The Sons of Katie Elder [VHS]

Dean Martin & the Duke headline this western the the whole family can enjoy.

It was good to see this old John Wayne movie. Quality of picture was pretty good but not great but still an enjoyment to watch.

No dislikes and would get more at a cheaper price

I waited a long time for this one to go to blu ray and its well worth it. The movie has always been one of my favorites of John Wayne westerns with supporting cast of Dean Martin, George Kennedy and other great actors with a fun story that gets better over the years that is good clean wholesome entertainment for the whole family. It looks even more stunning and clearer sound and just an overall pleasurable experience. This is what a movie is supposed to do of taking your mind off the drudgery of the real world. Every time I watch I see something else I did not see other times. Sit back and enjoy with a bowl of popcorn in the comfort of your own home.

No matter what you say.. I love ..John Wayne. I have seen this movie once before like 15 years back on cable..? John Wayne is the King of Westerns and Clark Gable was the melodrama emperor of Old Hollywood. First of all the script was decent..the supporting cast were a perfect mix. During those years they filmed movies in Mexico,Arizona and California..if you read the credits. John Wayne was a rather tall gent...with a brash look that made women swoon. Dean Martin did a wonderful job..playing one of the brother's ...the bit in the bar..and the scam with the glass eye. If that doesn't lighten your load... Earl Holliman who's still alive plays one of the brother's .. is now 92 years old. Micheal Anderson Jr.. was played by British...Yes I said a british...actor. ..he's 77 years old. Those are the only cast member's that are still alive... Can you imagine spending all that time on location ..riding horses and doing all that shooting,,retakes ..and sleeping in trailor's..I guess ? Well ..I could... ! The blonde gal was played by the beautiful Martha Hyer... such a classy lady ... she died in 2014 at the age of 89... The costume's were simply perfect ..John Wayne always wore a hat... with a scarf that made him look ..more menacing ...to this character ... Matter of fact that was his trademark..! The only man that comes close to him is Clint Eastwood in western's..

John Wayne had lung cancer surgery in 1964 where one lung and four ribs were removed. After a very short recovery stint, Wayne filmed "Sons of Katie Elder" in the winter of 64-65. According to many sources, Wayne had a very hard shoot, short of breath and residual pain from the surgery making each day a challenge. He wanted to show his movie fans that he had "licked the Big C" as he called it. Watching Wayne in "Sons", one would never imagine the physical difficulties he faced; he is as physical as ever in this action-packed western where he and his brothers fight to get back their dead father's ranch from the man who stole it.With costars Dean Martin, Earl Holliman, and Michael Anderson Jr., Wayne, as the older brother John Elder, leads his brothers in the battle to recover their ranch and avenge the murder of their father. James Gregory plays the evil and conniving Morgan Hastings, the man who stole the ranch, and his hired killer is the brawny George Kennedy. Against impossible odds, the Elder boys find themselves in a gunfight to the death trapped beneath a bridge. Here they make their heroic last stand in an epic gun battle.The strong supporting cast make this film work. Dean Martin is exceptionally good as Tom Elder. Paul Fix, a standard in many Wayne films, plays the sheriff, and Martha Hyer plays the female lead (a very small but important part).The plot moves right along, and there is plenty of action that makes this film an entertaining 2 hours.Wayne went on to film many more westerns, including True Grit (1969), in which he won his only Oscar. He would die of stomach cancer in 1979 in California UCLA Hospital. He remains beloved and iconic long after his death.kone

Interesting story line and great cast. Loved the Duke in this timeless classic. Great performances from George Kennedy, Earl Holliman, Dean Martin and others.

Place some obvious flaws aside and just enjoy this wonderful old western. John Wayne and Dean Martin don't look much like brothers, and John Wayne is far too old to have another teenage brother. The "kid" who the three older brothers want to send off to college, seems about as college-bound and as a intellectually inclined as a pet rock. Here again, Katie Elder's reputation as a living saint of Clearwater, Texas is too good to be true. All that aside and more, "Katie Elder" is a great old western in the tradition of John Wayne, which, in comparison to today's "action" movies are so much more well done, flaws and all. What astounds me most about these old westerns is that the gun-fighting is only a part of it. There's also a good deal of focus upon character development and setting, so that in comparison to today's non-stop age of constant stimulation, time is taken for a good amount of dialogue and a cinematography that showcases the expanses of the American West.Once you become a John Wayne enthusiast, you start to notice the "family" of actors who reappear as with "Katie Elder", where Dean Martin also co-stars in "Rio Bravo", Jeremy Slate, Dennis Hopper and Strother Martin can also be seen in "True Grit", John Doucette is likewise seen in "Big Jake " and "True Grit", and Paul Fix and George Kennedy reprise similar roles in "Cahill, US Marshall", with Kennedy portarying especially honoray villians in both movies.Elmer Bernstein who also composed the soundtrack for "The Magnificent Seven", "True Grit" and "Cahill, US Marshal" perfectly accents the wide open spaces of American western lore.

Henry Hathaway directed some fine Westerns during his long career and 'The Sons of Katie Elder' ranks as one of his best films. It boasts a strong cast, including John Wayne, Dean Martin, George Kennedy and Dennis Hopper. The story begins with the four Elder sons returning to Clearwater, Texas to pay their last respects at their mother's funeral. John, the eldest son, is a notorious gunfighter and trouble seems to stalk him wherever he roams. The sons want to get their ranch back from the town's gunsmith who won it from their father in a card game. Their father was murdered shortly afterwards and the sons endeavour to find the murderer and gain revenge. Katie Elder passed away before the action begins, but her influence is still keenly felt throughout the film. Whilst seeking the truth about their father, the four sons get to know each other again. 'The Sons of Katie Elder' is a traditional and in may ways rewarding Western. It may not be quite an absolute classic, but it's still well worth investigating.

Good quality disc with a wonderful reproduction and sound track. One of John Wayne's best westerns. He is well-supported by the rest of the cast, especially Dean Martin. Highly recommended.

One of JW's best western films; I have many, but not all.As Katie Elder does not appear in the film, being already dead, it does not matter, but elsewhere I have read that she is Big Nose Kate, the onetime girlfriend of Doc John Holliday

John Wayne films are always good entertainment and well worth buying

Fantastic film brilliant