Cahill U.S. Marshal is a 1973 American Western film in Technicolor starring John Wayne as a driven lawman in a black hat. The film was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and filmed on location in Durango, Mexico. The supporting cast features George Kennedy, Neville Brand, Marie Windsor, Royal Dano, Denver Pyle, Jackie Coogan, Harry Carey Jr., Paul Fix and Hank Worden.
Plot
While J. D. Cahill (John Wayne), a widower and U.S. Marshal, is away from home, his two sons Danny (Gary Grimes) and Billy (Clay O'Brien) aid Abe Fraser (George Kennedy) and his gang to escape from jail and to rob a bank. The town's sheriff is shot and killed during the robbery. Billy hides the stolen money while his brother and the rest of the gang return to locked jail cells as an alibi.
When Cahill returns, he and Danny look for the perpetrators with the help of half-Comanche tracker Lightfoot (Neville Brand). Cahill arrests four suspects and although they are innocent, they are found guilty and scheduled to be hanged. While on the tracks of the kids, Cahill and Lightfoot are ambushed by Brownie (Dan Vadis).
Lightfoot hurts him but is eventually killed. Cahill's sons try to return the gang's share of the money to Fraser, resulting in a showdown between Cahill and his boys on one side and Fraser's gang on the other.
Cast
John Wayne as U.S. Marshal J. D. Cahill
George Kennedy as Fraser
Gary Grimes as Daniel Cahill
Neville Brand as Lightfoot
Clay O'Brien as Billy Joe Cahill
Marie Windsor as Hetty Green
Morgan Paull as Struther
Dan Vadis as Brownie
Royal Dano as MacDonald
Scott Walker as Ben
Denver Pyle as Denver
Jackie Coogan as Charlie Smith
Rayford Barnes as Simser
Dan Kemp as Joe Meehan
Harry Carey Jr. as Hank
Walter Barnes as Sheriff Grady
Paul Fix as Old Man
Pepper Martin as Casey
Hank Worden as Albert
James Nusser as Doctor Jones
Murray MacLeod as Deputy Sheriff Gordine
Hunter von Leer as Deputy Sheriff Jim Kane
Production
The film was produced by John Wayne's production company Batjac Productions and shot on location in Durango, Mexico.
Reception
In a 1975 interview with writer Tony Macklin for Film Heritage, Wayne said the film had "a good theme" but "wasn't a well-done picture" because it "needed better writing" and "a little more care in the making."