John Wayne is fine as always in the title role of J.D. Cahill, a man who's very good at his job. However, it's required him to always be on call, and as a result he hasn't had much of a part in the lives of his two sons. Now his teenage kid, Danny (Gary Grimes of "Summer of '42") is being rebellious and hooking up with very bad types played by the likes of George Kennedy (as Fraser), Morgan Paull (as Struther), and Dan Vadis (as Brownie). Danny and his younger brother Billy Joe (Clay O'Brien) become implicated in a bank robbery masterminded by the older men in which the sheriff and one of his deputies are killed.
"Cahill United States Marshal" is a good, diverting Western. It's not exceptional in any way, but it tells a decent story (scripted by Harry Julian Fink and Rita M. Fink of "Dirty Harry" fame) told in capable enough fashion. The Duke is good as a single father who realizes that his experience as a parent hasn't been the best for his children. But the best moments tend to belong to the supporting players. Kennedy gives the tale a real shot in the arm with his villainous performance, as does Neville Brand as Lightfoot, the half breed Comanche hired for his services as a tracker. Brand didn't feel that he was right for his role, but it's one of the better ones that he had. It's a treat to spot the continuous lineup of familiar faces in supporting and bit parts: Marie Windsor, Royal Dano, Scott Walker, Denver Pyle, Jackie Coogan, Harry Carey Jr., Walter Barnes, Paul Fix, Pepper Martin, Hank Worden, and Hunter von Leer.
Production design (by Walter M. Simonds), cinematography (by Joseph F. Biroc), and editing (by Robert L. Simpson), are generally well done, and Elmer Bernsteins' score is catchy and rousing. Things get fairly intense - Billy Joe does get a knife held to his neck - and the violence is definitely of the post-"The Wild Bunch" variety.
It's not a great Western, but it held this viewers' attention for 103 minutes.
Seven out of 10.
"Cahill United States Marshal" is a good, diverting Western. It's not exceptional in any way, but it tells a decent story (scripted by Harry Julian Fink and Rita M. Fink of "Dirty Harry" fame) told in capable enough fashion. The Duke is good as a single father who realizes that his experience as a parent hasn't been the best for his children. But the best moments tend to belong to the supporting players. Kennedy gives the tale a real shot in the arm with his villainous performance, as does Neville Brand as Lightfoot, the half breed Comanche hired for his services as a tracker. Brand didn't feel that he was right for his role, but it's one of the better ones that he had. It's a treat to spot the continuous lineup of familiar faces in supporting and bit parts: Marie Windsor, Royal Dano, Scott Walker, Denver Pyle, Jackie Coogan, Harry Carey Jr., Walter Barnes, Paul Fix, Pepper Martin, Hank Worden, and Hunter von Leer.
Production design (by Walter M. Simonds), cinematography (by Joseph F. Biroc), and editing (by Robert L. Simpson), are generally well done, and Elmer Bernsteins' score is catchy and rousing. Things get fairly intense - Billy Joe does get a knife held to his neck - and the violence is definitely of the post-"The Wild Bunch" variety.
It's not a great Western, but it held this viewers' attention for 103 minutes.
Seven out of 10.