John Wayne and Kirk Douglas appeared together in three films between 1965 and 1967. First off was "In Harm's Way" in 1965, then the ensemble picture that was "Cast a Giant Shadow" in 1966. Then came this film, their first Western, and sadly their last outing together. Sadly because The War Wagon shows a real genuine chemistry between two men who were very different socially; but on screen they clearly had regard for what each one gave to a movie. Directed by Burt Kennedy and coming out of Wayne's own Batjac Productions, The War Wagon centres around two old friends (some what grudgingly it seems) who plan to rob the vehicle of the title. An armoured stage coach, resplendent with Gatling Gun, manned front middle and centre with crack shot gunmen, and full of gold, lots of gold! Adding fuel to the fire is that the Wagon is run by a man called Frank Pierce (Bruce Cabot),who stole Taw Jackson's (Wayne) ranch as he "cough-cough" served time in jail. Further upping the intrigue is that Pierce wants to hire known gunman Lomax (Douglas) to kill Jackson, oblivious that the two men are plotting to rob him.

If that all sounds like a caper movie then you would be right, because it is, and a splendid one at that. A caper movie in a Western setting, lusciously photographed by Duke Wayne's favourite cinematographer, William H. Clothier at Durango in Mexico, and rattling along at a fair old clip. Support comes in the form of Howard Keel (a humorous turn as Indian Levi Walking Bear),Robert Walker Jr, Keenan Wynn, Valora Noland and look out for Bruce Dern in a short but effective role. We got quips aplenty as the two machismo fuelled stars play off each over with glee, we got one almighty punch up that had me personally laughing out loud and for those that like good stunt work, well we are well served there also. It's also a film to note because it sees Wayne playing a baddie, an ex convict leading an odd bunch of robbers, driven by revenge and greed. A role that by the looks of it, Wayne loved immensely. So saddle up folks, and as soon as you hear the quirky strains of Ed Ames' warbling "Ballad of The War Wagon," you should know you are in for a smashing little treat. 7/10

THE WAR WAGON is a 1967 western directed by Burt Kennedy and starring no less than two of the all-time Hollywood greats, John Wayne and Kirk Douglas. They make a great pairing as famous rivals who decide to team up in order to rob the titular vehicle of its precious cargo, namely sacks of gold dust belonging to corrupt businessman Bruce Cabot, once the star of KING KONG.

Wayne and Douglas share nearly all of their scenes together and have plenty of dry wit and one liners. Their charisma is genuine here and Douglas in particular shines, particularly when he does pretty much all of his own stunts too (that jump on to the horse is particularly fine). Wayne is his usual solid self, noticeably ageing at this point - little surprise given his near-death real-life experiences - but still full of presence.

The story is quite typical and reminiscent of the men-on-a-mission WW2 movies that were being made during the era like THE DIRTY DOZEN. Howard Keel is an unusual choice to play a Native American character but Wayne film regular Robert Walker has fun as the youthful drunk character. The most engaging thing about this film is that it keeps you interested in the story throughout, even if it does take a long time for the plan to pay off at the end; thankfully the climax is suitably chaotic and unpredictable.

The film begins with John Wayne returning to a town after a stint in prison. He'd been setup by an evil jerk (Bruce Cabot) so that while in prison his land could be stolen. The reason for this was because there was gold on the land and stealing it just seemed like the thing to do for Cabot! The Duke naturally wants revenge, so he creates a pretty complicated plan for his gang to steal a $500,000 gold shipment from this mine. The only trouble is, Cabot is using an armored wagon with a Gatling gun and many hired guns to protect the shipment. While you might think the film will end in a pretty predictable and conventional way, the way it's handled makes the film worth sticking with to the conclusion.

This is a decent but not particularly outstanding John Wayne and Kirk Douglas Western. While it was fun to watch, the plot seemed a bit far-fetched and too many perfectly timed events had to occur just right for the robbery to be a success. My advice, then, is NOT to think too much and just sit back and enjoy the performances--particularly that of Douglas who seemed to stand out more than Wayne. Also, if you are looking for the sweep and majesty of a John Ford directed Western, this isn't the case--as the film just looks pretty ordinary. This was the case of most of Wayne's movies during the last decade or so of his life and among those, THE WAR WAGON is one of the best.