Big Jake

A narrator explains that the year is 1909, and that on the east coast, technology, fashion, the arts, and other versions of progress are all the rage. However, the west, while not untouched by the winds of change, is still a fairly untamed and dangerous land. A perfect example of this situation is given when former soldier and notorious train and bank robber John Fain (Richard Boone) leads a band of old-fashioned gunfighters and rustlers onto the land owned by Jacob "Big Jake" McCandles (John Wayne) and his estranged wife Martha (Maureen O'Hara).

Jake, a wanderer notorious for his gun-slinging skills and his prodigious wealth, has ridden around the west on various business matters with his faithful unnamed dog, and not been home in nearly a decade. Martha runs the ranch, which has an almost East-coast-style house with servants, with the help of their three sons, Jeffrey (Bobby Vinton), James (Patrick Wayne), and Michael (Christopher Mitchum) . Jeffrey himself has a son, whom Martha has insisted be named Jacob "Little Jake" McCandles (Ethan Wayne), after his grandfather.

Fain's group arrives on the busy, bustling ranch on a day when most of the men are off on a roundup, leaving the house relatively unprotected save the servants and a few young men out in the yard trying to bust a bronco. Martha sends her foreman Bert (John Agar) to talk to them, but he doesn't like the look of them, and when Fain claims they are looking for work he curtly tells them to go away. Fain refuses to leave, rambling on about how much money it would have taken to build the place. When Bert demands to know what it is Fain really wants, Fain, who wears a long Mexican-style Poncho, draws a gun that was hidden in it and shoots Bert dead. The gunshot throws the house into chaos and the raiders use it to their advantage, riding around and shooting or knifing anything they see moving, even killing a small servant boy and his older sister. Jeffrey runs out with his gun but is shot three times, collapsing on the porch. Fain actually rides his horse through the double-doors into the house, shooting one of the cooks. Martha grabs a shotgun to fight back, but stops when Fain warns her that if he dies, Little Jake - who has run to the stable to hide - will also be killed.

Outside, half-Indian gunslinger "Breed" O'Brien (Glenn Corbett) tracks Little Jake to the stable house and captures him. Little Jake stabs him in the face with a pitchfork, and in rage O'Brien almost shoots the boy, but Fain rides up and stops him, reminding him their plan is to kidnap Little Jake for ransom. The group rides off, callously throwing the ransom note on Jeffrey's bloodied body as they ride past him and Martha. Martha reads it, discovers the kidnappers want a million dollars for Jake's safe return, and after getting Jeffrey care from the local doctor, sends for her other sons. The Army and the Rangers are also notified and offer to carry the box to the place on the map Fain left. However, Martha, who has a plot of her own, reluctantly sends for Big Jake instead, believing he is the only man 'harsh and unpleasant' enough to deal with the killers.

Big Jake, who just rescued an innocent Scottish shepherd from being lynched and hung by his cattle-owning neighbors, hires the grateful man and sends him to a property he has 200 miles south, to sell the sheep. One of the lynching party says he thought Jacob McCandles had died long ago, which irritates Big Jake considerably. As Jake rides away from the herd of sheep, a messenger arrives with Martha's summons. Jake takes the next train back home immediately, where he is greeted by Martha, who explains the situation. Jake asks if Martha has raised the million dollars and she says she already has many times that. He looks in the strongbox Martha has set on the table in front of him - the camera does not show the money, and Jake asks her, after an incredulous look at the contents of the box, if this is what she wants. Martha tells Jake that lots of people died in the raid, many of which he knew, and she believes the killers should be given 'exactly what they asked for'. Jake agrees. Martha gives him the weapons and supplies and horses she has waiting for him, as well as a mule to carry the strongbox.

Jake goes outside the train station to encounter a group of Rangers, with new, state-of-the-art REO automobiles. After expressing surprise Jake is still alive after all these years, they offer to ride along with Jake and help him retrieve his grandson, but Jake tells them he'd rather not risk their lives. He sends a messenger to fetch someone named Sam Sharpnose (Bruce Cabot). He then meets his son James, who is more than a little embittered at his father's absence and expresses his displeasure almost immediately, repeatedly and derisively calling Jake "Daddy". Jake decides to teach him a lesson by throwing him off his horse and into a mud puddle, much to Martha's amusement. James tries to throw a punch and is knocked back in the mud. Jake tells him he can come along but that he'd better use his gun better than he fights if he hopes to stay alive. He also warns James he'll knock him cold if he calls him "Daddy" again. The group is about to set off when James' brother Michael arrives on his own state-of-the-art machine - a motorcycle. Unlike James, Michael is delighted to see his father again and is also much more gentlemanly of manner. Jake is less than thrilled to see Michael, however, as the motorcycle spooked the horses and Jake ended up being thrown into the same mud puddle James was in a few minutes earlier.

