John Wayne Movie Review: ****^The Shootist (1976)

 In this movie John Wayne plays a gun man, J.B. Books who is at the end of his days due to cancer.  His doctor (James Stewart) gives him something for pain, but lets him know the end is near.  He comes to town and takes room and board from Bond Rogers (Lauren Becall).  Her son is an impressionable teen, Gillom Rogers (Ron Howard) who is greatly influenced by the thought of being a gun fighter.  Books is looking for a way out rather than a slow agonizing death.  He finds that in three shady characters in town (Richard Boone, Hugh O'Brian and Bill McKinney, and invites them to meet him at the bar for a final gunfight.  

The theme of this movie seems to convince Gillom that the life of a gunfighter is not all heroics and glamour.  There is good in being a regular person.  

This movie is John Wayne's last.  He died of cancer in 1979. 

Movie Review: ****Hombre (1967)

This is a very good Western, with Paul Newman as the misunderstood John Russell.  Russell was stolen from his family when a boy and raised by the Apache.  He is more comfortable among the Apache than the White people, but he comes back and changes his image when his father passes away.  He must deal with his inheritance.  This is during the time after most of the Apache had been taken prisoner.
In this movie there is a goat, and a group of bad men lead by Grimes (Richard Boone).  The goat is the for Indian agent who is returning East.  He has a pile of cash from taken payment for feeding the Indians, but pocketing most of it and letting the Apache die.  In this case the robbery is those trying to steal this money.  They rob a stage, in which Russell is a passenger, with several other men and women.  The thieves take a hostage, but Russell's gun is left.  He gets this and finishes off a couple of the robbers.  One was taking the water and the money; and now this group of victims has water and the money.  The other outlaws will surely be back.

Movie Review: ****Big Jake (John Wayne, 1971)

This is one of my favorite John Wayne movies.  Jacob "Jake" McCandles (Wayne) leads his boys, Michael (Christopher Mitchum) and James (Patrick Wayne) on a quest to rescue his grandson Little Jake (Ethan Wayne) who was taken by kidnappers.  In the kidnapping many of the ranch crew were killed, and McCandles' other son, Ethan's father, was badly wounded.  They are joined by Jake's American Indian friend, Sam Sharpnose, (Bruce Cabot.)  The gang of outlaws is lead by John Fain (Richard Boone.)  Prior to traveling, even though they make a big deal of carrying one million dollars ransom, Jake and his estranged wife, Martha (Maureen O'Hara) have decided they wouldn't pay men for killing their crew.  However, they not only need to extract revenge, but also rescue the boy, whom Jake has never seen.  They face ruthless criminals, who do not care about the life of others. 
They travel into Mexico, beyond the reach of Texas law, and they slowly follow.  This time it takes cunning and daring to defend their money chest, and to keep Little Jake alive.