George Taylor The Duke stars as the patriarch of a ranching family whose grandson is captured by bandits. While he's going to 'pay them' (if pay them means kill them all), he's accompanied by various family members in the meeting with the Richard Boone led bad guys.

charlywiles I'm a huge fan of John Wayne and this was the first Wayne western I saw in a theater on first release. It's a treat seeing Wayne and O'Hara again and many of the veteran character actors such as Bruce Cabot, Harry Carey, Jr. and Hank Worden that have appeared in many films with the Duke. Richard Boone also gives a marvelous performance as the vicious villain and he's the perfect foil for Wayne in the film. No one could play a slimy bad-guy like Boone. Having said all that however, this still is not a very good picture. The direction is shoddy (reportedly director Sherman was ill during the shoot and Wayne directed scenes himself), the script weak and many of the performances are sub-par (Patrick Wayne is particularly bad). Most of the humor in the film comes across as forced and some of the violence is kind of gratuitous and in bad taste. This was typical of most of Wayne's 1970's films (the exceptions are the classic "The Shootist" and the underrated "The Cowboys"), he often gave clichéd performances during this era and was mostly just going through the motions and playing his "personna." I almost gagged when I saw an earlier reviewer state that this is better than "The Searchers." Sorry - not even close. Still, it's The Duke and most of the movie is kind of fun - just don't compare it with Wayne's best Westerns. "Stagecoach," "Red River," "Rio Bravo," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," and the aforementioned "The Searchers" and "The Shootist" are all miles ahead.

SanteeFats This is a great movie. Lots action, great plot and acting. Big Jake is believed dead by almost everyone he runs into. Believe me he isn't!!! John Wayne is Big Jake and he is one tough mother. Richard Boone gets the lead bad guy role and he is very good. Maureen O'Hara is his wife and a very demanding shrew, yet they are still married. When his son is kidnapped by Boone and his gang that come to the McCandels ranch and kill a bunch of people and take the youngest and very effeminately dressed youngest son she calls for Big Jake. He shows up and with his sons he goes after the bad guys. I like that one of his sons are actually played by his real son. The bath scene is good and violent. Several of the amateurish bad men in the town are just sooo out classed and they die. Big Jake finally runs the kidnappers down and things come to a head. When things finally get to crunch time the dog gets killed by the fat ass, one son shoots the sniper and Richard Boone gets killed. The young son is safe and returned to mama.

mark.waltz When the grandson of beautiful Maureen O'Hara and her estranged husband John Wayne is kidnapped, Wayne re-appears after being believed by many people other than his wife to be dead. He joins his sons (Bobby Vinton, Patrick Wayne, Christopher Mitchum) to find the nasty gang (lead by Richard Boone) who are holding him hostage out of vengeance. Wayne and sons fight the villains tooth and nail, and Wayne gets to show a sentimental side for both the wife he still loves and the grandson he never knew.The focus may be on the family, but the style is violence. Boone and his men are evil renegades, and Wayne and sons represent old-fashioned goodness. The conflict is there, the heroes all rugged and handsome, and the wasted O'Hara undeniably one of the most beautiful veteran actresses still working in the 1970's. You can't take your eyes off her for her fleeting time on screen, and wish she was there more. The final battle between the two groups goes on far too long, and the situation with Wayne and O'Hara is never resolved, leading the viewer to make their own conclusions. In spite of that, it is hard not to like the film, even if this is one of Wayne's bloodier westerns.