Attitude is everything.

Starring: John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, Ben Johnson, Christopher George, Bobby Vinton, Jerry Gatlin, Ricardo Montalbán, Dennis Falt, Ralph Volkie

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"When I start plying a woman with whiskey, it's time to throw the key in the water bucket and ride on." – Lane

Why watch this? Wayne made Westerns late in his career. This is a pretty good one.

Plot Summary: A widow hires a seasoned gun hand named Lane and his crew to help her retrieve a cache of gold stolen by her late husband. They embark on a perilous journey into Mexico to find the hidden loot, all while being pursued by the late husband's former partners, who also want the gold. As they traverse the unforgiving landscape, a mysterious Pinkerton agent is also seen shadowing their every move.

Dad's Preview: By 1973, Western films had become largely more realistic and violent (aka revisionist Westerns), as in A Fistful of Dollars (1964) or The Wild Bunch (1969). Wayne, as a stalwart of the classic Western genre, resisted as much as he could. This gold heist film rings true as a traditional-style oater, with a nice blend of action and comedy. Much of the humor is centered around the beautiful Ann-Margret accompanying a crew of dusty cowboys on a quest to steal back some gold. She embarrasses the Duke on more than one occasion with her wry smile and voluptuous curves. This suspenseful caper is a ton of fun, with many Wayne one-liners to boot.

Batjac Productions; Warner Bros.