:''See also
McClintock (disambiguation)''
''McLintock!'' is a 1963 American
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
comedy
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium.
Origins
Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
film, starring
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
and
Maureen O'Hara, directed by
Andrew V. McLaglen. The film co-stars Wayne's son
Patrick Wayne,
Stefanie Powers,
Jack Kruschen,
Chill Wills, and
Yvonne De Carlo
Margaret Yvonne Middleton (September 1, 1922January 8, 2007), known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film star and sex symbol in the 1940s a ...
(billed as special guest star). Loosely based on
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
The Taming of the Shrew'', the project was filmed in
Technicolor
Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...
and
Panavision
Panavision Inc. is an American motion picture equipment company (law), company founded in 1954 specializing in cameras and photographic lens, lenses, based in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, California. Formed by Robert Gottschalk a ...
, and produced by Wayne's company,
Batjac Productions.
In 1991, the film entered the
public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its
copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.
Plot
The year is 1895.
Cattle baron and town namesake George Washington "G.W." McLintock lives as a bachelor on his ranch on the Mesa Verde. His wife, Katherine, abandoned him with no explanation and became a
socialite
A socialite is a person, typically a woman from a wealthy or aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having ...
back East two years prior; his daughter, Rebecca "Becky" McLintock, is away finishing her college degree. In town, G.W. is disliked by bureaucrat Matt Douglas, Indian agent Agard, and Governor Cuthbert H. Humphrey. Despite this, he is a friend to many, including Sheriff Lord,
general store
A general merchant store (also known as general merchandise store, general dealer, village shop, or country store) is a rural or small-town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, someti ...
owner Jake Birnbaum, and the local
beggars and
Comanche Indians.
While inspecting a shipment of cattle, G.W. warns a group of
homesteaders that the Mesa Verde is unsuitable for farming; an earlier group of homesteaders tried, but failed because of insufficient rain for growing crops. Devlin "Dev" Warren, a young man with a widowed mother and sister to support, asks G.W. for a job. G.W. initially refuses, but relents after Dev resorts to begging at the advice of aged drifter Bunny. Dev then lashes out in disgust after having to beg for a job. However, G.W. still hires him and also hires Dev's mother, Mrs. Warren, after tasting her cooking. G.W. then learns Katherine is in town seeking a divorce, which will give her a excuse to take Becky back East with her; hearing this, G.W. refuses. Katherine then decides to move back onto the ranch, and starts bossing everyone around, including Mrs. Warren.
The Comanche, led by Running Buffalo, come into town to meet a train carrying their newly released chiefs; Sheriff Lord settles them near the homesteaders despite protests from Douglas. When a homesteader's daughter wanders off with her suitor, Douglas and the homesteaders assume the Comanche took her, and attempt to lynch Running Buffalo in retaliation. G.W. and his men try to defuse the situation, but a brawl ensues, with Katherine joining in on G.W.'s side.
The next day, Becky arrives home from college with a would-be suitor, Douglas' son "Junior". G.W. disapproves of Junior, so Katherine makes a show of approving to spite him. Also aboard Becky's train are four Comanche chiefs, one of whom is G.W.'s former enemy-turned-blood-brother Chief Puma. They have arrived for a hearing to determine if their people will be sent to a
reservation in
Fort Sill, Oklahoma
Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost .
The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark an ...
. G.W. agrees to speak at the hearing on their behalf.
While preparing for Becky's welcome-home party, Dev and Becky get into an argument when he accuses Junior of being a "
dude
''Dude'' is Regional vocabularies of American English, American slang for an individual, typically male. From the 1870s to the 1960s, dude primarily meant a male person who dressed in an extremely fashionable manner (a dandy) or a conspicuous ...
". At the party, Dev gets into a fistfight to protect Birnbaum's assistant Davy, and impresses everyone with his boxing skills. Later, after being deliberately taunted by Becky and Junior, Dev accuses Becky of being a
trollop for kissing Junior before they were properly engaged. Becky demands G.W. shoot Dev for insulting her; G.W. relents and "shoots" him with a
starter's pistol to teach Becky a lesson. Dev, angry that he could have been killed, spanks Becky with a
coal shovel, which angers Katherine.
At the hearing the next day, G.W. delivers a plea from Puma to Governor Humphrey, but is ignored; as a result, the Comanche are ordered to be imprisoned until they can be sent to Fort Sill. Getting drunk that night, G.W. suggests to Bunny that if the Comanche were to go out fighting as they requested, the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
might realize Humphrey's mismanagement of the territory and intervene.
G.W. returns home and pressures Mrs. Warren into drinking with him; while she tries to explain to G.W. that she is quitting as cook, Mrs. Warren eventually gives in. The two end up falling down the stairs while trying to turn in for the night. Katherine, overhearing their conversation, assumes the worst when she sees Mrs. Warren on G.W.'s lap at the foot of the stairs. Mrs. Warren then explains she is quitting because Sheriff Lord has asked her to marry him.
