* * ½ out of 4
- 1967 • released by Universal Pictures
- directed by Burt Kennedy
- written by Clair Huffaker (after his novel Badman)
- starring John Wayne and Kirk Douglas
- 101 minutes
The personal sentiments of John Wayne and Kirk Douglas were often light years apart. Both socially and politically, these two veteran stars were of different mindsets and caused on-set tension more than once. Yet in a professional case of opposites attracting, Wayne and Douglas worked together – and often exceptionally well – on three motion pictures in the late 1960s.
Their last project was 1967's The War Wagon, a tongue-in-cheek Western financed by Wayne's Batjac Productions company. Made at the tail-end of American cinema's great Western era, The War Wagon combines action and dark comedy in what is very much an homage to the grand tradition that Wayne, in particular, was an integral part of.Wayne, in his 162nd film appearance, plays Taw Jackson, a New Mexico rancher who has been released from prison after serving three years of his term. Jackson is seeking revenge against Pierce (Bruce Cabot), a mining company owner who stole his land and sent him behind bars on false charges. He aims to hijack Pierce's notorious War Wagon, a steel-lined coach that is used to transport precious metals.
Aware that a half-million dollars' worth of gold will be shipped in the coming days, Jackson brings together some assistants. He hires a dependable gunman (Lomax, played by Douglas), a drunk explosives expert (Billy Hyatt, Robert Walker Jr. of The Ceremony), a paranoid horse driver (Wes Fletcher, Keenan Wynn of Shoot, Gringo...Shoot!), and an Indian who has assimilated to the White ways of doing business (Levi Walking Bear, Dallas regular Howard Keel).
The War Wagon offers a few engaging subplots, including the absence of loyalty from Lomax, who already shot Taw years earlier and has been offered a fair sum by Pierce to finish the job. Character actress Velora Noland plays Fletcher's young, bartered wife who is trapped in her relationship and confides in Hyatt, a man closer in age. The supporting cast is dotted with Hollywood veterans, including Joanna Barnes, Bruce Dern, and Gene Evans.
With a cast of Wayne, Douglas, and familiar support, it is inevitable that The War Wagon entertains. The film seems to wink at campy Westerns of previous decades and never takes itself seriously. Clair Huffaker's screenplay (adapted from his novel Badman) uses a taut storyline and keeps us guessing at what happens next. The characters in Taw Jackson's entourage, never really fleshed out by Huffaker's writing, are still an amusing group who don't like each other but must rely on one another to stay alive.
Burt Kennedy's direction is reliable, moving the film at a steady pace. The action scenes are sure-handled and Kennedy (who also directed Wayne's The Train Robbers) makes good use of the rugged country in Durango for bands of horsemen and scenes involving Indian tribes who are being driven off the land. The direction is complemented by gritty cinematography from William Clothier (The Comancheros, Stagecoach) and a rousing score by Dimitri Tiomkin.
Released in 1967, The War Wagon came very late in the game for traditional Westerns; it was around the time that new frontiers were being crossed by directors like Sergio Leone. The War Wagon is aimed at fans of old-time Western stories and doesn't concern itself with a mastery of cinema. There are more than enough clichés and plot gaps to go around and Wayne is making his umpteenth reprise as his old Western self. However, it is impossible not to like the historic combination of Wayne and Douglas, who are almost synonymous with the prairie.
For Western fans, The War Wagon is one of those essentials that should not be missed. Universal Studios has made two releases of the film on DVD, although there is reportedly no difference between them. The more recent was a 2003 disc that is part of the 'Universal Western Collection.' The War Wagon is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen with language options of English, Spanish, and French in Dolby 2.0 mono. Subtitles are provided in English and Spanish only.
Universal's DVD treatment of the film is minimal. Visually, The War Wagon appears to have been transferred from a studio print without cleanup. There are small artifacts throughout the running time and grain, though not overtly noticeable, can be seen on lighter tones. Sound, including dialogue and effects, is generally clear and Dimitri Tiomkin's score is given due recognition in the speakers. The only extras are the theatrical trailer, notes on the production, and written bios of Wayne, Douglas, and Burt Kennedy. Universal's presentation is rather lean, but as one of the actors' lesser films, it will have to do for now.
