The War Wagon
| The War Wagon | |
|---|---|
 1967 film poster by Howard Terpning | |
| Directed by | Burt Kennedy |
| Written by | Clair Huffaker (novel and screenplay) |
| Produced by | Marvin Schwartz |
| Starring | John Wayne Kirk Douglas Howard Keel Robert Walker, Jr. Keenan Wynn Joanna Barnes Bruce Cabot |
| Cinematography | William H. Clothier |
| Edited by | Harry W. Gerstad |
| Music by | Dimitri Tiomkin |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal |
Release date | May 27, 1967 |
Running time | 101 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
The War Wagon is a 1967 western Technicolor film starring John Wayne, released by Universal Pictures, directed by Burt Kennedy, and adapted by Clair Huffaker from his own novel. The film, which featured Wayne in one of his few roles as technically a "bad guy" (i.e. acting outside the law), received generally positive reviews. The film is in color and has an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The DVD contains extras, including the theatrical trailer and production notes.[1]
Plot
Rancher Taw Jackson (John Wayne) is shot by a gunman for hire, Lomax (Kirk Douglas), and wrongfully imprisoned. His land and property are then confiscated by corrupt businessman Frank Pierce (Bruce Cabot) who knows gold was discovered on Jackson's ranchlands, and hired Lomax to shoot Taw. Released early from prison, Jackson cuts a deal with Lomax because he's a safe-cracker, to ally against Pierce. Together, they plot to steal a shipment of gold being transported in a "war wagon," a heavily armored stagecoach armed with a deadly Gatling gun in a top-mounted steerable turret. They assemble a gang and plan to rob the war wagon at the weakest point in the route it travels. Things don't quite work out as planned. Pierce dies in a shootout with one of his own men trying to escape from the war wagon. Taw still manages to recover a portion of the gold shipment.
Cast
- John Wayne as Taw Jackson
- Kirk Douglas as Lomax
- Howard Keel as Levi Walking Bear
- Robert Walker, Jr. as Billy Hyatt
- Keenan Wynn as Wes Fletcher
- Bruce Cabot as Frank Pierce
- Joanna Barnes as Lola
- Valora Noland as Kate Fletcher
- Bruce Dern as Hammond
- Gene Evans as Deputy Hoag
- Terry Wilson as Sheriff Strike
- Don Collier as Shack
- Sheb Wooley as Snyder
- Ann McCrea as Felicia
- Emilio Fernández as Calita (as Emilio Fernandez)
- Frank McGrath as Bartender
- Chuck Roberson as Brown
- Boyd 'Red' Morgan as Early (as Red Morgan)
- Hal Needham as Hite
- Marco Antonio as Chief Wild Horse
- Perla Walters as Rosita
- Chuck Hayward as Blacksmith (uncredited)
- Margarite Luna as Asian girl (uncredited)
- Cliff Lyons as Outrider (uncredited)
- Miko Mayama as Asian girl (uncredited)
- Midori as Asian girl (uncredited)
- José Trinidad Villa as Townsman at bar (uncredited)
- Walter Ronald Reid as Townsman at bar (uncredited)
References
External links
- The War Wagon at IMDb
- The War Wagon at AllMovie
- The War Wagon at the TCM Movie Database
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