THE WAR WAGON (1967) ¢ ¢ ¢
D: Burt Kennedy
John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Howard Keel,
Robert Walker, Bruce Cabot, Joanna Barnes,
Keenan Wynn, Gene Evans, Bruce Dern
John Wayne made two kinds of westerns through much of his career: the classics, usually directed by Hawks or Ford, and lighter, more formula work handled by journeymen like Henry Hathaway, Andrew McLaglen, or (in this case) Burt Kennedy. "The War Wagon" is one of his more jovial entertainment pieces, full of broad humor and two-fisted action, with Wayne, just out of prison, teaming up with Kirk Douglas to rob a horse-drawn armored car used to transport large shipments of gold. Douglas does a giddy self-parody, all snake-oil charm and swaggering vanity. There's even a joke about the dimple in his chin. About all Wayne has to do playing against that is stand there and be John Wayne, the ultimate force to be reckoned with, the guy who can cut down lesser men with guns, fists, a word, or a look. He seems to be having a good time, too.
