May 27 1967 

The War Wagon, a colourful John Wayne Western, adapted for the screen by Clair Huffaker from his own novel, and directed by the genre proficient Burt Kennedy, opens nationally. Wayne stars as an ex rancher who, upon returning home after three years of wrongful imprisonment, teams up with a gunslinging, quick-with-a-quip, safe cracker (Kirk Douglas) to hijack the eponypous armoured stage coach carrying a shipment of gold belonging to the corrupt businessman responsible for his internment. An affable, genre exercise which the two stars (paired for the third time) lightheartedly carry off without breaking a sweat. Bruce Cabot, Howard Keel, Keanan Wynn and Bruce Dern fill out the stock supporting roles.

Comments