Big Jake is a 1971 Western film, starring John Wayne and directed by George Sherman.
Production
John Wayne’s real life son, Patrick Wayne, stars as James McCandles in the film, as does Robert Mitchum’s son, Christopher Mitchum. Wayne’s youngest son Ethan Wayne stars as his grandson, Little Jake, in the movie.
The couple who wrote the screenplay for this film, Harry Julian Fink and Rita M. Fink, also wrote the original script for Dirty Harry, which was also released in 1971. They also wrote Wayne’s later film, Cahill U.S. Marshall. This was the last of five films in which John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara appeared together. Theme music was composed by famed composer Elmer Bernstein.
Reception
When first released, Big Jake received some discord among John Wayne fans, who decried the film’s seemingly bloodthirsty attitude to violence.
