Big Jim McLain (1952)

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  • Hey Duke fan. I was wondering if you knew if this movie will be coming out in dvd. I know that recently some of the Duke's movies have been converted to dvd.
    Thanks:no2:

  • I didn't mind this movie if you cut through all political white is right and red is dead crap.I saw it as a action movie with a murder or two in a beautiful island paradise.It shows there is murder and evil in paradise.I hope the dvd comes out in color...

  • Watched 'Big Jim McLain' on British t.v. recently. I thought it was a good action movie. James Arness actually made Duke look short!!
    Personnely i prefer to see a movie that was shot in black and white in its original format, not too keen on colorisation.

    Chris.

  • Hi Chris

    In general I agree with you although I must admit that I have a colourized version of Red River and have seen The Longest Day in colour which again didn't look too bad. It's interesting that in his book 'Who The Hell Was In It' in the James Stewart section author Peter Bogdanovich reveals how in the late 1980's he Stewart and Burt Lancaster travelled to Washington and lobbied the Senate to get the colourization process outlawed and apparently were partially successful.

    Getting back on track I also thought that Big Jim McLaine wasn't at all a bad picture.

    Regards

    Arthur

    Walk Tall - Talk Low

  • Definitely a different movie for the duke, but I thought he did a good job as a "G" Man. His passion for bringing down communists shines through. I have read a few accounts about this movie and how terrible it is because it simplifies the problem of communism, but you need to remember that it's a movie, not a university essay, so what do you expect. The documentary style and voice overs that it had through out were also cool.

    [SIZE=3]That'll Be The Day[/SIZE]

  • I have heard both pros and cons about this movie. Thankfully TCM will be showing it later today. This is one of the few I've yet too see and I'll be able to form my own opinion.

    Stay thirsty my friends.

  • Watched Big Jim Mc Lain. Good action movie outside John's normal western movies.

    Demonstrated he would have made good cop movies in the 1960/70s if he had the choice and time.

    Mike

  • Hey Duke fan. I was wondering if you knew if this movie will be coming out in dvd. I know that recently some of the Duke's movies have been converted to dvd.
    Thanks:no2:


    Looks like this film is available on DVD now -


    You can buy it individually (cheaper at Deep Discount)


    http://www.deepdiscount.com/vi…ct.htm?productId=11431874


    Amazon.com: Big Jim McLain: John Wayne,Arness,Olson: Movies & TV


    Or it's part of that set that recently came out, The John Wayne Film Collection, one of six films for under $40.


    Chester :newyear:

  • I've only seen this movie once, some 10-15 years ago. I don't recall it being a bad movie and I believe I enjoyed it. I do recall that for some reason, I could not stand Nancy Olsen in this movie. I don't know why?

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

  • I have heard both pros and cons about this movie. Thankfully TCM will be showing it later today. This is one of the few I've yet too see and I'll be able to form my own opinion.


    So gt, did you ever see this movie when it was on TCM? If so, what did you think?


    Quote from The Ringo Kid

    I do recall that for some reason, I could not stand Nancy Olsen in this movie. I don't know why?


    I think my biggest problem with Nancy Olsen was that she seemed a little young for Duke. She is 21 years younger. Also, something I had never known was that she is 180º from John Wayne in her views -


    Quote from IMDb Trivia on Nancy Olson

    Although Olson hated the script to Big Jim McLain (1952), an anti-communist movie, she figured that six weeks in Hawaii and a chance to work with an iconic star like John Wayne seemed a good enough reason to accept. Besides, she thought the film would flop and nobody would see it. She didn't count on the constant TV exposure the film has had and says people stop her all the time to say they've seen her in it. Olson is a staunch liberal Democrat and she said she and Wayne would often have political arguments but she would always let Wayne have the last word. She also said he loved women and was a flirt but never crossed the line and was always the perfect gentleman.


    So even though they had very differing view points, he made a good impression on her (that's our Duke!).


    Chester :newyear:

  • Hi JIm, I think my problem with Nancy olsen comes from seeing her I think it was in: Bewitched? or something like that. And all I ever saw of her was when she was in some TV show. Nancy just seemed so out of place in a John Wayne movie. I always did like her when I saw her in other things and was taken aback, seeing her in the kind of role that she played in B,J,McL.

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

  • nice setting intersting plot, complicated issue, but it's a movie.

    Greetings from North of the 49th

  • Of all of the films of the Duke, at least from the 1940s forward, this one is is the one that most seems a prisoner of its' time, yet it does send a message through the years to our own time. The nation of that time was under the spell of McCarthy and the search for Communists in every corner. It took awhile, but people spoke up and the hysteria came to an end. One can see the situation replay itself in our own decade, and in our own time we see people speak out against accepted line. In light of the world in the post September 11 period, I found this film to be most interesting. As time moves forward, I hope it becomes less a reflection, yet remains a good object lesson. It is certainly a unique film in the John Wayne filmography, yet one that met the mood of many of that time in history.

    Edited once, last by erscolo ().

  • One of the Duke's lesser known efforts, it is not available on DVD at this time (at least that we could find). Amazon has it on VHS, for under $10 including shipping.


    What a difference 4 years makes!


    Amazon still has Big Jim McLain available on VHS, but now it's also available on DVD (a little over $11, but includes shipping), as well as in a boxed set, with 5 other films, for under $50.

  • John McElwee's wonderful blog Greenbriarpictureshows has an entry dated Jan. 9 on Big Jim McLain, specifically the changes wrought to the film for foreign markets, i.e., turning Big Jim into a drug agent rather than a Commie-hunter, and retitling the film "Marijuana." (!) John (who is a distant cousin of filmmaker Ross McElwee) has one of the most amazing collections of memorabilia with which he illustrates his blog posts.


    Here's the link: http://greenbriarpictureshows.…-big-jim-mclain-s-to.html


    If you don't see it at first, just scroll on down. He tends to publish a lot so the specific blog post you're looking for often ends up farther down the page.


    One of the illustrations at the page:


  • At the young age of six years old I remember the fear that was instilled in me of communists and their attempt to rule the world. My sons are in their fortys and still say they expected to die young because of an atomic war. This movie helped to ease the fears of the time by showing there was something being done about it. It may have just been a movie but in those days that is what many people based their hopes on. It's probably clear this is one of my favorites, not only because of content but it was entertaining as well. Lots of action, the good guys win and Duke gets a sweet girl.
    By the by Liz Montgomery was in Bewitched and Nancy olson was in Flubber as well as many other fun flicks. I, at this point can't see anyone else in the roll. I felt her part kept the theme of protecting home and country, and Duke certainly was an expert at getting that point accross. Thank you all for the great posts and info - Big Jim