Chisum (1970) User Reviews

Amazingly close to history

[VetteRanger · 8/10 · 21 June 2009]

The first few times I saw this movie, I hadn't read the history of the Lincoln County Land Wars.

However, in recent years, with the convenience of the internet at hand, I read the histories along with watching the movie. Compared to the amount of factual change that most movies based on a history put on film, this movie is not far from being spot on.

In fact, the amount of direct action that John Wayne's character, Chisum, took in the film, is probably the element that is the most out of place.

Billy the Kid really did work for an English rancher involved in the dispute. His boss really did fund a rival general store with a lawyer. Both the English rancher and the lawyer were murdered by the faction controlled by the rival general store.

Billy the Kid really did get his outlaw career kicked off in seeking vengeance for his boss and mentor's murder. Pat Garret really was supported for sheriff by John Chisum, who somehow managed to stay out of the thick of the feuding even though his use of huge tracts of public grazing land was part of the heart of the dispute.

So history buffs can safely enjoy this movie knowing that history is just bent a little, and not ripped completely asunder as the case would be with most movies. LOL That said, this is a very entertaining western. John Wayne is on top of his game as a cattle baron, and the supporting cast does a fine job. It includes a bit of everything: rustling, gunfights, stampedes, crooked sheriffs, greedy bad guys, heroic good guys. It has more plot surprises than the normal western (and that is precisely because it kills off certain characters approximately when and how they died in the real events).

All in all, an enjoyable and surprisingly informative film about a real "old west" feud.

"No matter where people go, sooner or later, there's the law."

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 7/10 · 19 April 2008]

McLaglen's western showcases Wayne as John Simpson Chisum, an historical figure who was the largest owner of land, of horses and cattle in New Mexico territory around 1878… The Pecos River runs through the middle of his land… He lets the water flow to all the ranches, big and small… If another man, with more appetite—like Lawrence Murphy (Forrest Tucker) owned that land— he'd control a territory bigger than most states and some countries… The story is based on the bloody Lincoln County cattle war…

Things come to 'one hell of a fight' when Murphy's men kill Chisum's friend Henry Tunstall, mentor to Billy the Kid, and have Alex McSween, manager of their general store, with Billy and some men, trapped in…

Forrest Tucker plays Chisum's enemy who really thinks himself skillful enough to 'own' the law…

Christopher George (Dan Nodeen) plays the half-crazy bounty hunter who gimps because of Billy the Kid…

Ben Johnson has one of the most impressive records of any supporting Westerner… He came here to support Chisum all the way…

Andrew V. McLaglen has built up a reputation as one of the most promising of post-war directors of Westerns, but has yet to fulfill that promise with a really major work

The Way It Should Have Been

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 9 February 2006]

Over the course of his career John Wayne played a few real life characters. Coming immediately to mind are Davy Crockett, William T. Sherman, Frank "Spig" Wead, Genghis Khan and some others with pseudonyms for William F. Halsey and John Grierson. Playing these people would normally impose certain restrictions on an actor who's as larger than life as John Wayne.

But it certainly didn't with playing John Simpson Chisum, New Mexico cattle baron and key player in what has become known in history as the Lincoln County War. Of course the politics involved were a bit more complex than what you would see here. And a whole lot of liberties have been taken with the facts. One of the biggest is the fact that both Chisum and his rival L.G. Murphy died in bed and quite soon after the action of this film.

But if Maxwell Anderson could take liberties and have Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I of England meet, then why can't we have Chisum and Murphy meeting in a final confrontation? After all it's a John Wayne movie and John Wayne movies can only go in a certain way.

The Duke plays Chisum as the Duke, no more, no less. He and other ranchers are being squeezed by a greedy rapacious businessman in L.G. Murphy as played by Forrest Tucker. Others in the cast worthy of note are Patric Knowles as Henry Tunstall, Glenn Corbett as Pat Garrett, Geoffrey Deuel as Billy the Kid, and Christopher George as Dirty Dan Nodeen.

Chisum has in its cast a whole host of familiar Hollywood faces from the past like Bruce Cabot, Ben Johnson, Hank Worden, Edward Faulkner, all Wayne film regulars. It also has the presence of both Glenn Langan and John Agar.

One of the really great things about John Wayne was the way he took care of people, not as charity cases, but giving them parts in his films when they were down. John Agar and Glenn Langan have small roles in Chisum and both were not doing too good at the time. Agar was Shirley Temple's first husband and made a screen debut in Fort Apache. Langan was a promising contract player with 20th Century Fox in the late forties and is best known for being the Amazing Colossal Man. Both were I'm sure grateful for the work and the paycheck. I remember in McLintock Wayne says to his son Patrick who's looking for a job that he doesn't give jobs, he hires men. That was something in real life he lived up to.

The Lincoln County War has been told in any number of westerns right up to the two Young Guns movies of the Eighties. Chisum is not the best or the worst retelling of the tale. But it is a good John Wayne western and that takes in a lot of territory pilgrim.