Michael tells the rangers he saw the kidnappers heading for a canyon and that he thinks the cars can outrun them. Martha decides, against Jake's wishes, to take the gamble and send Michael and the rangers to ambush the kidnappers in the canyon. James recants his desire to ride with Jake and goes with the rangers. Martha and Jake have a falling out over this - remembering why it was they were estranged in the first place, as their personalities clash - but Martha tells Jake to still ride off, and that if they fail, it's up to him to bring the boy in. Jake rides off to meet Sam Sharpnose, who is an elderly Apache Indian and an old hunting buddy of his. Sam brought a saddle and puts it on one of the horses, riding off with Jake.

Many miles ahead, James is riding with the rangers in one of the cars. Michael goes ahead of them and scouts, but this time can't see the kidnappers. He returns and rides alongside the lead car, shouting to its driver that he can't find the kidnappers but still thinks they should chance the pass. James agrees it's a good idea, but one of the rangers (Chuck Roberson) reminds them that, not knowing if they're ahead of or behind the kidnappers, it's a potentially deadly gamble. However, Buck (John Doucette), the leader of the rangers, says he wants to get the boy back safely to his mother and will take any risk necessary.

Unfortunately for them, the first ranger was right in his assumption. The kidnappers are ahead of them and have set up an ambush of their own, and fire a rain of bullets and buckshot on the rescue party. One car crashes into a gully, the other two have their tires blown, and several rangers are injured or killed. The eldest of the gang, Pop Dawson (Harry Carey, Jr.) suggests that with the group unable to follow them, they can call off the attack. Fain insists they murder as many as they can before they leave, to convince the McCandles' to cough up the money. Michael recklessly drives his motorcycle in amongst the kidnappers to distract them. They fire at and narrowly miss him, and he rides by the horses, trying to spook them. Fain realizes what Michael is trying to do and calls off the ambush, his gang fleeing to the horses. In the commotion, Little Jake manages to work his bonds loose and flee. Unfortunately, O'Brien sees him, and for a second time captures him. Michael's motorcycle is disabled from riding over the rough terrain, and he disappears over the edge of the canyon.

Big Jake and Sam arrive on the scene. Jake tells Buck that he has little sympathy for him - he made it clear he disapproved of the risky plan back at the train station, but Buck went along with it, and nearly got Little Jake killed in doing so. He gives them some supplies but can't spare any of his horses, and tells them he'll send a telegraph back to their office when he gets to the next town. He also warns Buck that if he finds out the kidnappers have done away with Little Jake, he'll come back and kill him. James reluctantly rides along with his father, but is in even a worse humor than before. Sam reminds him that, like it or not, Jake is more experienced and knows what he's doing. They find Michael's motorcycle crashed at the bottom of the canyon and fear he may be dead. However, when they arrive, Michael's "body" stands up and cheerfully greets Jake, saying he just lay still because he thought it was the kidnappers coming down the canyon. Jake demands Michael remove his motorcycle goggles. A confused Michael complies and Big Jake promptly punches him twice in the face - once for scaring him to death and the other for being overeager and nearly getting Little Jake killed. Michael refuses to be bitter, instead ruefully smiling and telling his father that next time he'll just leave the goggles on so he can't hit him.

The two boys join their father and ride off, following the map the kidnappers drew on the ransom note. Along the way, more friction arises between James and his father, though Michael tries to calm it down. The situation comically worsens when Jake discovers James has been limping because, during the shootout with the kidnappers, someone with a sense of humor plugged him in the backside. Jake, with the help of his dog and Sam, forces James to undress so he can tend the wound.

