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poster of Chisum
Rating: 6.714/10 by 182 users

Chisum (1970)

Cattle baron John Chisum joins forces with Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett to fight the Lincoln County Land War in the New Mexico Territory of 1878.

Directing:
  • Andrew V. McLaglen
Writing:
  • Andrew J. Fenady
Stars:
Release Date: Thu, Jul 23, 1970

Rating: 6.714/10 by 182 users

Alternative Title:
Чизам - RU
Chisum, Uma Lenda Americana - BR

Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 51 minutes
Budget: $4,000,000
Revenue: $6,000,000

Plot Keyword: gunslinger, monopoly, moral conflict, cattle drive, gun battle, cattle, historical event, wagon train, posse, quick draw, land war, cattle baron, cattle-rustler, pat garrett, new mexico territory, 1870s, group conflict, billy the kid, lincoln county war

John Wayne
John Chisum
Forrest Tucker
Lawrence Murphy
Ben Johnson
James Pepper
Glenn Corbett
Pat Garrett
Andrew Prine
Alex McSween
Bruce Cabot
Sheriff Brady
Patric Knowles
Henry Tunstall
Geoffrey Deuel
Billy 'The Kid' Bonney
Pamela McMyler
Sallie Chisum
John Agar
Amos Patton
Robert Donner
Bradley Morton
Edward Faulkner
James J. Dolan
Ray Teal
Justice J.B. Wilson
Ron Soble
Charley Bowdre
Glenn Langan
Colonel Nathan Dudley
Alan Baxter
Gov. Sam Axtell
Alberto Morin
Juan Delgado
William Bryant
Jeff - Head Wrangler
John Pickard
Sgt. Braddock
Abraham Sofaer
Chief White Buffalo
Gregg Palmer
Karl Riker
Hank Worden
Stationmaster Elwood
Jim Burk
Trace - Wrangler
Bob Morgan
Pegleg on Street
William Conrad
Narrator - Opening Credits (voice) (uncredited)
José Ángel Espinosa 'Ferrusquilla'
Governor's Aide (uncredited)
Ron Fletcher
Doctor (uncredited)
'Chico' Hernandez
Boy on Town (uncredited)
John Kelly
Minister (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons
Wrangler (uncredited)
Josh McLaglen
Young Boy Loading Wagon (uncredited)
Mary McLaglen
Young Girl (uncredited)
Lee Meriwether
Sallie's Mother (picture in Chisum's Pocketwatch) (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson
Trail Herder (uncredited)
José Torvay
Mexican Blacksmith (uncredited)
José Trinidad Villa
Blacksmith (uncredited)
Ralph Volkie
Blacksmith (uncredited)
Henry Wills
Extra (uncredited)

Per Gunnar Jonsson

Maybe it is because I grew up with watching John Wayne (my father was a big fan of western movies) but I still really like these old goodies with John Wayne. Actually there are few movies with John Wayne that I do not like even though all of them are rather outdated in this age of overkill action and special effects. This is definitely one of the better ones. John Wayne is doing what he does best. That is playing a slightly grumpy, hard-hitting cowboy. The role of Chisum is really perfect for John Wayne. That is not to say that the others are not doing a decent performance but it is really John Wayne that makes this movie. The movie itself is a fairly standard land-grabbing, cattle-steeling and bullying western story were two men spend most of the movie working themselves towards the final confrontation which, as good western tradition prescribes, involves a hearty exchange of gunfire. Just for good measure a bit of fist fighting was thrown in as well. There is nothing special with the story, there is nothing special with the acting, there is nothing special with the footage. It is just that everything is what I would expect, or at least hope for, in this kind of movie. The entire movie is just right in some old-fashioned way. The fact that the ending is reasonably happy is of course an additional plus. This movie is simply great uncomplicated entertainment.

CinemaSerf

When "Sallie" (Pamela McMyler) arrives at her uncle's ranch, she is immediately impressed by the huge scale of the place. "It'd take a man on a good horse most of the summer to cover it" explains her uncle, it's owner, John Chisum (John Wayne). Together with his weary sidekick "Pepper" (Ben Johnson) they fought pestilence and Indians and now have a cattle empire the envy of many - including the upstart "Murphy" (Forrest Tucker) who engages the help of legendary gunslinger "Nodeen" (Christoper George) and naive lawyer "McSween" (Andrew Prine) to address what he sees as a bit of an imbalance. Needless to say Chisum isn't going to just hands things over, and with the help of his decent neighbour "Tunstall" (Patric Knowles) decides to set up a bank and a store to combat their ever ambitious new nemeses. Tragedy ensues that adds the fury of "Billy the Kid" (Geoffrey Deuel) to this increasingly potent mix of treachery and gunpowder and leads to an exciting denouement with Yakima Canutt certainly earning his fee! It's a tad long, but Wayne is very much in his element here atop a solid story with a little humour from Johnson, plenty of gun-totin', and some grand cinematography set to a fine Dominic Frontiere score. If you like the genre - I do - then this is an easy watch with just an hint of moral fibre!


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