A Fine Western Ahead Of Its Time

[subcityii · 12 November 2001]

Although a few notches below classic Wayne westerns like "Stagecoach" and "Rio Bravo," this film was a masterful return to form for Wayne. This was the first film Wayne did after gaining weight and donning an eye-patch for his work on "True Grit." In this film, Wayne plays an honest, straight talking man of action, not too different from the type character on which he built his career. The supporting characters are very well drawn and the villains resourceful enough to keep the action moving. In a way, this character, though based on an actual rancher, is similar to the character of Dunson in the superior "Red River." Both characters gambled on a long cattle drive from Texas and although "Red River" is about the drive itself, "Chisum" is about what happens to a similar character twenty years after the drive succeeds. At the time the film was released, at least one critic commented on how improbable it was for John Wayne, at the climax of the movie, to have done that much riding, fighting and falling all within the same sequence. As far as I am concerned, that sequence helped prepare me for later action sequences of 1980's action stars like Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger and action directors like James Cameron and John Woo. The film is no "Red River" but it is fine western nonetheless.

Splendid John Wayne as a tough cattle baron fighting along with Billy the Kid in the Lincoln County war

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 8 October 2007]

This excellent film concerns the real-life land baron living in New Mexico and dealing with the Lincoln County Wars of 1878 . Wayne as the mighty cattle baron Chisum is magnificent . It's one of very few John Wayne Westerns based on historical deeds . The movie is plenty of action , thrills , shootouts , adventures and being pretty entertaining . Casting is frankly awesome with usual Andrew McLagen , John Ford's actors (Wayne , Ben Johnson , John Agar and Hank Worden) . Furthermore , habitual Ford cameraman William H. Clothier (Cheyenne Autumm , Man who shot Liberty Valance , Horse soldiers) giving a colorful cinematography , as well as evocative musical score by Dominic Frontiere , including enjoyable leitmotif . The motion picture was well directed by Andrew W. McLagen , John Ford's known disciple , and he called the film one of his favorites .

The real events were the following ones : This powerful cattle king of New Mexico , John Simpson Chisum (1824-84) living in New Mexico governed by governor Lew Wallace (Ben Hur's author) , he started with a few head of stray longhorns and became one of the biggest individual cattle owners in North America, with between 60.000 and 100.000 head . In 1854 he entered the cattle business , selling beef to Indian reservations, making friendship with Chief White Buffalo (Abraham Sofaer's last film) . In 1867 he moved to New Mexico and established a large spread at South Spring in Old Lincoln County where he prospered greatly . He became involved in the Lincoln County war of 1878-79 in which he opposed the Murphy (Forrest Tucker) and Dolan (Edward Faulkner) faction and backed cattleman Tunstall (Patrick Knowles) , whose gunfighters-cowboys included the handsome Billy the Kid (Geoffrey Deuel's film debut). It is said that Chisum was instrumental in making Billy the Kid an outlaw killer , he used his considerable influence in getting Pat Garret (Glenn Corbett) elected Sheriff of Lincoln County in 1880 and it was Garrett who hunted down and killed the young outlaw . Chisum's cattle brand was the Long Rail , a long , straight mark extending from shoulder to flank . Chisum , who never married, died at Eureka Springs , Arkansas , leaving an state of some 500.000 dollars .

Wayne Rides Again

[slokes · 7/10 · 7 August 2005]

For those of us who love him, there's something about a John Wayne movie that kind of makes it immune to criticism. You can fault his no-frills acting style, the pious patriotism, the oft-uneven supporting cast, the predictable fight scenes, But even a lesser Wayne film still has John Wayne, and for his fans, that's nine-tenths of the battle in determining whether it's a good film.

"Chisum" is not going to convert non-Duke fans. On its own merits it's a serviceable western with good action sequences, some incredible vistas of the Mexican countryside (supposed to be Lincoln County, New Mexico) by cinematographer William H. Clothier, and an interesting if not always coherent storyline that places Wayne's title character, John Chisum, as more of a remote icon than active player in the proceedings, especially in its second half. Much of the film focuses on young William Bonney (Geoffrey Deuel), a former gunman better known as Billy the Kid now trying to live "clean and forward, all the way" with the help of a fatherly rancher named Tunstall (Patric Knowles, Will Scarlet to Errol Flynn's Robin Hood some 32 years before).

Geoffrey Deuel didn't go on to much of a career after this, and it's not hard seeing why. In "Chisum" his shallow characterization exudes no visible menace even after Bonney, well-provoked though not well-reasoned, turns against the law. I'm not sure how much of it was Deuel's fault. The script works against him, setting Bonney up as a decent, humble guy to the point of boringness, and director Andrew V. McLaglen only adds to the emasculation by showcasing Deuel's shy smile and his character's rote romancing of Chisum's niece. One scene freezes on Bonney holding a gun in one hand and a Bible in the other. I don't think Marlon Brando could have acted his way out of Deuel's bind.

