McLintock! (1963 American Western Comedy film)

Mclintock! is a 1963 American Western comedy film, starring John Wayne 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 DeCarlo (billed as special guest star). Loosely based on William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, the project was filmed in Technicolor and Panavision, and produced by Wayne's company, Batjac Productions.

PLOT
Tough cattle baron and town namesake George Washington "G.W." McLintock lives as a bachelor on his ranch. His wife, Katherine "Kate" McLintock, abandoned him with no explanation and become a socialite out East two years prior; his daughter, Rebecca "Becky" McLintock, is away finishing her college degree. In the town, G.W. is disliked by local bureaucrat Matt Douglas, and territorial Governor Cuthbert H. Humphrey. However, he is a friend to many, including Sheriff Lord, General Store owner Jake Birnbaum, and the local populations of beggars and Comanche Indians.

Cast
John Wayne 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 as Louise Warren
Jerry Van Dyke as Matt Douglas Jr.
Edgar Buchanan 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

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 to 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 Michael Wayne had worked on a number of other films in various capacities. The male juvenile lead was John Wayne's younger son, Patrick.

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, notably Andrew McLaglen, William H. Clothier, Bruce Cabot, Chill Wills, Edward Faulkner, Hank Worden, Strother Martin, and Maureen O'Hara, had worked with Wayne on other productions. Wayne insisted a supporting role be given to Yvonne de Carlo, whose husband 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.