McLintock! (1963)

Simply A Masterpiece

Powerful

Excellent but underrated film

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

The first time I saw McLintock! was the evening of 22 November 1963, which was several hours after JFK was assassinated. My late wife and I decided we needed a good comedy, McLintock! had received excellent reviews and it was opening at a convenient drive-in so we could take our year-old son.Sure enough we really enjoyed every moment of the film. Even in late 1963 it was no longer politically correct to show spanking as entertainment. My wife did not mind because we both felt daughter Becky and estranged wife Katherine McLintock richly deserved their spankings.What I note is that McLintock! was the last film to show the spanking of an adult woman by a man as comedy. Earlier in 1963 Duke Wayne spanked Elizabeth Allen to cinch their engagement in Donovan's Reef. In 1961's Blue Hawaii Elvis spanks a very wet Jenny Maxwell to prove to her someone cares enough. So, McLintock! ended that era.Earlier in McLintock! 20something Becky (played to perfection by Stephanie Powers) gets a deserved and needed spanking from ranch hand Dev (played by Patric Wayne). The climax is G.W. McLintock (Wayne) spanking Katherine (Maureen O'Hara). She had been demanding a divorce because she had found "lipstick" on GW's collar circa 1894.In the scene when Becky and Dev announce their engagement she has left a vivid lip print on his cheek.Probably in that era women did not wear cosmetics on their lips which would leave a mark as a result of a kiss. Also, such lip color would have been termed "lip rouge" since the term "lipstick" did not come into use until WWI circa 1917. But why let history get in the way of a great comedy.Minutes ago I finished watching a commercial anniversary DVD. I must have watched that a few times a year since I bought it. This movie always makes me fell entertained and happy.

George Washington McLintock (John Wayne) is a rich cattle baron. He finds he's inundated by settlers on unsuitable soil. The Indians are being pushed out. His daughter Becky is coming back, but his loud angry wife Katherine surprises him returning.This is a comedy that's inspired by Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew". It's definitely an old fashion western comedy. And I don't know if much of it is truly funny. I never found "Taming of the Shrew" that funny. Basically we're supposed to laugh at an opinionated woman. And the play ends when the shrew is tamed. It's kind of old fashion. It's kind of John Wayne. So it's perfectly understandable that they made it into an old fashion John Wayne western.

it's really hard to put into words how much I love this movie. it's funny tells a great story, moves along nicely. Maureen O' Hara plays perfectly off of John Wayne. Stephanie Powers is great as the spoiled daughter of G. W. McLintock. G.W. is expecting the return of his daughter after 2 years in school, to his surprise tho his wife is along for the trip, in the meantime he battles, crooked real estate men, and also trying to help the Indians from being thrown off of their land, this movie has it all, hilarious slapstick comedy all the way through , especially the mud scene,, that is so hilarious, and watching the way him and his wife constantly argue and bicker is classic, I really couldn't find anything wrong with the movie whatsoever.

Perhaps not the film for those with a humour bypass or with political correctness issues but for the rest of us we can have a good old belly laugh at a movie that doesn't and isn't meant to be taken seriously.McLintock is an interesting character,on the surface an overbearing womanising drinker but underneath a good natured man with a heart of gold.He is tolerant of his daughter's choice of husband (a hard working but penniless young dirt farmer)He is also determined that the local native Americans have a square deal even though he has had some dust ups with them in the past.He enjoys a game of chess with the Jewish store keeper,a much valued friend who in the past gave McLintock and his then young family credit to survive a bad winter.If the film reflects Wayne's politics its done with a good humour.Unusually for a Wayne western nobody gets killed.Apart from a few punch up bruises the only injuries suffered are several punctured posteriors courtesy of Maureen O'Hara's hatpin.The plot concerns McLintock's estranged wife coming home to collect their daughter and to get a divorce.Like"The Quiet Man" the issue is settled by Wayne's character chasing our Maureen all around the town causing all sorts of mayhem then giving her a good spanking.He did the same to Elisabeth Allen in "Donovan's Reef".Oh well,if it works go for it,I wouldn't try it on my darling wife mind you.Old favourites Chill Wills and the delectable Yvonne de Carlo make welcome appearances,likewise the cameo from Leo Gordon was sublime.Gordon was one of the great western badies nobody had more shades of villainy,not even Lee Marvin.His previous appearance with Wayne was in "Hondo"He really surpasses himself,a loathsome horrible piece of work.Here he plays more stupid than bad as the worried father concerned with his daughter's whereabouts.Trying to hang the native American he holds responsible is not a good idea.She then turns up with a young cowboy in tow all fluttering eyelashes and feigned innocence.The rest is pure magic.Wayne grabs Gordon's shotgun repeatedly poking him in the stomach with it saying the immortal words 'Pilgrim,you've caused me considerable inconvenience,I haven't lost my temper in forty years,there was a time I would have hit you,I'm not going to now,the hell I'm not'The rest is history.With a nod to political correctness I'll give it eight stars,the hell I will make that ten.