The War Wagon
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Movie Reviews of The War Wagon
Movie Review: A Subtle (but Fun) Parody of Traditional Western Movie Conventions
Summary: 4 Stars
I didn't like the "War Wagon" when it was first released, I found it rather silly and vaguely offensive. The problem was me, I was not ready to recognize, let alone relate to, a subtle parody of the western genre. I should have been more receptive because in the mid-60s a huge amount of genre parody began to appear on television ("Batman", 'Wild Wild West", "F-Troop", "Get Smart"), which could be traced back to gently tongue-in-cheek series like "Maverick" and "Zorro".
"Cat Ballou" (1965) was the first feature length parody of Western generic clichés. But its parody elements were obvious, even if you were not that familiar with the conventions of the Western genre you could recognize exaggerations and revisions. In addition, up to this point John Wayne films had given the Western genre only very traditional treatments.
But "The War Wagon" was only the first example of director Burt Kennedy's tweaking of the genre. He would follow it up with "Support Your Local Sheriff" (1969), "Hannie Caulder" (1971), and "Support Your Local Gunfighter" (1971). Wayne would toy with parodic elements two years later with "True Grit", and would stay much less traditional with the remainder of his westerns.
"The War Wagon" is also a genre hybrid as western is mixed with buddy picture and big heist movie. Taw (John Wayne) recruits an old enemy Lomax (Kirk Douglas) as he seeks revenge on a ruthless mine owner (Bruce Cabot) who not only framed and sent to him prison, but appropriated his ranch and personal possessions after a huge gold strike was discovered on ranch property (here we go with the exaggeration-the only things missing are stealing Taw's wife, adopting his children, and leaving his toilet seat up). Cabot transports his gold in a "Wild Wild West" inspired armored wagon.
The interplay between Wayne and Douglas (who always seems right on the verge of accepting Cabot's standing offer of $12,000 to kill Wayne) is clever and sarcastic, working with the many exaggerated elements to provide the film's considerable humor.
"The War Wagon" finds Wayne on the wrong side of established authority, for at least the third time as his Ethan Edwards character in "The Searchers" also operated well outside the law and Quirt Evans in "Angel and the Badman" had to be bad enough that he could be reformed by Gail Russell.
Howard Keel plays the civilized Indian sidekick mostly for comic relief and the characters actually demonstrate an awareness of the movie context when they self-reflexively (deliberately drawing attention to their playing characters in a movie) refer to a tactic as an old Indian trick. Ultimately the joke (and the irony) is on Wayne and Douglas, as their seemingly one-sided deal with the Indians (a few blankets in exchange for their participation) causes the Indians to end up with most the rewards.
"The War Wagon's" understated parody style would inspire John Huston ("The Life & Times Of Judge Roy Bean") and George Roy Hill ("The Sting"); and of course many others.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
Movie Review: "Look at those horses; what are they draggin'? Heavily guarded, what is that wagon?"
Summary: 4 Stars
Framed and having served a prison sentence, Taw Jackson (John Wayne) is finally out and seeking revenge on Frank Pierce (Bruce Cabot), the mine owner who set him up and stole his land. Taw's scheme is to waylay Pierce's heavily guarded "war" wagon carrying a gold shipment worth half a million dollars. To assist him, he engages the services of a card-cheating Indian (Howard Keel), a young drunken explosives expert (Robert Walker Jr.) and a crazy old coot/wagoneer (Keenan Wynn). He is abetted also by Lomax (Kirk Douglas), a gunfighter/safecracker initially hired by Pierce to kill Taw, but who now is hedging his bets by playing both sides. As the day of the heist looms ever closer, Taw's team deals with petty animosities and mutual distrust of each other, as well as with the cagy Frank Pierce, who knows something is in the air. Will Taw be able to keep his team focused on the heist or will all the squabbling ultimately turn his dreams of retribution into fool's gold? And just whose side is Lomax really on?
Based on the novel "Badman" by Clair Huffaker, this is a pretty diverting heist comedy, posing as a western. Director Burt Kennedy does this one by the numbers, but the movie is still elevated by the very capable veteran actors involved. John Wayne and Kirk Douglas make a fine team. The Duke is his usual gruff, no-nonsense iconic self, while Kirk matches him in machismo, bullets and quips. The friendly but perceptible rivalry between the two co-stars' characters is something well worth viewing. Bruce Cabot plays a good villain, savvy, calculating and determined to hold on to what he's stolen. A young Bruce Dern has an early supporting role as one of Pierce's henchmen.
One amusing trivia fact: During the movie's filming, Kirk Douglas was late to the set one day because he was shooting a commercial endorsement for California Governor Edmund Brown. John Wayne was very irate but was late for work the following day because he himself had to shoot a commercial for candidate Ronald Reagan.
