McLintock! (1963) was both true to form and a departure for star John Wayne. By this point, he’d become well-known for his presence in Western films. And the formula remained crowd-pleasing even if not always a sure-fire win. Just three years prior, Wayne’s The Alamo (1960) had performed below expectations, leaving Wayne disappointed. With McLintock!, he would return to the Western genre yet again, but this time on his own terms. The movie itself would take a more comedic approach than viewers had, perhaps, previously seen for Wayne to great success.

McLintock! took inspiration from surprising sources and proved to be a major win for Wayne. Not only that, he was able to do things his way and exert more creative control over the material than in previous projects. And it might be this, combined with his return to costarring alongside the indomitable Maureen O’Hara, that made this movie such a major win.

John Wayne’s McLintock! Broke Several Western Tropes

McLintock! was somewhat of a family affair and involved those close to Wayne. A 1963 Los Angeles Times article by Jack Smith outlined how Wayne would invest his own money into the film. And that his family would be on the business as well as the creative side of production. According to Smith, Wayne’s son, Michael Wayne, was responsible for the disbursement of the $4 million that would go into the making of the movie. It would be Michael’s first time as a full-fledged producer. Michael’s brother Patrick and sister Aissa would also be attached to star in the picture.

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Wayne intended for the film to be a departure from his previous Westerns in a number of ways. McLintock! would be a statement of his own political and social views. And while some of the perceived stereotypes depicted in the film might not seem very progressive today, they may have been in 1963. For example, Native Americans are not depicted as the cut-and-dry “enemy” as they were in Wayne’s earlier works, such as Stagecoach (1939) or The Searchers (1956). Viewers have noted Wayne’s direction in McLintock!, beckoning audiences to “consider that the Native American and ethnic characters are treated with dignity. [And] Wayne allows them to be people.” In a way, the educated white men, such as Jerry Van Dyke’s character Matt Douglas Jr., become the laughingstocks.

Additionally, Wayne wanted to comment on spousal abuse with McLintock! Similar to The Quiet Man (1952), in which Wayne also worked side-by-side with O’Hara, the relationship between George Washington “G.W.” McLintock and his estranged wife Katherine “Kate” McLintock is rather rough and tumble. And while there’s plenty of slapping each other around in this film, it’s used more in the spirit of comedy. Plus, the women tend to give it right back to the men in earnest. Similar to Mattie Ross in True Grit (1969), there’s a level of agency and a lack of coalescing to their male counterparts at every turn for the leading ladies. And while it may not seem like enough through a modern lens, McLintock! still attempted to elevate the role of women while keeping them firmly in the 1800s.

Expressed in the script as well was Wayne’s discontent with political corruption on either side of the spectrum. Judge Greeley’s bias and incompetence shows how local officials can often be corrupted by those in power surrounding them. Governor Humphrey is a detached political elitist. And Sheriff Lord tends to turn a blind eye when it suits him. On top of all of this is the mismanagement of Native American affairs. While McLintock! is a comedy set in the old American West, its themes were as relevant then as they are now.

John Wayne’s McLintock! Is Based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew

There was good reason McClintock! was so heavily focused on the comedic aspects; It was loosely based on another famous comedy by William Shakespeare. The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s more well-known plays about a man named Petruchio who attempts to court a “shrew” of a woman named Katherina. In the end, he tames her into obedience as his wife. Katherina is, of course, O’Hara’s character in McLintock! — returning from the East Coast and putting on airs around her former husband. Adding the twist of the Petruchio and Kate characters being an estranged married couple on the brink of divorce is a fresh take on the 16th-century source material. The movie climaxes with Wayne’s character chasing down his wife and giving her a very public spanking, a repeated trope in other adaptations of Taming of the Shrew, such as Kiss Me, Kate (1953).

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In later years, O’Hara talked about how she received more than a few whips from working on McLintock! — though she didn’t seem to mind. In her autobiography, ‘Tis Herself, O’Hara would recall performing the water-trough plunge stunt herself. Said O’Hara:

Had I fallen too long, I’d have snapped my neck. Too short and I’d have snapped my arms and legs. If my elbows had not been tucked in tightly enough to my body, I’d have broken my arms and shoulders as well…At forty-two years of age, you’d think I’d have known better.

On the McLintock! Collectors Edition DVD released in October 2005, she talked about the famous spanking scene. She recalled Wayne spanking her with a coal shovel and not holding back, “He really spanked me! My bottom was black and blue for weeks!” Through it all, however, she remained good-natured about it all.

It’s hard to tell how this movie would be received today, especially when even Shakespeare’s original still receives charges of sexism. And understandably so. But there seems to be something about it that still tends to charm audiences no matter what the social climate is, although questioning it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) — also based on Taming of the Shrew — is still considered a standard for teen comedies. And by extension, McLintock! is still delightful, for all its foibles and its stars certainly seemed to have had an enjoyable time working on it… bruises and all.

McLintock! Was One of Several Films Starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara

In total, Wayne and O’Hara would do five movies together throughout their lengthy careers in film. Oddly enough, they would play an estranged husband and wife more than once. First in Rio Grand (1950), then McLintock!, and finally Big Jake (1971). In 1957, O’Hara would play Wayne’s wife again in a biopic about naval aviator and screenwriter Frank “Spig” Wead titled The Wings of Eagles. But one of their most memorable pairings will always be The Quiet Man, shot on location in O’Hara’s native Ireland. And in a comedy like McLintock!, the pair brought all the same spit and vinegar to the screen as they did over 10 years prior.

According to Turner Classic Movies, it is part of making McLintock! came out of Wayne’s express wish to work with O’Hara again. O’Hara seemed to always revel in the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with “Duke,” as Wayne was known. As a self-professed tomboy, O’Hara could hold her own with the best of them. It’s potentially the winning combination of O’Hara and Wayne that makes a film such as McLintock! such a delightful watch even to the 21st-century moviegoer.

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There’s an ease and naturalism in their push-and-pull dynamic that makes it clear the two are equals. And, if anything, O’Hara takes the title of “shrew” and turns it into a powerful moniker while embracing its comedic implications. Truly, McLintock! is a prime example of Wayne at his best, both creatively and in his acting ability. There is no doubt that, in many ways, he was a man of his time, but in this film, he shines.

McLintock!

Release Date

November 13, 1963

Director

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writers

James Edward Grant

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  John Wayne

  George Washington McLintock

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  Maureen O’Hara

  Katherine Gilhooley McLintock

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  Patrick Wayne

  Devlin Warren

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  Stefanie Powers

  Becky McLintock