:''See also McClintock (disambiguation)'' ''McLintock!'' is a 1963 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

film, starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

and

Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was an Irish-born naturalized American actress who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for playing passionate b ...

, directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. The film co-stars Wayne's son

Patrick Wayne Patrick John Morrison (born July 15, 1939), known professionally as Patrick Wayne, is an American actor. He is best known as the second son of the actor John Wayne. Early life Patrick John Morrison was born in Los Angeles, California on July 1 ...

Stefanie Powers Stefanie Powers (born November 2, 1942) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Jennifer Hart on the mystery television series ''Hart to Hart'' (1979–1984), for which she received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards an ...

Jack Kruschen Jacob "Jack" Kruschen (March 20, 1922 – April 2, 2002) was a Canadian character actor who worked primarily in American film, television and radio. Kruschen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dr. Dreyf ...

Chill Wills Theodore Childress "Chill" Wills (July 18, 1902 – December 15, 1978) was an American actor and a singer in the Avalon Boys quartet. Early life Wills was born in Seagoville, Texas, on July 18, 1902. Career Wills was a performer from early c ...

, and

Yvonne De Carlo Margaret Yvonne Middleton (September 1, 1922January 8, 2007), known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film star and sex symbol in the 1940s a ...

(billed as special guest star). Loosely based on

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

'', the project was filmed in

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

and

Panavision Panavision Inc. is an American motion picture equipment company (law), company founded in 1954 specializing in cameras and photographic lens, lenses, based in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, California. Formed by Robert Gottschalk a ...

, and produced by Wayne's company,

Batjac Productions Batjac Productions is an independent film production company co-founded by John Wayne in 1952 as a vehicle for Wayne to both produce and star in movies. The first Batjac production was '' Big Jim McLain'' released by Warner Bros. in 1952, and i ...

. In 1991, the film entered the

public domain in the United States Works are in the public domain if they are not covered by the intellectual property right known as copyright, or if the intellectual property rights to the works have expired. Works automatically enter the public domain when their copyright has ...

because the claimants did not renew its

copyright registration The purpose of copyright registration is to place on record a verifiable account of the date and content of the work in question, so that in the event of a legal claim, or case of infringement or plagiarism, the copyright owner can produce a cop ...

in the 28th year after publication.

Plot

The year is 1895.

Cattle baron Cattle baron is a historic term for a local businessman and landowner who possessed great power or influence through the operation of a large ranch with many beef cattle. Cattle barons in the late 19th century United States were also sometimes re ...

and town namesake George Washington "G.W." McLintock lives as a bachelor on his ranch on the Mesa Verde. His wife, Katherine, abandoned him with no explanation and became a

socialite A socialite is a person, typically a woman from a wealthy or aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having ...

back East two years prior; his daughter, Rebecca "Becky" McLintock, is away finishing her college degree. In town, G.W. is disliked by bureaucrat Matt Douglas, Indian agent Agard, and Governor Cuthbert H. Humphrey. Despite this, he is a friend to many, including Sheriff Lord,

general store A general merchant store (also known as general merchandise store, general dealer, village shop, or country store) is a rural or small-town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, someti ...

owner Jake Birnbaum, and the local

beggars Begging (also known in North America as panhandling) is the practice of imploring others to grant a favor, often a gift of money, with little or no expectation of reciprocation. A person doing such is called a beggar or panhandler. Beggars m ...

and

Comanche The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...

Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...

. While inspecting a shipment of cattle, G.W. warns a group of

homesteaders The Homestead Acts were several laws in the United States by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or the public domain, typically called a homestead. In all, more than of public land, or nearly 10 percent of t ...

that the Mesa Verde is unsuitable for farming; an earlier group of homesteaders tried, but failed because of insufficient rain for growing crops. Devlin "Dev" Warren, a young man with a widowed mother and sister to support, asks G.W. for a job. G.W. initially refuses, but relents after Dev resorts to begging at the advice of aged drifter Bunny. Dev then lashes out in disgust after having to beg for a job. However, G.W. still hires him and also hires Dev's mother, Mrs. Warren, after tasting her cooking. G.W. then learns Katherine is in town seeking a divorce, which will give her a excuse to take Becky back East with her; hearing this, G.W. refuses. Katherine then decides to move back onto the ranch, and starts bossing everyone around, including Mrs. Warren. The Comanche, led by Running Buffalo, come into town to meet a train carrying their newly released chiefs; Sheriff Lord settles them near the homesteaders despite protests from Douglas. When a homesteader's daughter wanders off with her suitor, Douglas and the homesteaders assume the Comanche took her, and attempt to lynch Running Buffalo in retaliation. G.W. and his men try to defuse the situation, but a brawl ensues, with Katherine joining in on G.W.'s side. The next day, Becky arrives home from college with a would-be suitor, Douglas' son "Junior". G.W. disapproves of Junior, so Katherine makes a show of approving to spite him. Also aboard Becky's train are four Comanche chiefs, one of whom is G.W.'s former enemy-turned-blood-brother Chief Puma. They have arrived for a hearing to determine if their people will be sent to a reservation in

Fort Sill, Oklahoma Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark an ...

