As Christmas wound down, I turned on the television; flipped through the channels; and came upon The Sons of Katie Elder. This is not one of my favorite westerns, but I was lucky enough to catch the opening scenes, which I have always thought were cool.
As I watched the movie, I realized a couple of things. Martha Hyer, who plays the wholesome love interest of John Wayne, played a completely different kind of role the year before. She was soiled woman in The Carpetbaggers.
Also, I realized that Earl Holliman, who played one of Katie Elder’s sons, shows up in a lot of old movies. That is when I decided to find out if there can be any wisdom found in the movies of Earl Holliman.
This is what I discovered.
From Broken Lance
Anybody that throws $10,000 in a spittoon makes me nervous.
From Forbidden Planet
We’re all part monsters in our subconscious, so we have laws and religion!
One cannot behold the face of the Gorgon and live!
From Giant
Money isn’t everything.
Just remember, one of these days, that bourbon’s gonna kill you.
From Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
There’s always a man faster on the draw than you are, and the more you use a gun, the sooner you’re gonna run into that man.
Poker’s played by desperate men who cherish money.
From Last Train from Gun Hill
If any of the girls try and tell you how wonderful you are, don’t believe them.
The human race stinks.
Don’t take no guts to kill a man when he’s cuffed!
There you have it. The wisdom of Earl Holliman.
SBI: A Thinning Crowd 
Good ones. I’ve always liked the opening to Katie Elder too. “Texas is a woman … ” is a great opening narrative.
My issue with the movie is that John Wayne is too old for his character.
John Wayne was WAY too old for his character … old enough to be the father (maybe grandfather) of the youngest cast members. But casting people too old for their parts was part of Hollywood’s thing back then. There was a version of Little Women in which all four sisters were nearing 40. We were supposed to suspend our disbelief.
I like John Wayne but I have never liked all of his movies especially those where he was too old for the part but as I have got older myself those that I previously didn’t like have moved over over one by one into my ‘do like’ list. This is one of them!
I like a bunch of his movies, but I can’t get my head around “Katie Elder.” He is way older than the little brother.
I liked Earl. So did a lot of people – rarely played the bad guy. Almost ever doomed as the support sidekick though – but could hold his own. Loved him in the Rainmaker with Katherine Hepburn and Lancaster. More versatile than people figured.
He seemed to be stuck with characters who were bumbling or slow witted.
I don’t usually watch daytime TV but ‘Sons of Katie Elder’ was just on so remembering your post I felt compelled to watch it. I agree with what you say about John Wayne (58 years old at the time) but forgot that Dean Martin was also in it and he was 48 years old at the time. Earl Holliman was 42. Later he was in an episode of my favourite TV western – ‘Alias Smith and Jones’. Youngest son was just 22.
I enjoyed the film again this afternoon.
It would have been a lot better if the younger brother was left out.
I totally agree!