The next day, Sam, an excellent tracker, determines that they're getting close to the kidnappers. He also presents James and Michael with saddles for their horses, saying he "found" them (implying he stole them). Jake says he suspects they may be followed, so Sam rides back to check and returns with news that they have someone following them a few hours behind - he could hear their horses' hoof beats. Jake orders that Sam rests his horse. He also has James take the horses, dog, and the mule with the strongbox for water. He notices Michael has a new gas-powered handgun with a magazine handle. Having never seen an automatic handgun before, he wonders if it's any good. Michael explains it's a preproduction Bergman that was given to the family because they own some stock. Jake asks Michael if he can shoot and Michael says proficiently. However, he seems alarmed when Jake asks him to fire the automatic handgun, and proceeds to demonstrate, by wildly firing all over the place thanks to the recoil, that he has no idea how to use it. After rescuing the mule, which ran off, and assuring Sam and James and Dog they can come out of hiding, Jake confronts Michael. Michael then explains that what he shoots proficiently with is a high-powered rifle with a telescopic scope, and demonstrates his prowess on a deer a quarter of a mile away, when Jake asks him to kill it for meat. James takes the handgun from Michael and starts practicing with it, enjoying the feel of it.

That night, in camp, James again harasses Jake, trying to get even with him for running out on them. Jake tells James that he is making up some the things he's accusing him of, and Michael backs him up, causing James to go outside the camp and sulk. Sam alerts Jake that someone is approaching the camp from the front, and though their followers are still a couple hours behind them. Sam offers to kill the intruder, but a shocked Michael, who doesn't believe in killing except when absolutely necessary, protests. Jake reluctantly lets the intruder into the camp while Sam, James, and Michael go hide. The intruder turns out to be Fain, who rides into the camp alone. He pretends to be just the messenger boy for the kidnappers, giving Jake the boy's undershirt as a guarantee of good faith. He then tells Jake that the gang is waiting for them in the next town, and asks to see the money in the box. Jake refuses, saying Fain can help himself to the box once they have the boy. Fain demands to know who Jake is and if the boy means anything to him, but Jake only tells him that he was hired by the McCandles. Fain then warns Jake that they are indeed being followed by bandits intent on stealing the box, but these bandits aren't with the kidnappers. He also tells Jake that if the bandits get the box, he and the others won't wait but will kill the boy and send his body back home through the post. Jake tells him he'll heed the warning, and Fain rides off into the night.

Sam tells Jacob that two of the bandits have crept closer to the camp than he thought, and have surely overheard where they're taking the box. Jake, much to Michael's horror, orders Sam to kill them before they report back. Sam and the dog sneak back into the trees to attack the spies. Sam manages to knife one but the dog is unable to bring down the other, and he escapes, though badly mauled. Jake knows this means the bandits will ride ahead of them through the night and lay a trap for them in the town, and they make preparations to deal with the threat.

The next day, they arrive in the town only to discover a huge fiesta is going on because a large group of oil drillers is in town. This will make protecting the box and picking the bandits out from the crowd harder. Instead of trying to sneak in, they ride boldly down the street with all their guns out and the box in plain sight. Jake explains to a skeptical James that this shows the bandits that, at least for now, they can't have the box and buys them some time. They check into the local hotel, and once again Jake has to deal with someone incredulous he's still alive. He swears he'll shoot at the next person who says he's supposed to be dead. Michael suggests they hole up in the hotel room and wait for the bandits to make a move, but Jake says he'd rather be proactive and get the bandits first. Michael protests, and Sam tells him to shut up and let Jake do the planning, as Michael's good intentions have already cost some lives. Jake lays out the plan of campaign to the boys, and they take a rest until dark.

That night, the plan is put into action. James goes down and joins the fiesta in the saloon, dancing and enjoying himself. Sam goes out to check on the horses in the stable, and Jake grabs a pack of supplies and his shotgun, all rolled up in a blanket, and goes for a walk. Michael is left alone with the dog and the box. Naturally, the bandits begin to close in on them. Jake walks into the saloon where James is and picks a fight with the biggest man he can find. The brawl spills onto the street and everyone's eyes are on it. This gives Sam time to sneak over the roof of the hotel and into the room with Michael, and the two use the mattress to barricade the door. Jake then halts the brawl by apologizing to the man he attacked, claiming he mistook him for someone else. He leaves the saloon, and the fiesta continues. He goes into the barbershop, sees 'hot showers' advertised, and goes to the back to take one. A bandit immediately goes back, sees the roll of supplies and clothes on a bench, and proceeds to hold Jake at gunpoint, believing him naked and unprotected. Two of the Bandits try to rile James up to get him to start a shootout with them, so he can't go protect his brother and the box. Impressively, the normally hot-tempered James manages to stay calm long enough to buy some time, before drawing his automatic handgun and dispatching both bandits with ease. At the same time, the remaining three bandits converge on the hotel. The dog knocks one down the stairs, breaking his neck, and Sam and Michael kill the other two after a brief firefight. The bandit in the barbershop, hearing the firefight, thinks his men have killed Michael and gloats to Jake. However, Jake had taken his gun in the shower with him and rolled the pack back up to look like the shotgun was still in it. He fires the shotgun through the door of the shower, killing the last bandit.

