In 1909, when John Fain's gang kidnaps Jacob McCandles' grandson and holds him for ransom, Big Jake sets out to rescue the boy.In 1909, when John Fain's gang kidnaps Jacob McCandles' grandson and holds him for ransom, Big Jake sets out to rescue the boy.In 1909, when John Fain's gang kidnaps Jacob McCandles' grandson and holds him for ransom, Big Jake sets out to rescue the boy.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Christopher Mitchum
- Michael McCandles
- (as Chris Mitchum)
Ethan Wayne
- Little Jake McCandles
- (as John Ethan Wayne)
- Directors
- George Sherman
- John Wayne(uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJohn Wayne's last film with Christopher Mitchum. The two actors fell out when Mitchum disagreed with Wayne's conservative views during a television interview, and they never spoke again. Mitchum tried to get in touch with Wayne in 1979 when the veteran star was dying of cancer, but did not receive any response.
- GoofsBefore the Rangers set out after the kidnappers, Michael tells them that they are five hours away. He does not refuel his motorcycle before they leave. Presumably, there are no gasoline stations along the way, and no extra fuel is seen being carried. They should have run out of gas a long time before reaching the bad guys.
- Quotes
Jacob 'Big Jake' McCandles: And now *you* understand. Anything goes wrong, anything at all... your fault, my fault, nobody's fault... it won't matter - I'm gonna blow your head off. No matter what else happens, no matter who gets killed I'm gonna blow your head off.
- ConnectionsFeatured in 100 Years of the Hollywood Western (1994)
Featured review
"That'll Be the Day"
Though Big Jake doesn't go down with the greatest of John Wayne's films I put it in the class of The Comancheros which I also found entertaining. This film is the right mixture of chemistry and action. No doubt helped by the fact that John Wayne was surrounded with family literally.
John Wayne is the estranged patriarch of a family who owns a big cattle spread just as he did in McLintock. A gang of kidnappers came on the place while most everyone was on roundup and killed several people and kidnapped Wayne's grandson. Grandmother Maureen O'Hara sends for her estranged husband to deal with the kidnappers as he sees fit. Being this is a John Wayne movie, you already know how that is.
Son Michael Wayne is the producer and sons Patrick and Ethan play Wayne's son and grandson. This is a bit of a change for Patrick Wayne. From back in the days of The Searchers, Pat Wayne always played callow youths in his father's and in other films. Here he's a grown man and quite bitter at his father. The conflict between them crackles on the screen. Christopher Mitchum, the son of another Hollywood icon, plays another Wayne offspring as does Bobby Vinton.
The action flows pretty good here and the tension does not let up for a moment. There are some good comic moments, but they are well integrated into the plot of the story.
Of the Duke's films post his Oscar from True Grit, Big Jake is one of his best and a personal favorite of mine.
John Wayne is the estranged patriarch of a family who owns a big cattle spread just as he did in McLintock. A gang of kidnappers came on the place while most everyone was on roundup and killed several people and kidnapped Wayne's grandson. Grandmother Maureen O'Hara sends for her estranged husband to deal with the kidnappers as he sees fit. Being this is a John Wayne movie, you already know how that is.
Son Michael Wayne is the producer and sons Patrick and Ethan play Wayne's son and grandson. This is a bit of a change for Patrick Wayne. From back in the days of The Searchers, Pat Wayne always played callow youths in his father's and in other films. Here he's a grown man and quite bitter at his father. The conflict between them crackles on the screen. Christopher Mitchum, the son of another Hollywood icon, plays another Wayne offspring as does Bobby Vinton.
The action flows pretty good here and the tension does not let up for a moment. There are some good comic moments, but they are well integrated into the plot of the story.
Of the Duke's films post his Oscar from True Grit, Big Jake is one of his best and a personal favorite of mine.
helpful•4210
- bkoganbing
- Jan 17, 2006
- How long is Big Jake?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Million Dollar Kidnapping
- Filming locations
- El Saltito waterfall, Nombre de Dios, Durango, Mexico(Automatic handgun scene.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $4,800,000 (estimated)
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