Other actors come off better, especially Forrest Tucker as the chief heavy, Lawrence Murphy, who showcases an affable menace that makes him a good foil to Wayne's straightforward Chisum; Glenn Corbett, who plays drifting gambler Pat Garrett, hard but decent, who joins Chisum and befriends young Bonney until he turns into The Kid again; and Christopher George, whose Dan Nodeen is a nasty bounty hunter obsessed with killing the Kid. One nice thing about this film is seeing these actors, all best known for TV series work, stretching out beyond their popular identities of the period. George makes the strongest impression as the cold-eyed Nodeen.

"You just had to kill him," asks a sheriff when Nodeen brings in the body of a wanted man.

"No, less trouble that way," Nodeen replies.

Ben Johnson and Richard Jaeckel also have their moments as companions to Chisum and Murphy respectively, as does Andrew Prine as a lawyer who switches sides halfway through. There are many other performances, too, most good and all detracting somewhat from Wayne at the center, though Chisum does assert himself from time to time.

"Chisum" may be too busy a film that way, with too rambling a focus even when its on Wayne. There's one scene where Chisum looks after an old Commanche chief which should have been cut, while others need trims. But director McLaglen keeps a firm rein on things most of the time, and the story does move. His mentor was John Ford, but while McLaglen lacked Ford's nuance and depth, he was better at delivering action sequences, both in terms of frequency and originality. "Chisum" gives you plenty of action, none better than the final battle at the Lincoln general store between Billy and the baddies with Chisum riding to the rescue.

The first time I saw "Chisum," I was stuck at a sleepaway camp and hating life in general. Something about seeing John Wayne on a horse made the world seem right again, even if the film was kind of hokey with that silly title music and all. Years later, I still relish this film, in some ways more than I did then, despite its flaws. "Chisum" is not a showcase for Wayne's greatness, like "The Searchers" or "Rio Bravo," but it's a nice film to have around for those of us who don't need him justifying our love every time out.

Meaner Than a Gut-Shot Grizzly

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 27 December 2013]

Cattle ranchers John Chisum (John Wayne) and Henry Tunstall (an almost unrecognizable Patric Knowles) face off against villainous Lawrence Murphy (Forrest Tucker). Murphy has the corrupt law on his side, but that's okay because Duke has Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid! Fairly by-the-numbers western very loosely based on the real life Lincoln County War. A decent supporting cast, headed by Ben Johnson playing himself. There's also Bruce Cabot, Richard Jaeckal, Christopher George and soon-to-be wife Lynda Day, Andrew Prine, Glenn Corbett, and Geoffrey Deuel as Billy the Kid. All in all, not a bad bunch. It's all enjoyable enough but not one of Duke's best.

Old Style Western entertainment

[Crimpo2 · 10/10 · 15 October 2005]

One of the last of the old-style Westerns (it always amazes me that it was made as late as it was). John Wayne doing his stuff as only he can - huge shoot-outs, classic fist fights, goodies and baddies amazingly clearly defined, thumping score, oh and that amazing landscape.

If you like Wayne you'll love this, if you don't then you'll hate it. Simple as that. Ben Johnson is superb - as ever, a much underrated character actor.

Someone mentioned the 'silly' title song. I have to disagree. I love those amazingly long opening titles and the grandiose pomposity of the theme tune and its voice-over. All moving into that classic opening shot of Wayne like an immovable great rock on horseback and the horizon. Probably (no definitely) my favourite opening to a movie.

True to history - if it ever is then its by accident. But what do you expect - its a classic old-style western! Finally, was this the last US movie to feature characters with (allegedly) British accents as heroes. ;-)

Chisum (1970)

[WandrinStar · 6/10 · 2 February 2012]

(6.5/100) One of the few films the Duke made that was based on true events. Its nowhere near his top films, but the film itself is solid and has enough memorable moments to separate itself from Wayne's later westerns. Although having his character's name in the title, the movie actually plays out as an ensemble giving equal time to Pat Garrett and William Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid. However, Corbett and Deuel were mediocre and unable to pull their own weight in scenes with Wayne. On the flip side, Christopher George played a good, villainous gun-for-hire while Ben Johnson gave one of his best supporting performances that I've seen out of him. Has a pleasant amount of humor with a good final shoot out and a catchy, yet borderline annoying theme song. The film is carried down with a strikingly large cast for a sub two hour movie, but has a number of memorable moments.

