Big Jake

The McCandles ranch is run over by a gang of cutthroats led by the evil John Fain. They kidnap little…

• Director: George Sherman
• Genre:Action / Western
• Runtime:105 minutes

Cast

John Wayne : Jacob McCandles
Richard Boone : John Fain
Patrick Wayne : James McCandles
Christopher Mitchum: Michael McCandles
Bruce Cabot : Sam Sharpnose

Set in the year 1909, Jacob “Big Jake” McCandles (John Wayne) is an aging rancher and near-legendary gunfighter estranged from his family. Their ranch is raided by a ruthless gang of outlaws led by John Fain (Richard Boone). They kidnap Jacob’s grandson Little Jake (Ethan Wayne), for ransom, murdering ranch hands and wounding his eldest son, Jeff (Bobby Vinton). Martha McCandles (Maureen O’Hara) summons Jacob.

Jacob and his wife have been separated for nearly 10 years. Jacob arrives by train and he and Martha discuss a plan to take the ransom to the kidnappers and for Jacob to return with the boy. Jacob warns that “Pay or not, we run the risk of never seeing the boy again”. Martha has what is well known as a million dollars in a big red strongbox. Jacob is to deliver the box to the kidnappers. Jacob is packed quickly and ready to go. The Texas Rangers are close at hand ready to attempt a rescue, as is Jacob’s son James McCandles (John Wayne’s real-life son Patrick Wayne), whose initial greeting of Jake reveals a somewhat strained relationship. Michael McCandles (Christopher Mitchum) arrives by motorcycle and tells Martha that he saw the little boy alive. He suggests the Rangers can use automobiles to set an ambush for the kidnappers. Buck (John Doucette) and the Rangers try to get Jacob to come along with them. Jacob is old fashioned and goes at things his own way.

The Rangers take off to set the trap in their new automobiles and are themselves ambushed at the very place they were to ambush the kidnappers. Jacob, his dog and Sam Sharpnose (Bruce Cabot) come along and assist the ambushed and now wounded Rangers. James decides he better go with Jacob. The three set out to find Michael who seems to have wrecked or crashed the motorcycle during the ambush. They find him and he is unhurt, until Jacob realizes he IS unhurt at which time he flattens Michael twice—once for scaring him out of 10 years of his life and again for risking the grandson’s life. Read more