See also McClintock (disambiguation)
McLintock! is a 1963 American Western comedy film, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. The film co-stars Wayne's son Patrick Wayne, Stefanie Powers, Jack Kruschen, Chill Wills, and Yvonne DeCarlo (billed as special guest star). Loosely based on William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, the project was filmed in Technicolor and Panavision, and produced by Wayne's company, Batjac Productions.
In 1991, the film entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.
Plot
Tough cattle baron and town namesake George Washington "G.W." McLintock lives as a bachelor on his ranch. His wife, Katherine "Kate" McLintock, abandoned him with no explanation and become a socialite back East two years prior; his daughter, Rebecca "Becky" McLintock, is away finishing her college degree. In the town, G.W. is disliked by local bureaucrat Matt Douglas, and territorial Governor Cuthbert H. Humphrey. However, he is a friend to many, including Sheriff Lord, General Store owner Jake Birnbaum, and the local populations of beggars and Comanche Indians.
G.W. addresses a group of homesteaders, warning them that the land is unsuitable for farming because the land is above 6000 feet above sea level. He points out that an earlier group of homesteaders had tried and failed to prove up the land because of insufficient rain for growing crops. Devlin "Dev" Warren, a young man with a mother and sister to support, asks G.W. for a job. G.W. initially refuses; egged on by aged drifter Bunny, Dev resorts to begging, then lashes out in frustration when G.W. relents. However, G.W. still hires him. He also hires Dev's widowed mother Mrs. Warren, after tasting her cooking. G.W. then learns Kate is in town. She tells him she wants a divorce, so she can take Becky back East with her. G.W. refuses. Kate then decides to move back onto the ranch, and starts bossing everyone around, immediately targeting Mrs. Warren.
The Comanche come into town to meet a train, and Sheriff Lord settles them near the homesteaders. When a homesteader's daughter wanders off with her suitor, Douglas and the homesteaders assume the Comanche took her and attempt to lynch Running Buffalo in retaliation. G.W. and his men arrive to try to defuse the situation, and a huge and muddy brawl ensues, with Kate unexpectedly joining in on G.W.'s side.
Later, Becky arrives home from college with a would-be suitor, Douglas' son "Junior". G.W. disapproves of Junior, so Kate makes a show of approving. Also aboard Becky's train are four Comanche chiefs, who have arrived for a hearing to determine if their people will be sent to a reservation in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. G.W. agrees to speak at the hearing on their behalf.
While getting ready for Becky's welcome-home party, Dev and Becky get into an argument when he accuses Junior of being a "Dude". At the party, Dev gets into a fistfight to protect Birnbaum's young assistant Davy, and impresses everyone with his boxing skills. Some time later, after being deliberately taunted by Becky and Junior, Dev accuses Becky of being a trollop for kissing Junior before they were properly engaged. Becky demands G.W. shoot Dev for insulting her. G.W. "shoots" him with a starter's pistol to teach Becky a lesson, and allows Dev to spank Becky with a coal shovel, angering Kate.
At the hearing, G.W. delivers a passionate plea from his old enemy and blood brother Paramount Chief Puma of the Comanche to Governor Humphrey, but is ignored. The Comanche are ordered to be imprisoned until they can be sent to Fort Sill. Getting drunk that night, G.W. suggests to Bunny that, if the Comanche were to go out fighting as they requested, the Government might realize Humphrey's mismanagement of the territory and intervene. G.W. returns home and pressures Mrs. Warren into drinking with him; both of them fall down the stairs, and Kate assumes the worst when she sees Mrs. Warren on G.W.'s lap, until Mrs. Warren explains she is quitting because Sheriff Lord has asked her to marry him and she has accepted.