DVD Review by David Blackwell

DETAILS: 127 minutes, audio commentary, Leonard maltin introduction, Batjac Story featurette, other featurettes, 2 minute Fight School, photo gallery, original theatrical trailer, Batjac teaser

STUDIO: Paramount/ Batjac

RELEASE DATE: 10-11-2005

Batjac Productions was in poor shape when they went ahead to make a western comedy which was a retelling of The Taming Of The Shrew. McLINTOCK would prove to be a big hiot for the first producing job of John Wayne's son, Michael wayne. This western is full of comedy and a stellar cast. You could say McLINTOCK was a family affair with a couple of John Wayne's kids also starring in the picture: Patrick Wayne and Aisha Wayne.  The cast is fulll of actors who have worked with John Wayne before (thus you can say it is like a family).

G.W. McLintock (John Wayne) is known to people as G.W., McLintock (two different ways to say it), Mr. NcLintock, and McLin (the Indians call him that).  He owns part of the town that is named after him.  he is a cattle baron who goes by the saying that you don't get anything unless you work for it.   He does have a nice side to him, but the thorne in his side is his wife Katherine (Maureen O'Hara).   She has shown up at home wantinga divorce and take their daughter (who is about to come home in a few days) to live with her.   So the comedy begins as McLintock gets fed up and his wife just gets madder.  Will they get back together by the end?  What will happen along the way?   John Wayne plays himself again while Maureen O'Hara holds her own against The Duke (John Wayne's nickname).  

VIDEO: 2.35:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen)

McLINTOCK has been restored for this DVD release. Image detail is good. Colors and shadows values are good. The picture hasn't looked this great in years.

AUDIO: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Mono

Subtitles: English

I'm always love 5.1 DD, but you have the original 2.0 mix included on this DVD.

SPECIAL FEATURES: The film has an audio commentary by Leonard Maltin and Frank Thompson with audio bits (edited into the commentary) by the late Michael Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Stephanie Powers, Michael Pate, and director Andrew McLaglen.   Sometimes the track is a little disjointed because of the way it is put together.

A special intro by Leonard Maltin gives a little bit of info about the film in less than three minutes. THE BATJAC STORY (Part 2): THE LEGACY OF MICHAEL WAYNE tells how Michael became involved with Batjac, stories about what type of a man he was, and his work for the John Wayne Cancer Institue (with royalities from John Wayne Enterprises that go to the institute). The next featurette has Maureen O'Hara and Stephanie Powers "Remmber" McLintock. They impart their on-set experiences during the making of McLintock (Maureen O'Hara did the mudslide stunt despite having surgery recently). Stuntmen talk about the big fight scene in McLintock in A GOOD OL' FASHIONED FIGHT. THE CORSET: DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT focuses on the corset in the 1890s and people's attitudes about corsets (among other things). 2-MINUTE FIGHT SCHOOL has two stuntmen show how to do a fight on film. Also included on this DVD is the original theatrical trailer, a photo gallery (of various posters and phot stills), and a Batjac teaser (of several Batjac films coming soon to DVD).

FINAL ANALYSIS: The Authentic Collector's Edition of McLINTOCK is a good follow-up to the well done Special Editions of THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY and ISLAND IN THE SKY.