Jake returns to the hotel to make sure everyone is all right and is confronted by an enraged Michael. One of the killers blasted open the box in the firefight, and Michael has discovered there are newspaper clippings in it instead of money. James sees the clippings, and immediately begins calling Jake "Daddy" again, angrily demanding where the money is. Both sons are convinced Jake has stolen it, and that they risked their lives and killed those men for nothing. After letting both take out their anger by hitting him as hard as they can, Jake engages them in a proper fistfight knocks them out cold, wakes them with water, and manages to get them to calm down. He explains to them that Martha put the clippings there because, as she said, she wanted the kidnappers to get "exactly what they asked for" - death. She wants Jake to kill the kidnappers, not pay them for all the death and misery they caused. The boys are skeptical at first, until Jake reminds them their brother Jeffrey is on death's door because of the kidnappers. Realizing that this is indeed something their mother would do, though still a bit shocked by it, Michael expresses concern that they won't be able to pull of the gamble.

Once the town has settled for the night, Pop Dawson comes to the hotel room. Michael goes through the window onto the roof when he hears him coming. Dawson doesn't notice Michael is gone, and tells Jake that they have the boy nearby and that they are to follow him, and that if he doesn't get back in 18 minutes Fain will kill Little Jake. He also tells Jake that they are not to move from the trade spot until an hour after the trade or the boy will die. Jake asks how they could possibly accomplish this if they have the money and he has the boy, and Dawson says that they have a sharpshooter of their own, Duffy (Dean Smith), who will be set up like a sniper in a secret location with a telescopic scope and a bead on Little Jake. If anything goes wrong, he has orders to fire, and will be too far away for the kidnappers to stop him. Jake asks Dawson for five minutes to get dressed and ready and Dawson agrees, going out back to wait. Michael comes back in and Big Jake orders him to sneak in unseen and shoot the sniper. They head downstairs, leaving Michael behind. Dawson suspects a trick at once, but Jake tells him Michael was killed when they were fighting the bandits. When Dawson demands to see his body, Jake reminds him all the bodies are laid out in the jailhouse and tells him he's welcome to go have a look if he likes. This seems plausible to Dawson, who is a wanted man and won't go near the jailhouse anyway, and he leads them off through the deserted streets as thunderclouds begin to roll in. Michael waits until they are a good distance away, then creeps along unseen in the shadows behind them.

Dawson leads them to an old stables next to an old church. Two dead night watchmen proclaim the kidnappers have already been here and claimed the place as their own. Dawson orders James and Sam to stop where they are, and tells Jake to take the box in alone. Pop Dawson then rides off and hides in the shadows himself. James notices O'Brien also watching them from the shadows and warns Jake to be careful. Jake tells Sam they'll have to go up to Montana and hunt elk sometime after this thing is over, indicating he fully intends the plan to come off. Michael sneaks in alongside Jake, unseen by the kidnappers, and then climbs an old silo, setting up his own sniper's nest and looking for the other sharpshooter.

Jake is met by Fain, this time left in no doubt that Fain is the head of the gang. Two of the kidnappers try to sneak up on him, but the mule kicks one and the dog attacks the other. Jake then notices that Fain's younger brother Will (Robert Warner) is up on a wall, aiming a shotgun at him. He jokingly tells Fain that they must figure he's a real dangerous man and Fain, appreciating the humor, tells Will he can get down from the wall. Jake then refuses to hand over the money until Fain shows him the boy. Will and a machete wielding thug named Goodfellow (Gregg Palmer) bring a horse bearing Little Jake out into the light. The boy is bound and hooded. In the belltower of the church, the sniper takes aim at Little Jake's heart, ready to fire should anything go wrong. Michael, however, still can't see him in the dark. Jake orders the hood to be removed so he knows it's the right boy and that he's not hurt. The hood is taken off, and for the first time Big Jake gets to see his grandson in person. He allows a smile to go across his face, and Fain takes that as a sign Jake has something planned. He immediately warns Jake that if anything goes wrong - "your fault, my fault, nobody's fault" - Will has orders to blow Little Jake's head off with the shotgun. He also reminds Jake that even if Will is hurt, Duffy can still take him out with the rifle, so no matter what happens, if anything goes wrong, the boy dies.