This certainly doesn't come near the John Wayne all-time classic films. But by 1967, he had become such an icon and cinematic comfort food that, nevertheless, in the eyes of the moviegoers (me, included), War Wagon gleamed with the patina of the Duke's magic. The only minus to this film is the unnecessary romance between the explosives expert and Wynn's young bartered wife. But, driven by a rollicking theme music and interesting if stereotypical character play, this is a nicely-paced oater that's definitely worth 3 and a half stars and an hour and 41 minutes of the viewer's time.
Movie Review: The War Wagon
Summary: 4 Stars
"Mine hit the ground first."
"Mine was taller."
John Wayne & Kirk Douglas team up a second time, this time in a western. Not the best movie that either one of them did but it's entertaining.
Taw Jackson (John Wayne) has just returned from prison to Emmett, N.M. where he had once resided. He had lost his ranch to Pierce who had gotten it, apparently, after Jackson had been sent to prison. Lomax (Kirk Douglas) has been hired a second time to kill Jackson after failing a time in the past. But this time Jackson makes offer to Lomax that's impossible to turn down: 500.000 dollars. It's being shipped by Pierce's War Wagon that's steel plated & has a Gatling gun mounted on a turret, not to mention 33 outriders tagging along.
The character interplay between Wayne & Douglas is fun to watch. For a while you're not sure if Lomax is going to help Jackson or kill him. Their plan to steal the half million is an elaborate one but the film doesn't dwell on this so it keeps moving at a good pace. Burt Kennedy directed & he had a natural flair for pacing & action, he also had a unique talent of combining westerns with comedy. The casting coup of the sixties was placing Howard Keel as the Indian. Keel had been known mostly for roles in musicals, he was an excellent baritone. Much of the film's comedy stems from his portrayal which could've been a very bad case of miscasting. This casting coup was one of Hollywood's greatest successful reaches.
The film, for its day, has a twist for an ending, but, as is usually the case, Wayne does come out on top. Hollywood would still make a few more good westerns, but not many were better than this. In some ways, The War Wagon signals the end of the Hollywood classic western.
Enjoy.
Movie Review: LESSER KNOWN WAYNE WESTERN OF THE 1960'S
Summary: 4 Stars
Perhaps because it was not directed by Howard Hawks, John Ford, or Andrew McLaglen, War Wagon isn't quite as held in the same esteem as many of Wayne's films of the 1960's. Still, as a nice little western caper it's pretty good and gives us the pairing of two legends Wayne and Kirk Douglas who also starred in "In Harm's Way" a couple of years earlier. Wayne is Taw Jackson who was framed and jailed, and had his ranch stolen from him by a devious banker named Frank Pierce, played by frequent Wayne Co-star Bruce Cabot. Pierce highers gunman Lomax (Douglas) to kill Jackson but Jackson offers a better deal...help him rob Pierce's Armored war wagon of half a million dollars instead. Lomax goes along but keeps Jackson on a short leash.
They recruit several other members to help them pull off the job including Fletcher (Keenan Wynn), Billy (Robert Walker) the drunken, nervous demolitions expert, and in a hilarious role, Howard Keel playing half indian/half Jew. Keel has one of the films greatest scenes when he's first found bound by a band of Mexican bandits who are shooting empty liquor bottles off of him. Lomax comments to the affect of "I suppose that's your friend" and a exhasperated Wayne just sighs, "Well....." Just Classic! Bruce Dern has a small but role as one of Pierce's gunmen. Dern of course would have the pleasure of shooting Wayne just a few years later in "The Cowboys" which earned fim much hatred among movie fans for many years. There are several humorous moments in the film, typical of most of Wayne's 1960's movies where humorous interplay between the characters was such a hallmark. Wayne and Douglas had very good chemistry and its a pity that they didn't do more films together.
Underrated and really quite good.
Movie Review: A good western
Summary: 4 Stars
One of the Duke's better vehicles of the 60's. An extremely entertaining western. It wasn't meant to win an Oscar; it was made to be fun to watch and it most certainly is that. The interplay between Douglas and Wayne is especially funny.On a side note that sarcasm and veiled hostility between the Duke's and Douglas' characters was not too far removed from their real life relationship. John Wayne was Hollywood's leading conservative. Kirk Douglas is one of Hollywood's most outspoken liberals. Friction was a certainty. Also their Oscar hunting pet project films- Wayne's "The Alamo" and Douglas' "Spartacus"- went head-to-head with each other for 1960's Best Picture. During Oscar ballotting time, Duke's publicity people raised hackles by impyling that a vote for "Spartacus" was un-American because it was penned by formerly blacklisted screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo. In any event neither film won; but the competition was not helpful for a working relationship between the two stars.
Yet they made three films together and always made a great on-screen team. I guess they recognized each as professional actors who could work well together and it certainly shows on screen.