The War Wagon 1967

     Taw Jackson was in the hospital for six months after being shot by Lomax.  Then he was framed and sentenced to prison for three years but released early because of good behavior.  He’s mad because Frank Pierce stole his ranch while he was away and it was right after a huge gold strike on the property.  Lomax is a gunfighter and safe cracker and Jackson makes a deal with him to steal a large gold shipment from Pierce.  This isn’t going to be easy because Pierce has a LOT of men and he has an armored stagecoach called the War Wagon with a Gatling gun mounted on the top.  Jackson believes this gold belongs to him because it was on his property but Pierce doesn’t see it that way. 

     John Wayne is not on the side of the law in this film even though he believes he is.  Pierce doesn’t help himself by offering Lomax $10,000 and then raising it to $12,000 as a reward for killing Jackson.  Lomax always gets on his horse like he’s a circus performer?  There is a lot going on in this film with a buddy picture and a heist movie mixed together?  3* (This movie is OK)

96 min, Western directed by Burt Kennedy with John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Howard Keel, Howard Keel, Robert Walker Jr., Keenan Wynn, Bruce Cabot, Joanna Barnes, Valora Noland, Bruce Dern, Gene Evans.

Note:  Imdb 6.9 out of 10, 83% critic 66% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 233 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Durango and Zacatecas, Mexico and Universal City, California.  John Wayne was not happy with this film after it was finished but he felt Kirk Douglas was funny as Lomax.  There is a mistake with one of the bottles of nitroglycerin.  Lomax gives it to Billy and it’s full but when Billy pours it into another bottle, it is almost empty?