. G.W. agrees to speak at the hearing on their behalf. While preparing for Becky's welcome-home party, Dev and Becky get into an argument when he accuses Junior of being a "

dude ''Dude'' is Regional vocabularies of American English, American slang for an individual, typically male. From the 1870s to the 1960s, dude primarily meant a male person who dressed in an extremely fashionable manner (a dandy) or a conspicuous ...

". At the party, Dev gets into a fistfight to protect Birnbaum's assistant Davy, and impresses everyone with his boxing skills. Later, after being deliberately taunted by Becky and Junior, Dev accuses Becky of being a trollop for kissing Junior before they were properly engaged. Becky demands G.W. shoot Dev for insulting her; G.W. relents and "shoots" him with a

starter's pistol A starting pistol or starter pistol is a blank handgun or, more recently, an electronic toy gun or device with a button connected to a sound system that is fired to start track and field races as well as some competitive swimming races. Tradit ...

to teach Becky a lesson. Dev, angry that he could have been killed, spanks Becky with a

coal shovel A coal shovel is a shovel designed for shoveling coal, coke or similar fuels, and on occasions does a double duty removing ash from the fireplace, firebox or furnace. A large coal shovel is used by the fireman of a coal-fired steam locomoti ...

, which angers Katherine. At the hearing the next day, G.W. delivers a plea from Puma to Governor Humphrey, but is ignored; as a result, the Comanche are ordered to be imprisoned until they can be sent to Fort Sill. Getting drunk that night, G.W. suggests to Bunny that if the Comanche were to go out fighting as they requested, the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

might realize Humphrey's mismanagement of the territory and intervene. G.W. returns home and pressures Mrs. Warren into drinking with him; while she tries to explain to G.W. that she is quitting as cook, Mrs. Warren eventually gives in. The two end up falling down the stairs while trying to turn in for the night. Katherine, overhearing their conversation, assumes the worst when she sees Mrs. Warren on G.W.'s lap at the foot of the stairs. Mrs. Warren then explains she is quitting because Sheriff Lord has asked her to marry him. At the

Fourth of July Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...

celebrations the next day, Katherine refuses Humphrey's advances, but continues to treat her husband harshly. Bunny, who took G.W. seriously, helps set the Comanches free by supplying them with Krag-Jorgensen military rifles from a military boxcar. The Comanches then charge through town, free their chiefs, and escape, with the cavalry in hot pursuit. While hiding in a haystack during the raid, Dev and Becky reconcile and become engaged. Encouraged by this, and on advice from Birnbaum, G.W. confronts Katherine, getting her to admit that she left because she found lipstick on his shirt and incorrectly assumed he was having an affair. After pursuing her through town and publicly spanking her, G.W. tells Katherine that she is now free to divorce him, and leaves for home. However, she follows him, and the two reconcile.

Cast

as George Washington "G.W." McLintock *

as Katherine "Kate" McLintock *

as Devlin "Dev" Warren *

as Rebecca "Becky" McLintock *

as Jake Birnbaum *

as Drago *

as Louise Warren *

Jerry Van Dyke Jerry McCord Van Dyke (July 27, 1931 – January 5, 2018) was an American actor and comedian. He was the younger brother of Dick Van Dyke. Van Dyke had a long and successful career mostly as a character actor in supporting and guest roles on pop ...

as Matt Douglas Jr. *

Edgar Buchanan William Edgar Buchanan II (March 20, 1903 – April 4, 1979) was an American actor with a long career in both film and television. He is most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the '' Petticoat Junction'', '' Green Acres'', and '' The Bever ...

as Bunny Dull *

Perry Lopez Perry Lopez (born Julio César Lopez; July 22, 1929 – February 14, 2008) was an American film and television actor. His acting career spanned 40 years. Biography Lopez was born in New York City of Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican descent. L ...

as Davey Elk *

Strother Martin Strother Douglas Martin Jr. (March 26, 1919 – August 1, 1980) was an American character actor who often appeared in support of John Wayne and Paul Newman and in Western films directed by John Ford and Sam Peckinpah. Among Martin's memorable ...

as Agard * Gordon Jones as Matt Douglas * Robert Lowery as Gov. Cuthbert H. Humphrey *

Hank Worden Hank Worden (born Norton Earl Worden; July 23, 1901 – December 6, 1992) was an American cowboy-turned-character actor who appeared in many Westerns, including a dozen John Ford films, such as ''The Searchers'', and the TV series ''The Lone R ...