At the
Fourth of July
Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...
celebrations the next day, Katherine refuses Humphrey's advances, but continues to treat her husband harshly. Bunny, who took G.W. seriously, helps set the Comanches free by supplying them with
Krag-Jorgensen military rifles from a military boxcar. The Comanches then charge through town, free their chiefs, and escape, with the cavalry in hot pursuit. While hiding in a haystack during the raid, Dev and Becky reconcile and become engaged. Encouraged by this, and on advice from Birnbaum, G.W. confronts Katherine, getting her to admit that she left because she found lipstick on his shirt and incorrectly assumed he was having an affair. After pursuing her through town and publicly spanking her, G.W. tells Katherine that she is now free to divorce him, and leaves for home. However, she follows him, and the two reconcile.
Cast

*
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
as George Washington "G.W." McLintock
*
Maureen O'Hara as Katherine "Kate" McLintock
*
Patrick Wayne as Devlin "Dev" Warren
*
Stefanie Powers as Rebecca "Becky" McLintock
*
Jack Kruschen as Jake Birnbaum
*
Chill Wills as Drago
*
Yvonne De Carlo
Margaret Yvonne Middleton (September 1, 1922January 8, 2007), known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film star and sex symbol in the 1940s a ...
as Louise Warren
*
Jerry Van Dyke as Matt Douglas Jr.
*
Edgar Buchanan
William Edgar Buchanan II (March 20, 1903 – April 4, 1979) was an American actor with a long career in both film and television. He is most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the '' Petticoat Junction'', '' Green Acres'', and '' The Bever ...
as Bunny Dull
*
Perry Lopez as Davey Elk
*
Strother Martin as Agard
*
Gordon Jones as Matt Douglas
*
Robert Lowery as Gov. Cuthbert H. Humphrey
*
Hank Worden as Curly Fletcher
*
Michael Pate as Puma, Chief of the Comanche Nation
*
Bruce Cabot as Ben Sage, Sr.
*
Edward Faulkner as Ben Sage, Jr.
*
Mari Blanchard as Camille
*
Leo Gordon as Jones
*
Chuck Roberson as Sheriff Jeff Lord
*
Bob Steele as Train Engineer
* Aissa Wayne as Alice Warren
*
"Big" John Hamilton as Fauntleroy Sage
*
H.W. Gim as Ching
* John Stanley (uncredited) as Running Buffalo
Production
The script was developed by John Wayne as a way for him to express his disapproval for how Westerns negatively represent Native Americans, his opinions on marital abuse, and discontent for political corruption from either party, intentionally contrasting previous films in which Wayne starred but had little creative control, such as John Ford's ''
The Searchers''. Another sharp contrast from previous films of Wayne is the emphasis on comedy, and using the Western setting for slapstick possibilities. He offered the job of directing to Andrew McLaglen, son of Wayne's longtime co-star
Victor McLaglen, who had directed a number of low-budget features and had worked widely in television. It was the first movie fully produced by Wayne's son, Michael, although he had worked on a number of other films in various capacities. The male juvenile lead was John Wayne's younger son, Patrick.
Henry Hathaway
Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Western (genre), Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven f ...
said he was going to direct the film, but Wayne was not willing to pay his fee.
The film was shot at
Old Tucson Studios, west of Tucson, Arizona, and at
San Rafael Ranch House -
San Rafael State Natural Area, south of
Patagonia, Arizona, and
Nogales.
Although the name of the territory is never mentioned, and the
Mesa Verde region where the film is set is located predominantly in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, in the court scene, the flag of Arizona is seen alongside the U.S. flag, although the flag of Arizona was not created until 1917.
Many of the cast and crew, including Andrew McLaglen, William H. Clothier, Bruce Cabot, Chill Wills, Edward Faulkner, Hank Worden, Strother Martin, Michael Pate, Leo Gordon, Chuck Roberson, John Stanley (the Navajo actor and veteran member of John Ford's stock company, who plays Running Buffalo), and Patrick and Aissa Wayne, as well as Maureen O'Hara, had worked with Wayne on other productions. Wayne insisted a supporting role be given to Yvonne De Carlo, whose
husband
A husband is a man involved in a marital relationship, commonly referred to as a spouse. The specific rights, responsibilities, and societal status attributed to a husband can vary significantly across different cultures and historical perio ...
had been injured making ''
How the West Was Won.'' Michael Wayne estimated the budget as being $3.5 to $4.0 million.
As in many other John Wayne films, Wayne is wearing his favorite "Red River D" belt buckle. It can be best seen in the scene where G.W. addresses the homesteaders about 10 minutes into the film, and at the end of the scene where the Comanche ride through town on the way to "the last fight of the Comanche", around 10 minutes from the end of the movie.
