The War Wagon

The War Wagon (1967) starring John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Howard Keel, Robert Walker Jr., Keenan Wynn. Taw Jackson (Wayne), who was robbed of his gold claim and framed and sent to prison, aims to make up for lost ground in this Western. He recruits best frenemy Lomax (Douglas) to help him rob an armored wagon carrying $500,000 worth of gold, and the action is on. More of a caper film than a traditional Western, the movie features all of the usual suspects, including an Indian who has adopted white man's ways (Keel) and a young buck who's good with explosives (Walker), and chooses to use nitroglycerin to blow a bridge. It's a pleasure to see superstars Wayne and Douglas share the screen together, and they play off each other well. The movie uses humor well, and there are many funny scenes to break up the Western action. (English subtitles are included on the DVD, but not closed captions.) Grade: B