Cahill: United States Marshal (1973)

brilliant actors, brilliant editing

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

The Duke was around 65 when he made this movie so it's understandable why he is not seen rolling around or jumping off horses. He himself never thought this movie was well written. I think he just loved to make movies. I have read many of the viewers reviews and wonder why some of them never get it. The topic is, Add a review not tell everyone what the movie is about. As with all John Wayne movies, you can watch them with your kids without the worries of naked bodies or four letter words filling the air or the floor. We miss you Duke...

Upon reflection, there aren't that many Westerns I can call to mind that explore the divide between the film's hero and his sons. Both versions of "3:10 to Yuma" did a decent job of it, and once this story gets under way, it becomes apparent that J.D. Cahill (John Wayne) has some work to do to build up his parental bona fides with sons Daniel (Gary Grimes) and Billie Joe (Clay O'Brien). Just for the heck of it, I'm going to take a stab at Cahill's initials, there was one scene in which a sign indicated the 'Jefferson Davis County Jail', so I'm betting J.D. was named after Jefferson Davis. If anyone knows otherwise, I'll stand corrected.I just watched the Clint Eastwood film "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" so I had to do a double take when Neville Brand's character was introduced as the half breed Lightfoot. I was all set for him to smack Danny around after J.D. warned his son not to use the derogatory term, you would think Danny would have learned his lesson earlier in the story when introduced to the Mrs. Sometimes you just need to get knocked off your high horse to see things more clearly.That scene actually had me reflecting on how times have changed since the Sixties and Seventies, and how a character like Cahill today would be considered a bully and an unfit parent. And maybe more to the point, how impressionable college students viewing the film today might need a safe room to watch it in. In the real world there are enough characters like Abe Fraser (George Kennedy) in charge in enough places to make things uncomfortable when it comes to entering the modern day work force, and I don't know if graduates today are being properly prepared for it. Just my little digression there.Say, here' something I've been waiting for a long time to see in a Western. Denver Pyle portrays a character named Denver, I wonder why it took so long. And what exactly was that animal that Royal Dano's character sold to Cahill? It looked like a mangy horse but brayed like a donkey and acted like a mule.Best line of story came early when J.D. hired Lightfoot to be his tracker - "I'll track, any killin', you do it. Might be friends of mine". Sort of puts old time Western relationships in perspective, doesn't it?

Many liberals like to bitch John Wayne out - I know because being a left-winger I have to put up with whiny liberals for company! What many of these liberals forget is that John Wayne - whilst politically unacceptable in many ways - was still an actor and a human being. Something some ''liberals'' complain about is Republican political oriented criticism on liberal actors and directors and the disrespect of the artistic talents of these liberal personages. I see no difference in disrespect to a left-winger or a right-winger so the hypocritical stance of these liberal ''film fans'' doesn't do their ideology any favours.The film 'Cahill U.S. Marshal' whilst not being the greatest of westerns, is an enjoyable western with a good message - which isn't as Republican or right-wing as some other voters claimed. The wonderful acting from John Wayne and George Kennedy is on par with their best work, the plot is original and the opening of the film is fantastic and rousing.One of the features that other voters have not commented on is the music by Elmar Bernstein. The score for 'Cahill' is amongst the great composer's finest work and the song 'A Man Gets To Thinking'' sung by Charlie Rich is a good theme on par with the 'True Grit' by Glen Campbell and I am sure that a lot of Country and Western fans - I am only mildly enamoured with this genre - will enjoy it.

"If you don't like the treatment, then don't rob banks" J.D. Cahill is a fearsome Marshal, his reputation goes before him where ever he roams, but when his two sibling boys decide to get his attention by way of joining a gang and then robbing a bank, he is perhaps faced with his toughest challenge.This is not a great John Wayne film, in fact it's distinctly average, but at its heart, the tale of a single father trying to balance his work and bring up his children properly, is interestingly watchable. Unfortunately after a brisk and entertaining opening the film ambles along without any wish to up the ante. John Wayne, and chief bad guy George Kennedy appear to merely be going through the motions, and some of the technical work here only compounds the cheap feel that cloaks the story. It's ultimately mostly unforgettable stuff, but it deserves a watch because it does at least say a bit more than at first thought, it's just real sad that it's not put together very well. 5/10