In the DVD Special Feature "Maureen O'Hara and Stefanie Powers Remember ''McLintock!''," O'Hara reported that when Wayne and she filmed the famous scene in which he spanked her with a coal scuttle shovel, he did not pull his strokes. "He really spanked me! My bottom was black and blue for weeks!"
Music
*"Love in the Country" sung by
The Limeliters
*Music coordinator:
"By" Dunham
*"Love in the Country" words and music by "By" Dunham and
Frank DeVol
*"Just Right for Me", "Cakewalk", "When We Dance" words and music by "By" Dunham
Reception
The film was a box-office success, and a timely one, since ''
The Alamo'' had cost Wayne in both financial and "box-office capital" terms. ''McLintock!'' grossed $14,500,000 in North America,
earning $7.25 million in US
theatrical rentals.
Andrew McLaglen said the film "put me in the big time." He made four more films with Wayne: ''
Hellfighters'' (1968), ''
The Undefeated'' (1969), ''
Chisum'' (1970), and ''
Cahill, U.S. Marshal'' (1973).
According to
Bosley Crowther, "the broadly comic Western ... sounded like a promising idea"; "the scenery is opulent and the action out-of-doors, the color lush, and the cast made up almost entirely of recruits from
John Ford
John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...
's long cinematic cycle commemorating the tradition of the
American frontier
The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the Geography of the United States, geography, History of the United States, history, Folklore of the United States, folklore, and Cultur ...
."
Since "the direction was entrusted to a relative newcomer,
Victor McLaglen's television-trained son,
Andrew V. McLaglen ... good intentions, when the task at hand is as difficult as lusty
farce
Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical comedy, physical humor; the use of delibe ...
, are not enough."
Emanuel Levy, in a review years after the film's release, said the film is "significant because it marks the beginning of Wayne's attempt to impose his general views, not just political ones, on his pictures. Most of Wayne's screen work after ''McLintock!'' would express his opinions about education, family, economics, and even friendship."
Novelization
Richard Wormser wrote a novelization of the screenplay.
Public domain status
The film was produced by John Wayne's Batjac Productions and released through
United Artists. Batjac failed to renew the copyright, which expired in 1991. In 1994, a legal case determined the film was in the
public domain in the United States, but the music score remained under copyright.
["Court Rules for 'Goodtimes' in ''McLintock!'' Case", in ''Billboard'', May 14, 1994]
pg. 73 & 82
/ref>[Fishman, Stephen (2010), pp.337]
Batjac Productions, a company now owned by John Wayne's estate, retains distribution rights for "officially restored" versions of the film and holds the original film negatives, as well as rights to the film's musical score.
Home media
Despite being available in the public domain by various distributors for the past decade (including GoodTimes Home Video and Simitar Entertainment), the first official home video issue of the film was released in the mid-1990s by MPI Home Video. In 2005, Paramount Home Entertainment struck a distribution deal with Batjac (which owns the original film negatives) and was granted exclusive distribution rights for an official remastered release debuting on DVD in 2005. This "official" DVD release uses a restoration made from the original camera negative, under license from Batjac, with a newly created 5.1 surround mix and the original monoaural. Bonus features include a new extensive documentary, a "2 Minute Fight School" featurette, photo and trailer galleries, and an audio commentary with Leonard Maltin, Frank Thompson, Maureen O'Hara, Stefanie Powers, Michael Pate, Michael Wayne, and Andrew McLaglen. In spite of this licensed release, numerous versions of the film are still being released by other companies, with most using old TV prints and film elements outside of Batjac's official restoration.
Olive Films released a bare-bones Blu-Ray in March 2013, using a 2012 2K scan of a 35-mm Technicolor element with the original monoaural track. Olive's release had no involvement from Batjac Productions, as the 2K restoration was provided by the Library of Congress and is classified as public domain, whereas the "official" restoration is copyrighted to Batjac with Paramount handling exclusive distribution.
Paramount followed up in May 2014 with their Blu-Ray release, under license from Batjac Productions. This release uses a brand new 4K remaster from the original camera negative with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround and original mono. It also carries over all the bonus features from the previous Paramount DVD, with the only new addition of the original theatrical trailer scanned in 2K from a 35-mm element.
Comic-book adaption
* Gold Key: ''McLintock!'' (March 1964)
See also
* List of American films of 1963
* John Wayne filmography
References
External links
*
*
*
*
* (als
widescreen version
{{Authority control
1963 films
1963 Western (genre) films
1960s Western (genre) comedy films
American Western (genre) comedy films
Batjac Productions films
1960s English-language films
Films scored by Frank De Vol
Films based on The Taming of the Shrew
Films directed by Andrew McLaglen
Films produced by John Wayne
Films shot in Arizona
United Artists films
Films adapted into comics
1960s American films
English-language Western (genre) comedy films
Comanche in popular culture