John Wayne Had No Love For This Iconic '60s Western He Made

Look, we can spend days debating John Wayne's best movies. However, anyone who says it's Henry Hathaway's "The Sons of Katie Elder" would be in disagreement with The Duke himself. The Western, which tells the story of four brothers who set out to avenge their mother's death, certainly has its fans, but Wayne associated the project with some bad memories.

"I had just got over that cancer operation and I thought I could hear myself breathing all the time," Wayne revealed in a 1968 interview with Roger Ebert. "Everybody said it was my imagination. Well, old Henry [Hathaway] was very thoughtful of me, of course, since I was recuperating and all. He took me up to 8,500 feet to shoot the damned thing and the fourth day of shooting he had me jumping into ice water. Very considerate."

"The Sons of Katie Elder" released in 1965, one year after Wayne had his left lung removed due to cancer from heavy smoking. He was making movies when most other people would have taken a step back to heal and enjoy some downtime. Still, it's understandable why the actor was upset with his performance, as he didn't feel like his peak self. Be that as it may, everyone else felt very differently about "The Sons of Katie Elder."

John Wayne starred in some of the best Westerns of all time, some of which have arguably overshadowed "The Sons of Katie Elder." With that said, The Duke's criticisms weren't shared by the masses, as the film received heaps of critical plaudits. The movie is 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with some critics praising Wayne's performance.

"Wayne delivers one of his customary rugged portrayals, a little old, perhaps, to have such a young brother as Anderson but not so old that he lacks the attributes of a gunman," Variety wrote.

Elsewhere, Howard Thompson of The New York Times praised "The Sons of Katie Elder" for being a no-nonsense genre effort. "It has, most unobstrusively, an ace director Henry Hathaway, who knows exactly how to spike menace and mayhem with authentic settings and excellent color."

"The Sons of Katie Elder" also inspired a movie you might not know is a remake. "Four Brothers," an entertaining crime-thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and Tyrese Gibson, reimagines the siblings-avenging-their-mother concept in a modern-day urban setting. The film might not be Wayne's best Western, but it's still an influential one that's stood the test of time.