John Chisum Meets Billy `The Kid'

[AzRanger · 8/10 · 1 November 2003]

As much as I like this movie…

…what its storyline does, especially as it gets further along, is simply to re-tell the story of Billy `The Kid' Bonney. It supposed to take place after Chisum has made that famous cattle-drive and shows the start of the Lincoln County war. Towards the end, the battle between Chisum and Murphy (the war) is completely set aside and we end up seeing all the same things happen to Billy that we've already seen in all the other movies about him, i.e., his relationship with Tunstall, meeting Pat Garrett and becoming friends (at first, then their falling out, well, kinda), him getting revenge on everybody, and the ol' shootout at McSween's store. The movie alters history in some interesting ways, though, like instead of the U.S. Army helping the sheriff (a fictitious character that replaces Brady) during the McSween's store shootout, Chisum becomes the cavalry and he and Pat Garrett help Billy out. The movie ends rather abruptly, never letting us know what happens to Chisum, Billy or the Lincoln County war.

old fashion John Wayne

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 15 August 2015]

In the town of Lincoln, John Chisum (John Wayne) battles rustlers stealing his horses. He is concerned that greedy baron Lawrence Murphy is taking over as he buys up everything and pushing out the smaller operations. Murphy has even chosen the lawmen. Chisum and his men with honest rancher Tunstall, Pat Garrett, William Bonney aka Billy the Kid and others are forced to battle Murphy in his crocked schemes. Chisum opens his own bank and store to compete.

It's a simplistic old fashion western. Chisum is the best of the good. It's not all necessary. For example, it's not really necessary for Chisum to stand up for the Indians. It becomes a bit clunky. Billy the Kid needs to be played by a more charismatic actor than Geoffrey Deuel. McSween is too idealistic bordering on idiocy. This is a movie of sharp black and white. The cattle stampede is quite impressive and there is plenty of good action. The sensibility is old fashion even in its times.

Old Guns : John Wayne Meets Billy The Kid

[FightingWesterner · 8/10 · 14 January 2010]

Cattle king and businessman John Chisum (John Wayne) teams up with Pat Garrett and Billy Bonney in anticipation of a range war against wannabe land baron Forrest Tucker. Soon, Billy goes rogue and all hell breaks loose!

This handsomely produced western starts well, sags just a little in the middle, then gets back on track for an exciting final act and excellent climax.

Being that Wayne also executive-produced, there's a great cast of familiar faces backing him up, including personal favorites Ben Johnson, Richard Jaeckel, and Andrew Prine among others.

Once again, Christopher George stands out as Tucker's slick hired-gun turned sheriff, sort of a meaner version of his role in Howard Hawks' El Dorado.

The colorful title sequence featuring a moving camera capturing several vivid, action-packed western paintings is really nice too.

George, Jaeckel, and Prine were all together again a few years later, battling the title animal in the 1976 creature-feature Grizzly.

CHISUM (Andrew V. McLaglen, 1970) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 6 June 2007]

This is another laid-back action Western from The Duke’s twilight period with a more ambitious scope than usual, since it features historical figures like John Simpson Chisum (the part played by Wayne), Pat Garrett (played by Glenn Corbett) and Billy The Kid (played by Geoffrey Deuel).

Rather than having the typical token appearance by cronies, it provides substantial roles for Ben Johnson (as Wayne’s mumbling sidekick), Forrest Tucker (effectively cast against type as the villain), Bruce Cabot (as the corrupt sheriff), Richard Jaeckel (as Tucker’s lead henchmen), Christopher George (as a trigger-happy replacement for Cabot), Abraham Sofaer (as an Indian chief) and, most surprising of all perhaps, Patrick Knowles (as Wayne’s best friend and fellow patriarch). Having said that, the film is too often side-tracked by the bland affairs of the younger generation – including Garrett and the Kid who, of course, both vie for the hand of Wayne’s niece! It’s interesting to watch Ben Johnson participating in these old-fashioned type of Westerns, when a year earlier he had played a major role in Sam Peckinpah’s ground-breaking THE WILD BUNCH (1969) – a film which both John Wayne and Howard Hawks disliked! CHISUM features an innovative illustrated credit sequence – although Wayne’s stoic posture in the opening and closing shots evokes more unintended mirth than the expected emotion! The busy climax, then, takes in an over-extended but fairly exciting shootout, an outbreak of fire, a fistfight (between Wayne and Tucker), and even a cattle stampede. In the end, this emerges as predictable but good-natured fun – with a flavorful score by Dominic Frontiere which is, unfortunately, occasionally interrupted by some awful country-ish tunes. Incidentally, it was while working on this film that John Wayne won his Golden Globe Award for TRUE GRIT (1969) and learned that he was up for an Academy Award for it (which he proceeded to win as well).

Apart from a promotional featurette (discussed below), the Warners DVD of CHISUM includes a full-length Audio Commentary by director McLaglen which, basically, details the goings on behind-the-scenes – with special mention of the Durango locations (standing in for New Mexico) and, of course, his long-running association with Wayne (in all, they made 5 movies together). It isn’t one of the most compelling Commentaries I’ve heard, but I didn’t expect it to be either.

