Product Review

Sons Of Katie Elder, The (DVD)

Henry Hathaway directs the 1965 psychological Western The Sons of Katie Elder. Four sons reunite in their Texas hometown to attend t heir mother 's funeral. John (John Wayne) is the gunfighter, Tom (Dean Martin) is th e gambler, Matt (Earl Holliman) is the quiet one, and Bud (Michael Ande rson Jr.) is the youngest. They soon learn that their father gambled awa y the family ranch, leading to his own murder. The brothers decide to f ind their father's killer and get back the ranch, even though they are d iscouraged to do so by loca l Sheriff Billy Wilson (Paul Fix). When the sheriff turns up dead, the Elder boys are blamed for the murder. Deputy Sheriff Ben Latt a (Jeremy Slate) joins forces with the only witnesses o f the murder: Morgan Hastings (James Gregory) and his son Dave (Dennis H opper ). A gunfight breaks out between the Hastings gang and the Elder g ang. After his brother Matt is killed, John decides to settle the ranch dispute in a court of law with a judge (Sheldon Allman). However, Tom de cides to take matters into his own hands by kidnapping Dave. After the final climactic gunfight, John and the wounded Bud retreat to a rooming house owned by Mary Gordon (Martha Hyer).