as Curly Fletcher *

Michael Pate Michael Pate Order of Australia, OAM (born Edward John Pate; 26 February 1920 – 1 September 2008) was an Australian actor, writer, director, and producer, who also worked prolifically as a supporting actor in Hollywood films and Ameri ...

as Puma, Chief of the Comanche Nation *

Bruce Cabot Bruce Cabot (born Étienne de Pelissier Bujac Jr.; April 20, 1904 – May 3, 1972) was an American film actor, best remembered as Jack Driscoll (character), Jack Driscoll in ''King Kong (1933 film), King Kong'' (1933) and for his roles in films s ...

as Ben Sage, Sr. *

Edward Faulkner Fielden Edward Faulkner II (born February 29, 1932, in Lexington, Kentucky) is an American film and television character actor. He is most known for his roles in John Wayne films, including ''Hellfighters'', ''The Green Berets'', ''Rio Lobo'', ...

as Ben Sage, Jr. *

Mari Blanchard Mari Blanchard (born Mary E. Blanchard, April 13, 1923 – May 10, 1970) was an American film and television actress, known foremost for her roles as a B movie'' femme fatale'' in American productions of the 1950s and early 1960s. Early life a ...

as Camille *

Leo Gordon Leo Vincent Gordon (December 2, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American character actor and screenwriter. During more than 40 years in film and television he was most frequently cast as a supporting actor playing brutish bad guys but oc ...

as Jones *

Chuck Roberson Charles Hugh Roberson (May 10, 1919 – June 8, 1988) was an American actor and stuntman. Biography Roberson grew up on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico, he left school at 13 to become a cowhand and oilfield roughneck. He married and took ...

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 * John Stanley (uncredited) as Running Buffalo

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 ''The Searchers'' is a 1956 American epic Western film directed by John Ford and written by Frank S. Nugent, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May. It is set during the Texas–Indian wars, and stars John Wayne as a middle-aged Civil War v ...

''. 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 of Wayne's longtime co-star

Victor McLaglen Victor Andrew de Bier Everleigh McLaglen (10 December 1886 – 7 November 1959) was a British-American actor and boxer.Obituary '' Variety'', 11 November 1959, page 79. His film career spanned from the early 1920s through the 1950s, initially ...

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

Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Western (genre), Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven f ...

said he was going to direct the film, but Wayne was not willing to pay his fee. The film was shot at

Old Tucson Studios Old Tucson (aka Old Tucson Studios) is an American movie studio and theme park just west of Tucson, Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Mountains and close to the western portion of Saguaro National Park and near the Desert Museum. Built in 1939 for ...

, west of Tucson, Arizona, and at San Rafael Ranch House - San Rafael State Natural Area, south of

Patagonia, Arizona Patagonia is a town in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census it had a population of 913. It developed in the mid-19th century as a trading and supply center for nearby mines and ranches. In t ...

, 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, including Andrew McLaglen, William H. Clothier, Bruce Cabot, Chill Wills, Edward Faulkner, Hank Worden, Strother Martin, Michael Pate, Leo Gordon, Chuck Roberson, John Stanley (the Navajo actor and veteran member of John Ford's stock company, who plays Running Buffalo), and Patrick and Aissa Wayne, as well as Maureen O'Hara, had worked with Wayne on other productions. Wayne insisted a supporting role be given to Yvonne De Carlo, whose

husband A husband is a man involved in a marital relationship, commonly referred to as a spouse. The specific rights, responsibilities, and societal status attributed to a husband can vary significantly across different cultures and historical perio ...

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. In the DVD Special Feature "Maureen O'Hara and Stefanie Powers Remember ''McLintock!''," O'Hara reported that when Wayne and she filmed the famous scene in which he spanked her with a coal scuttle shovel, he did not pull his strokes. "He really spanked me! My bottom was black and blue for weeks!"

Music

*"Love in the Country" sung by

The Limeliters The Limeliters are an American folk music group, formed in July 1959 by Lou Gottlieb (bass violin/bass), Alex Hassilev (banjo/baritone), and Glenn Yarbrough (guitar/tenor). The group was active from 1959 until 1965, and then after a hiatus ...

*Music coordinator: "By" Dunham *"Love in the Country" words and music by "By" Dunham and Frank DeVol *"Just Right for Me", "Cakewalk", "When We Dance" words and music by "By" Dunham

Reception

The film was a box-office success, and a timely one, since '' The Alamo'' had cost Wayne in both financial and "box-office capital" terms. ''McLintock!'' grossed $14,500,000 in North America, earning $7.25 million in US theatrical rentals. Andrew McLaglen said the film "put me in the big time." He made four more films with Wayne: '' Hellfighters'' (1968), '' The Undefeated'' (1969), ''

Chisum ''Chisum'' is a 1970 American Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, starring John Wayne in the title role, and adapted for the screen by Andrew J. Fenady from his short story "Chisum and the Lincoln County War". The supporting cast fea ...