JOHN WAYNE AND "CHISUM" (TV) (Elliot Geisinger and Ronald Saland, 1970) **1/2

A nine-minute TV special made to promote the release of CHISUM (1970) – available as a supplement on Warners’ DVD of the John Wayne/Andrew V. McLaglen Western – it gives some background on the historical figure of cattle baron John Simpson Chisum and also delineates just how Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid (his friends, but soon to be sworn enemies of each other) came to be involved in his struggle against unscrupulous landowners. Apart from providing rare behind-the-scenes footage of Wayne and company at work in a number of key scenes from the film, at one point, the star is even shown parading the Oscar he had just won for TRUE GRIT (1969)!

One of the better of Wayne's late Westerns

[doug-balch · 5/10 · 9 July 2010]

This was pretty good overall.

Here's what I liked:

• Wayne's very good as usual here. It's nice to see him finally drop the love interest that was so inappropriate in most of the movies he made after the age of 55.

• Some good supporting cast performances, especially Ben Johnson and Forrest Tucker.

• Pretty good story, based pretty solidly on real events of the Lincoln County range war in New Mexico.

• Tunstall's mentoring of Billy the Kid was very similar to "The Left Handed Gun", the 1958 film where Paul Newman played Billy. I wonder if this is based in fact?

Christoper George isn't bad here, reprising his henchman role from "El Dorado".

Here's what kept it from being better:

• A critical character in this movie is Billy the Kid. He is horribly miscast here by an actor with zero charisma. Because he has no personality, it's a little hard to understand his contradictory behavior in the movie. This almost leads to serious plausibility issues.

• The whole thing is a little too much by the numbers. Sometimes feels like a big budget episode of Bonanza.

Odd, but good Western

[Sean84 · 31 January 2000]

The odd thing about this western is that it has the notorious murderer, Billy the Kid, as a good-guy vigilante. This break in history adds some questionable moments in the film. Also the movie relies heavily on The Kid character, more so than does the character of John Chisum(Wayne). This aside, it is still a great film, as John Wayne plays the traditional role of Justice vs. Tyranny. Forrest plays the role of "the villain you love to hate" completely, but does not over do it. One of the most memorable lines of the show is the confrontation of the "Duke" and the town boss. The town boss had relied on a puppet sheriff, as well as a weak governor to promote his control of the town. When Chisum confronts the boss, he mentions,(something to this effect) [When you try to take over my land], "...I won't call the Rangers, I won't call the Governor, I won't send a letter to the President, I come after you myself!" Traditional line of the Duke, but never so passionately delivered. This scene alone makes the movie worthwhile. It also has the traditional western action, but don't be surprised if you question yourself at the end, "Was I actually rooting for Billy the Kid?

an okay later Wayne flick

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 28 January 2006]

Few of the movies made late in John Wayne's were particularly outstanding (except for THE SHOOTIST). Instead, the stories often were interchangeable with many of his prior films and the supporting cast seem unable to keep up with Wayne. Well, this one isn't any better, though he has a little bit better support (such as Forrest Tucker and Ben Johnson). The plot and dialog is just too familiar and I HATE movies that feature real-life bandits (in this case Billy the Kid) because the way they are portrayed is so fictionalized and stupid. Billy (just like films that portray the James brothers and other real-life low-lifes), is noble and decent down deep and you see how he goes wrong,....yeah right! What a lot of hooey. I want to see a film where one of these guys comes along and shoots people in the back, commits a rape and then shoots all the witnesses. The real-life bad guys of the old west OFTEN did this, but I guess it doesn't make for a good movie. Instead, we get another clichéd portrayal that just bogs this movie down--without it, it would have gotten a score of at least 8.

A Bang-Up Western

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 21 July 2015]

It's 1878 in Lincoln, a small village in the Territory of New Mexico. The big man in town is horse 'n' cattle rancher John Wayne (as John Simpson Chisum). When bandits try to steal Mr. Wayne's horses, a shoot-out ensues. Wayne is helped by handsome young newcomer Geoffrey Deuel (as William "Billy the Kid" Bonney). Due to the latter's gun-slinging reputation, Wayne regrets his initial invitation for the infamous Mr. Duel to meet pretty niece Pamela McMyler (as Sallie Chisum). However, the young'uns meet and are mutually attracted. Meanwhile, wicked capitalist Forrest Tucker (as Lawrence "L.G." Murphy) begins buying up all the businesses in town. He wants to take over the area and drive Wayne out of business. It looks hopeless when Mr. Tucker installs steely-eyed bounty hunter Christopher George (as Dan Nodeen) in the sheriff's office...

Of course, Wayne is not going down easily...

"Chisum" seems cluttered, at first. The opening shoot-out appears to be merely attention-getting, and there are a superfluous amount of characters. However, the introduction does allow us to see the importance of Deuel's character; note, for example, how the camera zooms in on the young actor's face. Very much Wayne's co-star, Deuel finally threatens his brother Pete Duel as the biggest star in the family. And, while there are many characters to keep track of, they do each have a reason to be there. Wayne troupe member John Agar has a meaningful cameo (as the grocery store owner leaving town) while Ben Johnson (as Pepper) is part of the chorus; it's nice to see them all...

