Chisum (1970)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writer:

Andrew J. Fenady (written by)

Release Date:

29 July 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

THE HERO - John Wayne is "Chisum"

Plot:

Cattle baron John Chisum joins forces with Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett to fight the Lincoln County land war.

Plot Keywords:

Cattle | Billy The Kid | Pat Garrett | Range War | Wilhelm Scream

Awards:

1 win

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 14

8:15 AM

AMC

Cast

John Wayne	...	John Simpson Chisum
Forrest Tucker	...	Lawrence Murphy
Christopher George	...	Dan Nodeen
Ben Johnson	...	James Pepper
Glenn Corbett	...	Pat Garrett
Bruce Cabot	...	Sheriff Brady
Andrew Prine	...	Alex McSween
Patric Knowles	...	J. Henry Tunstall
Richard Jaeckel	...	Jess Evans
Lynda Day George	...	Sue McSween (as Lynda Day)
Geoffrey Deuel	...	Billy 'The Kid' Bonney
Pamela McMyler	...	Sallie Chisum
John Agar	...	Amos Patton
Lloyd Battista	...	Neemo
Robert Donner	...	Bradley Morton - Deputy sheriff

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-11 (new rating: 2001) | Finland:K-12 (original rating) | France:U | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 (theatrical rating: 1970) | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Durango, Mexico

Company:

Batjac Productions

Trivia:

Although clearly labeled as the older man, at 57 Patric Knowles was actually five years younger than John Wayne.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the "Big Casino, Little Casino" scene Pat Garrett is playing draw poker. If he loses the hand he will accept Chisum's job offer. He tells Chisum the next card will make up his mind. He draws one card, the 10 of diamonds, known as "Big Casino". When the camera shows his hand he was drawing to 5, 8, J, Q of spades, attempting to complete a flush. The 10 of diamonds gave him a four flush or losing hand. However, slow motion shows him throwing away the six of spades. It appears he broke up a "pat" hand to draw.

Quotes:

Lawrence Murphy: And you good people witnessed the cowardly and cold-blooded murder of our beloved Sheriff Brady by Billy "the Kid" Bonney right over there. Governor Axtell has appointed a new sheriff, Dan Nodeen. He's offered a $200 award for the kid, and I'm adding a further reward of $1,000, dead or alive.
[Crowd murmurs "$1200"]
Lawrence Murphy: Sheriff here has formed his posse. Oh... Have you got anything you want to add to that, Sheriff?
Dan Nodeen: Just this. I'm going to bring Bonney in. Now you people can either help me, or stay the hell out of my way!

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of John Wayne (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Turn Me Around

"No matter where people go, sooner or later, there's the law."

McLaglen's western showcases Wayne as John Simpson Chisum, an historical figure who was the largest owner of land, of horses and cattle in New Mexico territory around 1878… The Pecos River runs through the middle of his land… He lets the water flow to all the ranches, big and small… If another man, with more appetite—like Lawrence Murphy (Forrest Tucker) owned that land— he'd control a territory bigger than most states and some countries… The story is based on the bloody Lincoln County cattle war…

Things come to 'one hell of a fight' when Murphy's men kill Chisum's friend Henry Tunstall, mentor to Billy the Kid, and have Alex McSween, manager of their general store, with Billy and some men, trapped in…

Forrest Tucker plays Chisum's enemy who really thinks himself skillful enough to 'own' the law…

Christopher George (Dan Nodeen) plays the half-crazy bounty hunter who gimps because of Billy the Kid…

Ben Johnson has one of the most impressive records of any supporting Westerner… He came here to support Chisum all the way…

Andrew V. McLaglen has built up a reputation as one of the most promising of post-war directors of Westerns, but has yet to fulfill that promise with a really major work…