his boys, along with Indian scout Sam Sharpnose (Bruce Cabot), set out to find the culprits. The lengthy search claims most of the film's running time, with occasional spurts of violence and low-key humor providing diversions until the explosive conclusion. Throughout, Wayne brings his usual gravitas to the role of McCandles, reminding viewers that no one of that era was as tough, commanding, and mythic as this horse-opera superstar and Hollywood legend. Although the story bogs down in the occasional cliché, Big Jake benefits from having veteran George Sherman in the director's chair, and remains a fine example of the material Wayne chose in his twilight years. Looking very good in its Blu-ray debut, this is recommended. (B. Gibron)[Blu-ray Review—Aug. 8, 2017—Paramount, 2 discs, 223 min., G/PG-13, Blu-ray: $22.98—Making their latest appearances on Blu-ray, 1970's Rio Lobo and 1971's Big Jake both feature fine transfers and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack, but no extras. Bottom line: a bargain two-fer of Duke classics.]