John Wayne Western Collection (Son of Katie Elder / El Dorado / The Shootist / Man Who Shot Liberty Valance / True Grit / Rio Lobo / Big Jake / Hondo / McClinktock!) (5-DVD)

Starring: John Wayne

Description by OLDIES.com:

9 Films from "The Duke" on 5 Discs!

The Sons Of Katie Elder (1965, 121 mins.): When Katie Elder's four sons return to Texas for her funeral, their homecoming sets the stage for a classic Western tale of horror, justice and revenge. John Wayne stars as a professional gunfighter who leads his brothers in a fight to avenge their father's murder and reclaim their family's ranch from a crooked businessman. Directed by Henry Hathaway (True Grit), an acknowledged master of the Western, this action-packed drama also stars Dean Martin, Earl Holliman and Michael Anderson Jr.

El Dorado (1967, 126 mins.): Legendary producer-director Howard Hawks teams with two equally legendary stars, John Wayne and Robert Mitchum, in this classic Western drama. Mitchum plays to perfection an alcoholic but gutsy sheriff who relentlessly battles the dark side of the wild West, ruthless cattle barons and crooked "businessmen." The Duke gives an equally adept performance as the sheriff's old friend who knows his way around a gunfight. Filled with brawling action and humor, El Dorado delivers the goods. James Caan and Ed Asner co-star.

The Shootist (1976, 98 mins.): Afflicted with a terminal illness, John Bernard Brooks (John Wayne), the last of the legendary gunfighters, quietly returns to Carson City for medical attention from his old friend Dr. Hostetler (James Stewart). Aware that his days are numbered, the troubled man seeks solace and peace in a boarding house run by a widow (Lauren Bacall) and her son (Ron Howard). However, it is not Brooks' fate to die in peace, as he becomes embroiled in one last valiant battle.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962, 123 mins.): Ranking with Stagecoach as one of the greatest of its genre, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is the modern-day Western to beat all Westerns. John Ford, whose very name is synonymous with "Westerns," directed the iconic cast. Jimmy Stewart shines as the bungling but charming big-city lawyer determined to rid the fair village of Shinbone of its number one nuisance and Bad Man: Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). And as if all that weren't enough, the biggest star that ever aimed a six-shooter plays the man of the title: John Wayne.

True Grit - Special Collector's Edition (1969, 127 mins.): John Wayne earned an Academy Award for his larger-than-life performance as the drunken, uncouth and totally fearless one-eyed U.S. Marshall, Rooster Cogburn. Rooster is hired by a headstrong young girl (Kim Darby) to find the man who murdered her father and fled with the family savings. When she insists on accompanying the old gunfighter, sparks fly. And the situation goes from troubled to disastrous when an inexperienced Texas Ranger (Glen Campbell) joins the party. This extraordinary and beloved Western also features unforgettable performances by Robert Duvall and Strother Martin.

Rio Lobo (1970, 114 mins.): A classic action-filled John Wayne western is set into motion with a spectacular robbery of a Union pay train by Confederate guerrillas. The train's colonel (Wayne) jails the enemy leaders (Jorge Rivero, Chris Mitchum), but the three men later become friends when the war ends. Together, they seek the Union traitors responsible for a string of Confederate train robberies, a mission that culminates in a rousing shoot-'em-up finale.

Big Jake (1971, 109 mins.): When his grandson is abducted and held for ransom by a gang of vicious outlaws, larger-than-life rancher Big Jake (John Wayne) takes the law into his own hands and sets out to exact frontier justice against the kidnappers. Vividly set against the waning days of the Wild West, Big Jake features gun-slinging action and two of The Duke's real-life sons: Patrick and John Ethan. Richard Boone and Maureen O'Hara complete the noteworthy cast.

Hondo - Special Collector's Edition (1953, 83 mins.): In an iconic performance, John Wayne plays Hondo Lane, a cavalry scout who befriends and protects a strong-willed frontier woman (Geraldine Page) and her son (Lee Aaker). Awaiting the return of her ne'er-do-well husband (Leo Gordon), Page refuses to leave her isolated homestead despite the danger of an Apache attack. She finds herself growing attracted to the taciturn Hondo - a man hardened by life but still capable of kindness and love. Ward Bond, Michael Pate, James Arness and Rodolfo Acosta co-star. Page received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

McLintock! - Authentic Collector's Edition (1963, 127 mins.): McLintock! presents screen giant John Wayne at his two-fisted best, with the beautiful, fiery Maureen O'Hara as the proverbial thorn in his side. The Duke stars as George Washington McLintock, a proud, defiant cattle baron whose daughter Becky (Stefanie Powers) is due home from college. But G.W.'s happy reunion with his daughter is tempered by the arrival of his headstrong wife Katherine (O'Hara), who left him two years earlier. Verbal fireworks explode, slapstick pratfalls bloom... and the Wayne-O'Hara "reconciliation" culminates with the biggest mudhole brawl this side of the Mississippi! Patrick Wayne, Yvonne De Carlo, Chill Wills, Jack Kruschen, Jerry Van Dyke, Bruce Cabot and Edgar Buchanan are among the dazzling supporting cast in this wild, raucous and hilarious western comedy.

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