Big Jake is a 1971 Western film,
starring John Wayne and directed by George
Sherman.
Plot
Set in the year 1909, Wayne, plays Jacob "Big Jake" McCandles, an aging rancher and near-legendary gunfighter estranged from his family, whose
ranch is raided by a ruthless gang of outlaws, led by John Fain (Richard Boone), who murders some of the
workers, wounds McCandle's eldest son (Bobby Vinton) and kidnaps his young grandson and
hold the boy for ransom. Martha (Mrs. McCandles) (Maureen
O'Hara)summons Jacob.
Jacob and his wife have been separated for nearly 10 years. Jacob arrives by train and he and Martha discuss a plan to take
the ransom to the kidnappers and for Jacob to return with the boy. Jacob warns that "Pay or not, we run the risk of never seeing
the boy again". Martha has what is well known as a million dollars in a big red strongbox. Jacob is to deliver the box to the
kidnappers. Jacob is packed quickly and ready to go. The Texas Rangers are close at hand ready to attempt a rescue, as is Jacob's
son James McCandles (John Wayne's real-life son Patrick Wayne), whose initial greeting of
Jake reveals a somewhat strained relationship. Michael McCandles (Christopher
Mitchum) arrives by motorcycle and tells Martha that he saw the little boy alive. He suggests the Rangers can use the
automobiles and set an ambush for the kidnappers. Buck (John Doucette) and the Rangers try
to get Jacob to come along with them. Jacob is old fashioned and goes at things his own way.
The Rangers take off to set the trap in their new automobiles and are themselves ambushed at the very place they were to
ambush the kidnappers. Jacob, his dog and Sam Sharpnose (Bruce Cabot) come along and assist
the ambushed and now wounded Rangers. James decides he better go with Jacob. The three set out to find Michael who seems to have
wrecked or crashed the motorcycle during the ambush. They find him and he is unhurt, until Jacob realizes he IS unhurt at which
time he flattens Michael twice--once for scaring him out of 10 years of his life and twice for risking the grandson's life.
While McCandles starts off estranged from his sons, and punching them around, they become united in this quest, and each make
vital contributions. Through this quest many attempts are made to steal the money from the McCandles' party. Finally after being
met by Fain, the McCandles' are in a Oil Boom town in Mexico. The kidnappers are close by. Others attempt to rob the McCandles of
the box in the hotel. Sam and Michael foil the attempt but during which time the lock is blown on the strongbox revealing not
money but newspaper clippings. Jacob then explains to the boys that he and Martha never intended to pay the ransom.
They repair the lock and a representative (Pop Dawson) (Harry Carey Jr.) of the
kidnappers comes to escort them to the meeting place. The group proceeds tensely, and with extreme caution, as they only have a
short time before it is discovered that they did not bring the money, in which case they will have to move quickly to save the
life of their grandson. Once inside the battle is on between good and evil. As in most Wayne movies, good prevails but not
without a price. Little Jake is rescued and the kidnappers are dead. Sam Sharpnose is killed during the fight, as well as the
dog. Jacob, Little Jake, James and Michael all go home.
Production
John Wayne's real life son, Patrick Wayne, stars as James McCandles in the film, as
does Robert Mitchum's son, Christopher
Mitchum. Wayne's youngest son Ethan Wayne stars as his grandson, Little Jake, in the
movie.
Trivia
- When first released, Big Jake received some discord among John Wayne fans, who decried the film's seemingly
bloodthirsty attitude to violence.
- The couple who wrote the screenplay for this film, Harry Julian Fink and Rita M. Fink, also wrote the original script for
Dirty Harry, which was also released in 1971. They also wrote Wayne's later film, "Cahill
U.S. Marshall".
- This was the last film in which John Wayne and Maureen
O'Hara appeared together.
- Some of the theme music was composed by famed composer Elmer Bernstein.
- The popular line "I thought you were dead" which many characters say to McCandles when they find out who he is, was
later homaged in John Carpenter's Escape from
New York.
External links
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