Big Jake: Difference between revisions

A 1971 [[The Western|Western]] movie starring [[John Wayne]], [[Richard Boone]], and [[Maureen O'Hara]]. In 1909, a gang of brutal ruffians led by John Fain (Boone) violently kidnaps the grandson of Martha McCandles (O'Hara), who runs a large and lucrative cattle ranching operation. When the thugs demand a ransom, Mrs. McCandles decides it is time to call in her long-lost husband, Jacob McCandles (Wayne) - a [[Badass Grandpa|rough and unpleasant man]], to do a rough and unpleasant job.

Not one of [[John Wayne|The Duke]]'s most famous Westerns, it is an interesting treat for dedicated fans. Made relatively late in the careers of most of those involved, Wayne and his colleagues brought their many years of experience in making Westerns to bear on '''''Big Jake''''', resulting in a competently-made, easygoing, consistently entertaining film. In addition to older, experienced Western actors, the film also featured two of John Wayne's [[Nepotism|real-life sons]], as well as the son of [[Robert Mitchum]]. [[Crowning Music of Awesome|The score was pretty good too]].

Set in [[The Edwardian Era|1909]], rather than the 19th century, like most Westerns, ''Big Jake'' deals tangentially with the closing of the American West and the ''end'' of the age of cowboy heroes like those played by John Wayne throughout his career. Automobiles, motorcycles, oil wells, and semi-automatic pistols all make appearances, and Jacob McCandles (as well as his Indian companion, Sam) are both old and grey, worn out by years of hard living.

* [[Ape Shall Never Kill Ape]]: When Sam asks Jake what they were hunting, Jake says "men". Sam then explains that he refuses to kill ''Apache'' (he has no problem killing other kinds of men if need be). Upon hearing the situation Sam is willing to jump aboard. He does not ask if any of the kidnappers are Apache; perhaps he thinks any who might be have [[Moral Event Horizon|disqualified]] [[No True Scotsman|themselves.]]