Jake throws the key to Fain and tells him to open the strongbox himself, seemingly disgusted. Fain picks it up and cockily opens the box, kneeling down to take a look at it. This puts him in a vulnerable position. He sees the clippings, looks up in rage, and sees that Big Jake has the shotgun aimed right at his head. The lid of the box blocks this from the view of the rest of the kidnappers. Big Jake whispers to him that it's Fain's turn to follow orders, and that if anything goes wrong, it's Fain that will have his head blown off.

For a moment, it seems the victory will be easy, but then a gunslinger named Trooper (Jim Burk) , who was behind Jake unbeknownst, leaps over the nearby wagon and jumps him. Fain escapes and gives the order to kill the boy, but Big Jake kills Will before he can shoot, and the dog pulls the boy off the horse, making the rifle miss and hit Big Jake in the leg instead. Fain shoots the dog, Big Jake fights Trooper off, and a gunfight ensues between the remaining kidnappers and Big Jake, who manages to get himself and his grandson to cover behind some hay bales. Michael spots Duffy by his powder flare and shoots the bells in the tower, making him jump up and be more visible. He then shoots Duffy, who falls from the tower. Fain sends Goodfellow to check on Will, but he's dead. Further enraged at his brother's death, Fain orders Goodfellow to get the shotgun from Will and they continue firing at Big Jake. Sam shoots Trooper from the top of a wall before he can kill Jake, but Fain knocks Sam off the wall with a shot, and Goodfellow brutally hacks the wounded man to death with the machete. Michael then climbs down from the silo, but drops his rifle in the process and has to go look for it.

Behind the haystack, Little Jake, still unaware of his rescuer's identity, helps him tie up the wound on his leg. Jake gives him a tiny Deringer gun from his belt and tells Little Jake to run for it, and meet James outside. He then creates a distraction by firing, and the boy runs outside. Goodfellow, Dawson, and O'Brien pursue him. James kills Dawson and little Jake shoots at Goodfellow but misses, and O'Brien wounds James. Little Jake runs to the stables and hides behind a column. Goodfellow spots his shadow and runs after him, but the wounded dog jumps him and mauls him into a bloody mess. Goodfellow manages to get the dog off and hack him to death, same as Sam, but Little Jake is now nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, O'Brien, who likes old-fashioned gun duels, decides to have a little fun with James. He knows James only has one working arm now, and teasingly challenges him to a fight. However, James has now mastered the fast-firing automatic, and when O'Brien goes for his gun he blasts four bullets through him.

Fain and Goodfellow are now the only two kidnappers left. James is still outside and Michael and Little Jake are nowhere to be seen. Big Jake decides to make a run for it, throwing a lantern at Fain and catching the signature Poncho on fire. While Fain is putting it out, Big Jake goes to the stables to make sure his grandson is all right. He finds Goodfellow tearing apart a haystack, in which the boy is hiding, but he hasn't found the boy yet. The big man charges Jake with the machete, as Jake shoots only to find he is out of bullets, but Jake grabs the nearest thing to hand - a pitchfork - and impales him on it. He then grabs his grandson, but Fain rides in on his horse, aiming at both of them and gloating that he's going to kill them both. Michael saves the day, appearing over the wall with his rifle and blowing Fain off his horse. Before he dies, Fain one last time demands to know just who his adversary is. Jake tells him the truth this time, and Fain collapses, his last words being that, like others before him, he had heard Big Jake was dead already, much to Big Jake's irritation.

Little Jake, hearing the name "Jacob McCandles", is delighted to realize his savior is his grandfather. Michael apologizes for being a bit slow and allowing his father to get wounded, but Jake reassures him that he saved his life twice that night and has nothing to be sorry for. Little Jake asks and gets confirmation that Big Jake is indeed his grandfather, and James, nursing his wounded arm but much matured by the experience, appears on the scene. He respectfully addresses Jake as "Dad" and suggests they all go home, to which Jake replies that is a good idea.