Director Andrew V. McLaglen and writer Andrew J. Fenady combine the western legends Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid with the legendary Hollywood actor John Wayne very effectively. John Chisum was a real person, too, but is less remembered. The specifics and historical inaccuracies aside, John Wayne and Billy the Kid coexist quite comfortable in the same story. It's a little unnerving to see Wayne, given his health problems, smoking. But he swaggers appealingly on screen, and looks tough in spite of an added toll in weight and age. Stay tuned because it all builds to an exciting climax, with everything and everyone falling into place. Directed with some majesty by Mr. McLaglen, "Chisum" is a bang-up western.

******* Chisum (1970-06-24) Andrew V. McLaglen ~ John Wayne, Geoffrey Deuel, Forrest Tucker, Christopher George

Good vs. Evil vs. Justice vs. Revenge

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 22 December 2012]

John Chisum, as we learn early on, is an amalgamation of many sorts of characters that John Wayne played over his 40-something year career. He's a basic good guy who used to seek revenge, but now seeks only justice as he has learned that the price of revenge is usually destruction. With the powerful Forrest Tucker ("F-Troop's" hero and "Auntie Mame's" leading man) as the town villain causing trouble among the cattle men, Wayne and his brood (which includes Billy the Kid) set out to take him and his men down any way they can. Wayne wants to bring in the law to do it legally, while Geoffrey Deuel (as a very likable Billy the Kid) reads the wrong passages of the bible given to him and decides his way (murder) is the only way.

This western starts off with a rousing title song saluting the hero, utilizing fascinating artwork over the credits to show him in his various exploits. A fascinating group of characters (both fact and fiction) come in to give this rousing western a bit more heart than normal, particularly, the gentle rancher played by Patric Knowles who gives Billy the Kid a bible with a special inscription. This father-like character makes the legendary outlaw stand out with many different facets as he takes revenge out of grief when Knowles is shot down by Tucker's men.

Glenn Corbett is also very notable as Pat Garrett, an irony considering the later unrelated western "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" was probably in pre-production at the time. A minor subplot concerning Wayne's niece gives his character more heart, but fortunately doesn't boggle down the story here with unnecessary romance. The final shootout (which also includes a memorable cow stampede) is excitingly filmed, although the use of violence is much greater than normal. The shot of Wayne on his horse at the end is also quite memorable. Overall, this is quite a memorable film, and the title song, while no Oscar Winner, will linger on in your memory long after the movie is over.

One of the finest of John Wayne's late Westerns

[JamesHitchcock · 8/10 · 1 March 2012]

Range wars- disputes over grazing or water rights which frequently escalated into violence- were a popular subject for Westerns; well-known examples include "Shane", "Man without a Star" "The Big Country", "Heaven's Gate" and, more recently, Kevin Costner's "Open Range". Some of these films told purely fictitious stories; there were, for example, no real-life equivalents of the feuding Terrill and Hannassey clans from "The Big Country". Others, however, were loosely based on actual incidents from the history of the West; the Johnson County War, which took place in Wyoming in 1892, has inspired a number of films such as "Shane", "Heaven's Gate" and the various versions of "The Virginian".

"Chisum" likewise takes its inspiration from the Lincoln County War of 1878 in New Mexico. (Such conflicts were often named after the counties in which they took place). That "war" was fought between two opposing factions of cattle farmers and businessmen. The title character, John Chisum, was a rancher and a leader of one of the two factions. The other faction was led by another rancher named Lawrence Murphy who also owned the only general store in the area. As in a number of these conflicts, the division between the two factions was based on religious and ethnic lines. In a curious extension of the Ulster troubles to New Mexico, Murphy and most of his followers were Catholic Irish-Americans, whereas Chisum and most of his followers were Protestants of British or Northern Irish stock, although some were Mexicans.

In this version, however, Chisum is the hero, a kindly, paternalistic landowner, whereas the greedy, grasping Murphy is the villain of the piece. He is using his monopoly on trade to push up prices, hoping to bankrupt the local farmers and thereby obtain their land cheaply. Chisum and his close friend and neighbour Henry Tunstall try to forestall Murphy's plans by creating their own bank and general store, sparking off a conflict between their supporters and Murphy's. (In reality Tunstall, originally an Englishman from London, was a young man of 25 but in the film he is played as another elderly patriarch. His real Christian name was John rather than Henry).

Another real-life person involved in the Lincoln County War was William Bonney who under the name Billy the Kid was to become one of the most legendary figures of the Wild West. In the film he is played as a wild young man who, under Tunstall's benevolent influence, has become a reformed character. When, however, Tunstall is murdered by corrupt lawmen on Murphy's payroll, the grief-stricken Billy, who regarded Tunstall as his adopted father, swears revenge.