'' (1970), and '' Cahill, U.S. Marshal'' (1973). According to

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though some ...

, "the broadly comic Western ... sounded like a promising idea"; "the scenery is opulent and the action out-of-doors, the color lush, and the cast made up almost entirely of recruits from

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

's long cinematic cycle commemorating the tradition of the

American frontier The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the Geography of the United States, geography, History of the United States, history, Folklore of the United States, folklore, and Cultur ...

." Since "the direction was entrusted to a relative newcomer,

's television-trained son, Andrew V. McLaglen ... good intentions, when the task at hand is as difficult as lusty

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical comedy, physical humor; the use of delibe ...

, are not enough."

Emanuel Levy Emanuel Levy () is a veteran, well-known American film critic and professor emeritus of sociology and film of Arizona State University. For the past 50 years, he has taught a wide variety of courses in sociology, film studies, and popular cultur ...

, in a review years after the film's release, said the film is "significant because it marks the beginning of Wayne's attempt to impose his general views, not just political ones, on his pictures. Most of Wayne's screen work after ''McLintock!'' would express his opinions about education, family, economics, and even friendship."

Novelization

Richard Wormser Richard Edward Wormser (February 2, 1908, in New York City, New York – July, in Tumacaciori, Arizona) was an American writer of pulp fiction, detective fiction, screenplays, and Westerns, some of it written using the pseudonym of Ed Frien ...

wrote a novelization of the screenplay.

Public domain status

The film was produced by John Wayne's Batjac Productions and released through

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

. Batjac failed to renew the copyright, which expired in 1991. In 1994, a legal case determined the film was in the

, but the music score remained under copyright."Court Rules for 'Goodtimes' in ''McLintock!'' Case", in ''Billboard'', May 14, 1994
pg. 73 & 82
/ref>Fishman, Stephen (2010), pp.337 Batjac Productions, a company now owned by John Wayne's estate, retains distribution rights for "officially restored" versions of the film and holds the original film negatives, as well as rights to the film's musical score.

Home media

Despite being available in the public domain by various distributors for the past decade (including GoodTimes Home Video and Simitar Entertainment), the first official home video issue of the film was released in the mid-1990s by

MPI Home Video MPI Media Group is an American producer, distributor and licensor of theatrical film and home entertainment. MPI's subsidiaries include MPI Pictures, MPI Home Video, Gorgon Video, and the horror film distributor Dark Sky Films. The company is ...

. In 2005,

Paramount Home Entertainment Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, originally Paramount Home Video, and operating as the namesake film studio since 2022) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures. The division oversees Para ...

struck a distribution deal with Batjac (which owns the original film negatives) and was granted exclusive distribution rights for an official remastered release debuting on DVD in 2005. This "official" DVD release uses a restoration made from the original camera negative, under license from Batjac, with a newly created 5.1 surround mix and the original monoaural. Bonus features include a new extensive documentary, a "2 Minute Fight School" featurette, photo and trailer galleries, and an audio commentary with Leonard Maltin, Frank Thompson, Maureen O'Hara, Stefanie Powers, Michael Pate, Michael Wayne, and Andrew McLaglen. In spite of this licensed release, numerous versions of the film are still being released by other companies, with most using old TV prints and film elements outside of Batjac's official restoration. Olive Films released a bare-bones Blu-Ray in March 2013, using a 2012 2K scan of a 35-mm Technicolor element with the original monoaural track. Olive's release had no involvement from Batjac Productions, as the 2K restoration was provided by the Library of Congress and is classified as public domain, whereas the "official" restoration is copyrighted to Batjac with Paramount handling exclusive distribution. Paramount followed up in May 2014 with their Blu-Ray release, under license from Batjac Productions. This release uses a brand new 4K remaster from the original camera negative with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround and original mono. It also carries over all the bonus features from the previous Paramount DVD, with the only new addition of the original theatrical trailer scanned in 2K from a 35-mm element.

Comic-book adaption

* Gold Key: ''McLintock!'' (March 1964)

References

External links

* * * * * (als
widescreen version
{{Authority control 1963 films 1963 Western (genre) films 1960s Western (genre) comedy films American Western (genre) comedy films Batjac Productions films 1960s English-language films Films scored by Frank De Vol Films based on The Taming of the Shrew Films directed by Andrew McLaglen Films produced by John Wayne Films shot in Arizona United Artists films Films adapted into comics 1960s American films English-language Western (genre) comedy films Comanche in popular culture