The Sons of Katie Elder

My opinion of this 1965 oater--starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Earl Holliman and Michael Anderson, Jr. as somewhat wayward sons who return home to Clearwater, TX to bury their ma, only to discover that the family ranch has been suspiciously transferred into the hands of a shady real estate developer--has changed little since I first watched it from the backseat of the family stationwagon as a pajamas-clad 9-nine-year-old: it was a fine complement to popcorn then, and so it remains today. Directed by Henry Hathaway, The Sons of Katie Elder's chief pleasures revolve around the humorous bantering between the siblings--particularly Wayne and Martin, as a gunslinger and good-natured con artist, respectively; nice early performances from villains George Kennedy and Dennis Hopper; and solid action when the Duke gets his dander up. Overall, these pluses outweigh the minus of a somewhat implausible but nevertheless predictable storyline. Presented for the first time in its original widescreen format, and sporting a characteristically sharp image and clear audio (ten gallon hats off to Paramount's beautiful work on the Wayne films), this is recommended. (R. Pitman)