Two of Hollywood's film legends team-up together to rob a fortress on wheels of half-a-million in gold. John Wayne and Kirk Douglas made their second and final appearance together in this film. They first appeared together in Cast A Giant Shadow and in this gritty western both stars play adversaries who are forced to become allies. Some great dialogue between the two throughout the film. In one scene two gunman try and earn a quick $10,000 by shooting it out with Douglas and Wayne and meet their demise. Douglas states "Mine hit the ground first" ... to which Wayne replys "Mine was taller." There is also a rousing musical score by composer Dimitri Tiomkin. Tiomkin has scored to his credit such films as Red River, High Noon, Giant, The Alamo and The Guns of Navarone just to name a few. Great supporting cast .... "The War Wagon" is a winner.Read full review
John Wayne was a rancher who was framed for a crime he didn't commit and sent to jail. In his absence, a wealthy man, Frank Pierce, grabbed his ranch because he knew that there was gold on it. His mining company made lots of money. Wayne (Taw Jackson) is released from prison and returns. The local sheriff belongs to Pierce. Pierce also has a new toy, an 1880's horse drawn type steel tank, with a Gatling Gun. It is pulled by about twelve horses. There were about thirty riders and guards that accompanied this wagon, and it was used to transport gold. To rob it was suicide. Taw Jackson is going to rob it! He is looking for another man who is both his friend and enemy, Lomax, played by Kirk Douglas. Lomax has sworn to kill Taw, but when he is offered $100,000 for his help, he says yes. Taw has three others, an Indian, a drunkard kid who is an explosives expert, and an old man who works for Pierce. He has a plan to rob the War Wagon, get rid of Pierce, and reclaim his property. All goes to plan, until the end when the gold is lost to a tribe of hungry Indians. The gold dust is mixed in with flour and corn meal, and it is taken by the Indians for food!Read full review
Watched this as a kid and just got it to watch with my kids. There were alot more questionable scenes than I thought.You may want to watch it through before sharing it with your children. John Wayne played the hero who had been framed and sent to jail so his home and land could be "legally" stolen from him, for the Gold that he didn't know was there. It is the standard John Wayne with a twist. He is the guy planning the robbery. This movie starts out with our standard hero, after he lost the battle. Released from prison, back to a town where the law is bought and paid for, and the deck stacked against him. His parteners a crazy old man with a lovely young wife, a lost young drunk explosives expert, who can't keep his eyes off her, an indian misfit and a hired gun who is trying to decide between helping Wayne or killing him pit themselves against a small army and essectially a horse drivin tank. This movied is timeless it could be enjoyed in theatres if released today.Read full review
One of my favorite John Wayne movies with a cast of stars like Kirk Douglas, Keenan Wynn, Robert Walker, Howard Keel, as well as, the regular cast that appear in most of John Wayne movies. Very entertaining and fun to watch. The DVD arrived as promised and in an unopened seal. Great buy.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Kirk Douglas and John Wayne, while disliking each other's politics intensely, show a great on-screen chemistry and I wish they had worked together more often. The story was a typical Western heist movie, but the dialog and acting made this something special.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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