The sixties and early seventies saw the growth of what has become known as the "revisionist" Western which sought to challenge the accepted heroic myths of the Old West and to introduce a greater sense of moral ambivalence in place of the old moral certainties. As one might expect from a film starring John Wayne, there is little that is morally ambivalent about "Chisum"; the heroes are heroic, the villains dastardly, and it is the men on the side of right and justice who inevitably come out on top. Yet in two ways the film does show the influence of the revisionist movement. It is much more respectful of Native Americans and their culture than many earlier Westerns; Chisum will not allow anyone to insult an old Indian chief who is one of his close friends. And it does question the wisdom of the old "law of the gun", arguing for the rule of law instead. When Billy goes out to seek personal revenge for the death of his friend Tunstall this only leads to sorrow for himself and others. Chisum, by contrast, argues that all should be done by due process of law. This emphasis on law made "Chisum" an example of the sort of revisionism which could appeal to political conservatives as well as liberals; the film was praised by President Richard Nixon in a speech about law and order.

Although the Western genre was to decline in the latter part of the seventies, the first half of the decade saw a number of fine films in the genre, and "Chisum" is in many respects a splendid traditional Western, with some great photography of the wide-open western landscapes and some excellent action sequences, especially that cattle stampede at the end. John Chisum himself is a good example of the sort of character John Wayne excelled at playing- brave, decent and honourable. Wayne might occasionally have played flawed heroes, as in "The Searchers", but he never seemed to play an outright villain. Fortunately, he didn't need to, as there were plenty of actors capable of taking such parts, and Forrest Tucker's Murphy makes a good foil for the heroes. I would rank this as one of the finest of Wayne's late Westerns, second only to his last great swansong, "The Shootist". 8/10

John Wayne doing that which he does so well...

[radioannouncer · 7/10 · 27 August 2006]

...and that is play a larger-than-life character. This time around it's John Chisum, one of the most powerful cattlemen ever.

This movie reminded me of McLintock, minus the over-the-top humor, and more gun play...

This offering is not as gritty as other Billy the Kid fare, such as "Young Guns", but basically follows the same premise: John Tunstall takes pity on young Billy, and is gunned down - setting the Lincoln County War in motion.

Except in "Chisum", the Billy the Kid story is relegated to the middle and end of the movie...even when the story kicks into gear, and Billy and his cohorts start the action, John Wayne's Chisum pops in to maintain the story and bring everything to resolution, including a good fight with Murphy.

old-fashioned fun

[tsf-1962 · 9/10 · 7 December 2006]

In Sam Peckinpah's "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" James Coburn has the famous line, "The times are changing, Bill." While times may have been changing for the rest of the world in the 1970s, they weren't changing for John Wayne. He continued to grind out entertaining but old-fashioned westerns; not until his last film, Don Siegel's "The Shootist," would he venture into the kind of revisionist view of the west found in the films of Sam Peckinpah and Clint Eastwood. "Chisum" is one of the Duke's better vehicles, a corny but immensely enjoyable reworking of the Lincoln County War that is about as accurate as Shakespeare's history plays. Wayne plays cattle baron John Chisum as a more sympathetic figure than he probably was; the always excellent Ben Johnson is his sidekick Pepper and if you don't find any homoerotic subtext to their relationship you're a better man than I. Geoffrey Deuel gives a surprisingly authoritative performance as a young Billy the Kid, standing up well against the numerous better-known actors who have played the part. Forrest Tucker is a splendidly crafty villain, and Andrew McLaglan directs in his best John Ford fashion. Add a brilliant title sequence, a stirring Domenic Frontierre score, and a rather mushy song by Merle Haggard, and you have a true western classic that should appeal to old and young alike.

A land baron's empire is in jeopardy.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 25 February 2006]

A rather odd western, but its 'The Duke'. John Chisum(John Wayne)owns cattle, horses and land farther than the eyes can see. An envious land-grabbing developer Lawrence Murphy(Forrest Tucker)comes to Lincoln and starts buying stores, setting up a bank; and buying the law with full intent to disrupt a calm territory. Chisum is forced to protect his empire from the equally strong willed and corrupt Murphy. Strange enough; aiding Chisum is Billy 'The Kid' Bonney(Geoffrey Deuel)and Pat Garrett(Glen Corbett). Thus the battle lines are drawn for New Mexico's 1878 Lincoln County Land War.

The supporting cast is a who's who of the western genre: Ben Johnson, Andrew Pine, Richard Jaeckel, Patrick Knowles and Bruce Cabot. For static decoration there is Pamela McMyler and Lynda Day George. This movie comes in the twilight of Wayne's remarkable career. As always, 'The Duke' still packs a punch.

Chisum Great Western

[garyldibert · 9/10 · 31 July 2012]

Chisum was released in Dallas Texas on July 29, 1970. Chisum is a 1970 American Warner Bros. western motion picture starring John Wayne, Forrest Tucker, Christopher George, Ben Johnson, Glenn Corbett, Geoffrey Deuel, Andrew Prine, Bruce Cabot, Patric Knowles, and Richard Jaeckel. Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, it was adapted for the screen by Andrew J. Fenady from his short story, Chisum and the Lincoln County Cattle War. Although this movie is historically inaccurate in many details, it was based on events and characters from the Lincoln County War of 1878 in New Mexico Territory, which involved Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid among others.

Summary: John Chisum (played by Wayne), a virtuous, ranch-owning patriarch, locks horns with greedy Lawrence Murphy (played by Tucker), who will stop at nothing to get control of the trade and even the law in Lincoln County. Chisum is an aging cattle baron with an eventful past and a paternalistic nature towards his fellow ranchers and the local community. Murphy, a malevolent land developer, however, plans to take control of Lincoln County for his own personal gain. The film starts with Murphy's men tipping off Mexican rustlers who plan to steal Chisum's horses. Chisum is able to stop the bandits with help from a newcomer to the area, William Bonney, also known as Billy the Kid (Geoffrey Deuel). Billy is a notorious killer, but was given a chance to reform by Chisum's philanthropic ranch neighbor, Henry Tunstall (Patric Knowles). Billy gives cause for anxiety when he falls for Chisum's newly arrived niece, Sallie (Pamela McMyler). Murphy is buying up all the stores in town and using his monopoly to push up the prices. He appoints his own sheriff and deputies, and brings in a lawyer, Alex McSween, (Andrew Prine), but McSween's principles lead him to switch sides and seek work with Chisum and Tunstall. The two ranchers set up their own bank and general store in town under McSween's control, but Chisum's land and cattle are also a target. Murphy's men attempt to steal Chisum's cattle the night before he is due to sell them to the Army. A passing Buffalo Hunter, Pat Garrett warns Chisum's ranch hands. Garrett agrees to help Chisum and soon befriends Bonney. Together they foil an attack by Murphy's men on the wagons bringing in provisions for the new store.

Questions: Why was Chisum and Tunstall fed up with what Murphy was doing? Who accused Tunstall of cattle rustling? Why did Billy go seeking revenge? What was the rift between Dan Nodeen and Billy? How big was Chisum ranch? Who was Chisum right hand man? Who was Chisum niece? Why did she come to Chisum ranch?

Now My Thoughts on this Movie: I thought this movie was great. This movie had what western should have and that lots of action and adventure. They also had what makes all western good and that's guns and cattle! I thought John Wayne was excellent in his role as Chisum. I love the opening scene where John Chisum is sitting on his horse overlooking the valley of his ranch. I love the shots of the deer while Chisum was viewing his spread. I love watching the cattle drives and the shots of the cattle trough out the movie. I thought Lynda Day George was good in her role as Alex McSween's wife. I thought Pamela McMyler was good as Chisum niece. Because of the scenery shots, the cattle and the cattle drive I give this movie 9 weasel stars. The only thing missing in this movie was a leading lady.

A good historical western.

[adamjohns-42575 · 6/10 · 18 October 2022]

Chisum (1970) -

If you're going to watch a western it really should be a John Wayne one. In my mind, he embodies what a cowboy was. He has the honourable presence of a good man trying to live a good life from the land in this one and I feel like he's never played any character with a bad bone in their body.

It was actually interesting to see a 'Billy The Kid' film from a different perspective with the focus on 'Chisum' instead and the plot was very good of course because the films about the outlaw have that great history to start with.

I've watched a lot of Billy the Kid films - 'Young Guns/II' (1988/90) , 'Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid' (1973) and more, but I'm still not sure I really know what happened, because each version is so different.

I did like this film though.

I'd never really bothered with old westerns before, but I have really developed a taste for Mr Wayne's films. That might be because his characters and sometimes his appearance too, have reminded me of my Grandad, but a large part of it would be because John just did a good job of things. He had a screen presence that I can't deny and I've never seen anything too corny or hammy from him. The odd bit of cheese maybe, but only when it was fitting.

I also liked Geoffrey Deuel as Billy too, he was cute and how I have imagined 'The Kid' to be.

There were quite a lot of other characters and many of them looked the same, so it became a bit difficult to keep up with them all earlier on, but after a while it was clearer, especially once they started to cull a few of them.

The story reminded me of 'The Rustler Of Wind River', a book that I recently read that also featured a corrupt man trying to take land that doesn't belong to him and manipulating the local army. It was a surprisingly good read for a book over 100 years old.

I wouldn't say that this was the best John Wayne film, but it was enjoyable and I would gladly watch it again.

557.91/1000.

Routine production all around.

[castle70 · 5/10 · 1 September 2008]

Typical product of Wayne's Batjac productions from this period. Routine characters and casting with the sort performance Wayne would seem able to phone in by this time. Better were the roles where Wayne was required to stretch himself a bit, such as "The Cowboys". Don't get me wrong, there are those viewers who just love Wayne in this sort of production and role, but for this viewer, they were well down the scale of Wayne's better films. One could tune into a season of "Gunsmoke" from this period and find many episodes that worked better than this film. But there you had a Western saga truly firing on all cylinders. Many familiar faces from Wayne's production company and TV from the period.